Procrastination for a Polymath
How I manage — The confessions of a Scientist by day, Polymath by second…
All day
I’ve made lists….kind of…I managed to get a pen and notebook and sat down. I then proceeded to scroll through Netflix until my thumb hurt, self diagnosed myself with arthritis and then decided I’m hungry.
I ate a few and stared down at my notebook. The first step is to write it all down then just power through? There’s no logic in this but for some reason I was convinced if I wrote everything down quickly it would some how just get done. The first step is truly the hardest, as my mother says ‘once you get started it’s easy’
She doesn’t say that
She says ‘Have you done that thing you said you needed to do?’
Ugh
Love her but she does not fully understand that my to do list is longer than I am. At a solid 5ft4 that’s quite a bit.
Well I proceeded to write my list at rapid speed, the end result being like a prescription from a GP. Barely legible, but a start.
As I wrote, it actually became more real, the responsibility on my shoulders, and the number of factors dependent on what I get done.
It is Sunday, and for many, (not just founders) this doesn’t mean what it used too. It is no longer a day of rest, more like the day of catchup and day of trying to get ahead of the following week.
There are no hard and fast rules on how not to procrastinate, I simply make a list on paper as I know if I did it on my phone I would end up replying to the latest email in my inbox of 7000, LinkedIn or Instagram by default. There is also the majorly distracting WhatsApp with its conversations which I try to stay on top of. Apologies If I haven’t replied by the way, I’m busy procrastinating at the moment, but send across another message and I will get back to you asap!
It all sounds weird, but trust me it’s normal, it feels like all of a sudden we are all aware that there is a lot to be done. We are either playing catch-up for the past few years or trying to do as much as possible, it’s as if we have a new appreciation for what we want to achieve.
I’m currently lying down, feeling a bit philosophical having just read ‘letters from a stoic’ and I appreciate that we are all equal (from the book) and weird is normal. It’s not that we’re not motivated, we may or may not be overwhelmed or simply we may just be more motivated to do something outside of something that needs our immediate attention.
It’s not just the battle between the limbic system and prefrontal cortex. We have access to a lot, a lot of information, people and it is both enhancing my curiosity and feeding my procrastination. Thank you and damn you Netflix!
I want to maintain the illusion that all founders are highly productive people sleeping in a mess of ‘post-it’ notes with their phones in their hands. You know the way Hollywood shows us in the movies before we fail and then succeed. It’s a bit like that. I for one, like my bed, it’s super-kingsize and calls out to me longingly when the laptop runs out of battery, and there are only several minutes until sunrise. Yes I’ve never just fallen asleep at my desk. I don’t remember the last time I used a ‘post-it’ for work, usually it’s all electronic. I can’t even remember the last time I used a paperclip, (insert shocked emoji here). My phone on the other hand is like a part of my body, where if I’m away from it too long I feel lost (not only because I need Waze to live) but because I have started to feel like I can only stay on top of things if I respond immediately. I know it’s not good but it feels good or now.
Procrastination is not because we’re lazy, just that we want to do it all and just need to figure out where to start. The start line each day is different and routine is not routine. The only constants at the moment are my possessions, there is order in the disorder and procrastination may be the Universe’s way of setting the pace and preventing burnout. Let go of the guilt of just doing what you want, the weight of responsibility is on everyone but as you would say to others. Give yourself a break.
How to use your super powers to beat procrastination
1. brain likes to make links, handle multiple tasks and divulge in its many interests. Use this to keep motivated, switch between tasks knowing that you will find a way to link things together and who knows, you may discover something new.
2. By setting goals you will be able to prioritise, even if you can’t imagine the ultimate goal, set the goal of feel accomplished. Set deadlines, sometimes the pressure helps to motivate you to get things done. I find challenging myself to complete a task within a certain timeframe works.
3. Nurture your natural curiosity and passion, utilise your intrinsic motivation to learn and curate. Use your natural enthusiasm to break through your state of procrastination.
4. Don’t procrastinate due to failure or fear of. Everyone faces set backs, a polymath doesn’t let this stop them, instead they use this as a opportunity to use their skills of navigation and creating links to problem solve and create new goals. Use your skills to take measured risks. Life is both short and the longest thing we do…
5. Leverage your Interdisciplinary Connections to create a new way to beat procrastination. Remind yourself why you need to complete the task you have set for yourself (its purpose) and how else you could approach it.
6. Manage your time, you’re a polymath, every moment can be filled with so many insights and connections. Value your time and use techniques such as scheduling, time blocking etc. Try and use your self awareness and reflection to deduce why you are procrastinating and implement personal strategies to combat this.
8. Use your network to hold you accountable, provide you support or act as a sounding board. On occasion your procrastination could be a sign you need a break, use this time to meet with your social circle and obtain their support.
All of the above are examples of ways in which procrastination can be managed, many of which I used whilst trying to write this article. I would encourage you to procrastinate your own way and just appreciate the fun of it…
More to come on the how to deal with procrastination and how successful polymaths solve for this….!
Comment on how you live with procrastination…
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References:
Duhigg, C. (2012). The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business. Random House.
Grant, A. (2016). Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World. Viking.
Duckworth, A. L. (2016). Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance. Scribner.
