OPTED Magazine

Addressing the cloud hanging over your head can be a daunting task.  And no, I’m not talking about weather systems.

I’m talking about the task you’ve been procrastinating on for days, weeks, maybe months.  In some cases, the deadline may have passed and now the task is hopelessly overdue, and your gut reaction is to keep pushing it to the backburner to avoid facing the possible explosion of rain that comes from the cloud hovering over your life.

Procrastination is a common state of mind for many, but it doesn’t have to be.  Especially for certain types of tasks…

First, make decisions on the front end

The key to addressing your to do list effectively is making decisions on the front end about every potential task in your life that you are considering taking action on.

What do I mean by making decisions on the front end?

The concept is one that is referred to in multiple places in David Allen’s book about getting things done.  The idea is simple, but once mastered, will revolutionize the way you approach your tasks and reduce potentially harmful procrastination.

Think of every “to do” item in your life as an input: an idea, a thought, a possibility of something you want/need/hope to accomplish.  Not all of the tasks are required and some of them you may never complete, but the fact they entered your mind or list in the first place means it’s a task that must be processed in some way.

Imagine you could make a decision immediately about every potential action you wand/need/hope to complete.  You make the decision on the “front end” (the first time the task is placed before you) and you categorize that task according to your own system adapted from the Getting Things Done methodology.

Sometimes we waste time procrastinating for no reason at all

Sometimes the problem is not procrastination.  The problem is making an immediate decision about what our commitment to that task is as soon as it’s put before us.

In many cases, you have a task you would like to complete, but isn’t a priority, has no due date assigned to it, or might be a lofty “someday” goal for yourself, like visiting a particular foreign country.  These tasks end up on your running to-do list, and aren’t marked in a particlar way.  But the fact you constantly look at the list and fret about inaction prolongs unneeded procrastination for a task that was never intended to be completed right away.

It’s important to remember these tasks, but not necessarily important to act on NOW.  By defining your commitment to the task on the front end, when it enters your mind, you can release a burden on yourself for feeling like you have to complete it immediately.  Removing these tasks from your everyday to do list can help you regain focus and perspective.

We all know that delaying tasks we’re already certain must be completed is nothing more than delaying the inevitable.  If you make a deliberate decision and recognize that the task is an essential one and may as well be completed sooner rather than later, you save yourself a lot of hassle.  Conversely, if you can determine the task is a “rainy day” one, you may save yourself mental procrastination and the guilt you may feel from not crossing something off your list.

Try it, it may change your life like it has mine.

If you liked this post, you might like::

1. Completing essential tasks on your to do list first
2. Use the blitz approach for your to-do list
3. Address incoming paper immediately and make it a habit
4. Batch tasks to save time and achieve maximum efficiency
5. How to simplify and regroup after your day derails