Time Management Traps

Although perfectionism and procrastination may not seem like related concepts, they could be intertwined when it comes to time management. A perfectionist wants everything they do to be flawless. On the other hand, someone who procrastinates delays a task for unnecessary reasons. For instance, they may not start step one of a project because they are unsure what to do at step ten.

Sometimes, perfectionists become procrastinators because they fear failure so much that they become paralyzed. They delay starting a task because they feel they are unable to meet their own high expectations. You need to challenge your thought patterns to break through the perfectionism-procrastination cycle. Accept your own limitations and come to terms with the fact that imperfections occur — and that’s okay. Read on to uncover tips to improve your time management skills by avoiding the procrastination vs. perfectionism loop.

Set Realistic Goals

Perfectionists tend to set unattainable goals for thems look over reviews and change themake themistic. For instance, break down a large, flawless objective into smaller, manageable steps. Begin at the first step and slowly work through each one, comparing your progress to the end product as you go.

You’ll feel a sense of accomplishment as you complete each stage by using small steps. As you move forward and make progress, you’ll feel motivated to continue. You’ll also work against common pitfalls you may experience. Often, people feel overwhelmed by a large project. Instead, you won’t need to face an entire project; you can view it piece by piece. You also will find that you have improved focus on each defined task, allowing you to avoid distractions and move forward.

Imagine that you’re responsible for organizing a company-wide training event. Rather than focusing on the overwhelming goal of completing the entire event, you can break it into digestible bites. First, create a list of potential training topics. Next, research and book a venue. Then, send out save-the-date invitations to attendees. Finally, coordinate with speakers and finalize the agenda. Taking smaller steps one at a time will make the process more manageable and keep the momentum going.

Show Yourself Compassion

Don’t be so hard on yourself. Maybe management corrected you on your last project. Or perhaps you were late turning in a report because you just couldn’t get started on it. It’s okay. Self-compassion can help you overcome perfectionist thoughts and actions that lead to procrastination and other time management mistakes. Treating yourself with kindness eases the stress you feel from unrealistic expectations.

Rather than being harsh on yourself for being imperfect, take a moment to reflect on the situation. Everybody makes mistakes. Keeping that in mind, you can more readily accept your own imperfections. You are bound to have missteps on your way to completing a project. Forgive yourself by first accepting that mistakes happen. Next, think about how you could have done it differently. And finally, release any guilt you may have about making a mistake.

Suppose you missed an important deadline because you underestimated the time a certain task would take. Instead of criticizing yourself, take a step back and practice self-compassion. Acknowledge that you’re human and mistakes happen. Think about what led to the delay — maybe the task was more complex than expected, or you overcommitted to other responsibilities. Now, use this information to change your approach in the future. For example, you may want to build in more buffer time for upcoming deadlines. You can proceed with confidence and a better plan by focusing on improvement rather than blaming yourself for your mistakes.

Remind Yourself That Failure Leads to Growth

As a perfectionist, you may think you can only work on something if it is perfect. You need to incan this all-or-nothing thinking, and you ing your mindset. Remind yourself that failure leads to growth. Failure is only a temporary setback; it is no permanenot a situation unless you give up entirely.

Instead, adopt an attitude of growth and improvement. Your abilities can be developed with each attempt and continuous perseverance. What is failure but feedback that helps you to improve? You should look deeper at each mistake to determine what didn’t work and why. Make specific notes with actionable changes that you can use next time.

While flawless success is always the goal, it is not always achievable. Some errors in a project do not mean that it should be scrapped and your work was in vain. Consciously embrace the concept that it’s okay to make mistakes. And remember that errors are a means of learning new skills. Perhaps you simply need more practice. Next time, you may need to prepare more. Or maybe you need help from others. Understand what the cause of the problem was, and plan so that you can overcome the issue in the future.

Make Use of Time Management Techniques

Consider using an appropriate time management technique rather than entering your workday without a plan. They can help you fix your most obvious productivity issues so you can use your time wisely and achieve your goals. When used properly, you can clearly understand how to plan ahead. You’ll overcome bad habits that interfere with work, such as procrastinating, giving in to distractions, and multitasking. You’ll also improve your time management abilities, such as prioritizing, planning, delegating, and creating boundaries. Use calendar apps like Calendar, Microsoft Calendar, and Google Calendar to inform you of meetings and deadlines.

The Pomodoro technique, for example, helps you focus on a single goal over a more extended period of time. It enables you to get right to work on larger projects without feeling overwhelmed. You should work for 25 minutes, then take a five-minute break. Continue on this schedule until you’ve completed four work sessions, at which time you can reward yourself with a 30-minute break.

Another option is the Eisenhower method, which helps you prioritize tasks. Group your daily tasks under one of four quadrants. They are labeled essential and urgent, important and not urgent, not important and urgent, and not important and not urgent. The first quadrant of important and urgent work should be done as soon as possible, preferably before anything else. Important but not urgent tasks can be scheduled at the most convenient time. If you have assignments that are not important but need to be done as soon as possible, you should delegate them. Lastly, anything in the last quadrant of projects that isn’t important or urgent should be deleted from your to-do list.

Overcoming Procrastination and Perfectionism

Perfectionism in the workforce often leads to procrastination. You want only the best result, so you feel frozen, unable to begin. Perhaps you find yourself researching the project, studying the project, talking about the project — doing everything but working on the project. It’s still procrastination. It also affects your productivity and your ability to meet deadlines.

You can work on breaking free from procrastination and perfectionism. Simple actions, like time management techniques or setting realistic goals, can help you take steps in the right direction. Training yourself to overcome these time management traps takes time, but each step toward constructive action is a triumph. As you continue practicing better time management, you’ll continue to see progress, growth, and work success.