Starting Tasks
“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” Charles Dickens, David Copperfield
Are you a pro at procrastinating? No worries, you are not alone! And, there are positive sides to it: it means you care about the task.
In fact you care about it so much that you fear you will not do it well enough.
Yes, you read correctly: Fear.
There are three emotions:
- Fear
- Anger
- Love
So, next time you find yourself procrastinating, instead of getting frustrated with yourself, give yourself a thumbs-up and some space: go outside for a walk, or read a book for a while until you feel better.
1. Watch the Video
You are going to watch a video about procrastination (2:48'). Before watching the video, think about the moments in the past week in which you procrastinated.
Draw a table on a piece of paper like the one below and fill it in.
| Task | Fears | Help |
|---|---|---|
| ____ | ____ | ____ |
| ____ | ____ | ____ |
| ____ | ____ | ____ |
| ____ | ____ | ____ |
Watch the video. Take notes while watching.
2. Read the Text
Read the following text about procrastination. While reading, underline key quotations.
Planning and Prioritizing
“Let us reflect on what is truly of value in life, what gives meaning to our lives, and set our priorities on the basis of that.” Dalai Lama
Do you catch yourself saying "yes, no prob, I'll take care of it" far too often? If your answer is "yes" (again?! 🙂),
it's time to take stop doing so. It is your life. It is your time. And yes, every minute counts. Make every day
of your life a celebration of that: your life and nobody else's.
The reason why you say "yes" far too often is because you are afraid of rejection.
Again, yet another Executive Skill that finds its origin in fear.
The origin of poor planning and prioritizing is fear:
1. Watch the Video
You are going to watch a video about planning and prioritizing (3:05'). Before watching, reflect on the moments in the past week in which you found yourself overwhelmed with things to do.
Draw a table on a piece of paper like the one below. Fill it in. Use the prompts to answer: What overwhelmed you? Why? How could you have avoided it?
| What | Why | How |
|---|---|---|
| ____ | ____ | ____ |
| ____ | ____ | ____ |
| ____ | ____ | ____ |
| ____ | ____ | ____ |
Watch the video. Take notes while watching.
2. Read the Text
Read the following text about planning and prioritizing. While reading, underline key quotations.