How do you know you are avoiding completing a task?
What trick or habit do you use to complete the task?
What’s the worst thing that has happened to you because you procrastinated?
At the core of my procrastination is conflict aversion. If I am staring at a task and can forecast any significant conflict, I will manufacture a plausible justification that this task can wait. I can do this for weeks without blinking an eye.
Conflict aversion encompasses a lot. It could be letting someone down, telling someone bad news, or just hinting that engaging in this task might create conflict… somewhere… maybe. I’ve had two significant reviews over the last two years performed by neutral consultants whose job is to find where I need to grow, and both highlighted my conflict aversion.
And this is what I do when I see myself avoiding. I place both feet on the floor, stare at the task neutrally and objectively, and take one small step.