2. What You Avoid


Avoidance behavior is a tricky thing. It can range from mild procrastination to a full-blown disregard for what needs to be done. When we simply avoid the things that we do not like doing and do not execute well, and we are aware of this, we can make a commitment to learning the skills that are required, shifting behaviors when necessary and taking responsibility for our actions.

Sometimes, though, our avoidance behavior or procrastination is our blind spot—we do not even know that we are avoiding tasks or processes that we need to be completing in order to deliver results. It is critical that you identify and resolve your avoidance or procrastination tendencies.

Putting a Stop to Putting It Off

Take a close look at your behavior—do you dislike and put off similar tasks every week or every month, or do you postpone every task, no matter how small? To get a sense of your level of avoidance, take the Procrastination assessment (Exhibit 10-2) and then consult the scoring key.

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Exhibit 10-2: Procrastination

What is your avoidance behavior?

Score yourself on a scale of 1 through 4 for each statement, using the following as a guide:

1 = Not me

2 = Well, maybe I do this

3 = I tend to do this a lot

4 = That’s me

___

I delay finishing certain parts of my job, even though I know they’re important.

___

I postpone starting things I don’t particularly like to do—I’ll get them done somehow.

___

When I have a deadline, I wait until the last minute—I work well under pressure.

___

I manage to find an excuse for not doing the boring parts of my job.

___

I worry about making a mistake, being right, or being perfect.

___

When I think a goal is too tough to accomplish, I just don’t do it.

___

Whenever I make a schedule of tasks I don’t like, I find other, more important things to do.

___

Even though I hate myself if I don’t get started, I don’t get started.

___

I delay making tough decisions.

___

I simply avoid those tasks and duties that don’t play to my strengths.

___

Total Score

Scoring Key

10–20: At the lower end of this range, you are paying attention to what needs to be done, and when. At the upper end of the range, you may be avoiding certain tasks, which may result in a time management issue. Keep your schedule tied to your goals, values, and priorities, and keep your boundaries secure.

21–31: You may have some triggers that send you into avoidance or procrastination, and you may have some time management issues as a result. Uncover your underlying issues around avoidance or procrastination, in order that you can develop skills and tools for scheduling, prioritizing, delegating, and learning how to say no, and also do some personal boundary work to keep other people from dumping their stuff on you.

30–40: You are a procrastination machine. If you scored in this range, you’ll need to develop the tools and skills to shift out some habits and tendencies. Some ideas for doing so are listed here, but you might want to work with a coach to find out what the underlying causes are for you, and to develop the tools and skills you need.

end sidebar

Underlying Causes of Avoidance and Procrastination Procrastination and avoidance are problems that face teenagers and adults, males and females, regardless of social group, education, intellect, or background. The consequences of putting things off may range from a minor slowdown to a major catastrophe, and this behavior may become your pathway to a “career cul-de-sac” and may be your single most common time management problem. Since procrastination can be a career-stopper, it is important for you to uncover your pattern of avoidance by reviewing your enjoy/tolerate/dislike worksheet. Identify whether your avoidance behavior is tied to the insignificant (e.g., tasks that are unimportant to the organization and unnecessary for success) or the more crucial (e.g., tasks that are significant, visible, and vital factors in delivering stellar results); then review the following as possible underling sources:

  • Fear. Some of us avoid or procrastinate because we fear doing the task or carrying out the project at hand. If you find that the work you avoid or put off most requires you to move out of your comfort zone, you may be immobilized by a fear of failure, rejection, being wrong, or embarrassment.

  • Perfectionism. This is one of the more common reasons for avoiding or procrastinating. Perfectionists avoid starting a task because they worry that they might fall short of their own high standards. A perfectionist will become absorbed in the details, attempting to control every aspect of the task, and ignore the need to move a project along until the very last minute. (They do not have to face their fear of imperfection if the task is not done.)

  • Anxiety over the expectations of others. Often we avoid or postpone certain tasks because we fear that we will not live up to the expectations of others. This trap is particularly insidious, because by trying to become a better person for other people, you miss learning who you really are—that your weaknesses are rich and wonderful teachers, that mistakes are truly golden, and that those faults of yours are strengths in waiting.

  • Overextended, trying to do too much. It is possible that your avoidance behavior or procrastination tendencies stems from overextending yourself. Overdoers have the hardest time recognizing themselves as overdoers because to them everything is important. “I have 10 number one priorities!” is a typical mantra of an overdoer.

Whether the fundamental cause of your avoidance is fear, perfectionism, unrealistic expectations, or overextending, it is in your best interest professionally and personally to get this issue resolved—forever. Identify your barrier by catching yourself in the act of procrastinating or avoiding, and apply the three-step process described in Chapter 5:

Pause: What is going on here?

Explore: Why am I feeling this way?

Decide: What is the best thing to do right now?

Regardless of its source, avoidance behavior can be an artificial defense against the challenging or difficult parts of your career and your life. You need to be willing to face those areas that are not functioning well and deal with them head-on; in the end, this will provide the professional success and personal fulfillment that comes from an aware, balanced life.




How to Shine at Work
How to Shine at Work
ISBN: 0071408657
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2006
Pages: 132

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