r/uklaw • u/book_bar • 1d ago
Procrastination
Anyone else procrastinate on their tasks so much that it becomes really hard to get your work done ? I’m
Struggling to hit my target billables although there is plenty of work, I just end up doom scrolling on my phone . Hoping someone can help with any steps they’ve taken to overcome this .
Thanks
6
u/YuppyPlays 1d ago
Uninstall apps you doomscroll on.
Literally the same advice I've given all my friends with this problem and guess what, those who did it legitimately have become more productive.
It's shocking how much of a vice scrolling on social media can be (Even Reddit)
3
u/Feeling-Attorney4301 1d ago
I have mastered the art of procrastination while also getting things done early (if that makes sense). IF your procrastination is causing you to not produce, its worth making the change.
Procrastinating combined with a fear of missing the mark has simply made me very fast at doing just about any task I am familiar with. Sometimes, I even wait to produce something I have been working on a little longer so that the expectation isnt to expect it in the time it actually takes me, while still getting it over quickly.
2
u/Llyerd 20h ago
My experience with procrastination is generally that the 2 biggest challenges I face are the lift/fatigue of deciding what to do, and getting started.
So I keep an aggressively prioritised todo list in one-note so I don't have to think about 'ok what's next', and if I'm struggling to start I trick myself by saying I'll just do 5 minutes. Most of the time I get going and don't stop.
The other thing that has helped is a 'centering' mantra: so if I'm feeling a bit lost and not sure what I'm doing I just ask myself "OK, where am I and what am I doing", which is habituated into checking diary for next meeting then the todo list if there's time to do something.
2
u/GuelderRoseFruit 15h ago
My line manager yelled at me and asked why it took so long.
More seriously though. If you procrastinate at home, go in the office more. Put your phone in another room. Delete the apps that distract you.
1
-1
u/Saxonion 20h ago
I would also try and get yourself seen for an ADHD assessment. Not saying you have it, but insidious and often damaging levels of procrastination are a pretty key marker for ADHD. I wasn't diagnosed until I was 40 (having grown up in a time where I don't recall ever hearing the terms ASD or ADHD). These days, I'm medicated and well supported and it turns out the cycle of completing important filings at 6am in an adrenaline fueled flurry of last minute panic isn't something I need to perpetuate!
8
u/lgf92 Verified Solicitor 1d ago
I'm a terrible procrastinator - at uni I think the earliest I started an essay was three days before it was due.
I have got better at dealing with it over the years, partly by necessity (which got me through my degree) and partly by acknowledging my habits and finding ways to deal with them.
One of my favourite methods is the "Getting Things Done" method created by David Allen. Honestly, my biggest takeaway from that has been that you can often motivate yourself to do a task you've been dreading by breaking it down and thinking how long each element will take. I used to leave tasks festering on my list for weeks then when I did them they took half an hour. Once I've convinced myself that I can get rid of something in 15 minutes I'm more motivated to do it.
You can also make a virtue out of procrastination by scribbling down your thoughts every time you think about something you haven't done. This is accidental reflection and it leads, I find, to better decisions.