Feeling overwhelmed by your work and unable to get started? Try these quick tips to help get you back on track.
1. Is it rejuvenation or avoidance? Taking a walk around the block or eating ice cream may look the same when you are avoiding writing a 20-page brief or rewarding yourself after wrapping up a four-week trial, but it feels completely different. Identify what you are feeling. If it feels like what you are doing is actually avoiding work, find a way to reign in your fears and take a stab at getting started.
2. Just get started. If you have a big assignment to do, it is often hard to know where to start. Sometimes the best way to start is to start small. For example, if you are creating a document, just give it a name and start typing your first page, and you will already be in a very different place than before you began. Even if you later need to go back and delete some of it, you will now be thinking about what you need to do — and you will often find you have the focus needed to move ahead.
3. Cut out distractions. Want to nurture your mind’s ability for deep, sustained thinking? Close your blinds, put a “do not disturb” note on your door, shut down Outlook and your web browser, hold your calls, and give yourself a couple of hours of peace and quiet for thinking. Take this time to cut out the noise and make room for work to begin. You know you will feel so much better if you get some work done.
Want more help on how to deal with procrastination? Read the full article from our Lawyers Assistance Program.
Dan Crystal, Psy.D. Dan has enjoyed working at WSBA since 2008. He received his doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Denver in 2007 and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Seattle VA Hospital in 2008. His areas of expertise include addictions, post-traumatic stress disorder, and forensic psychology. At the Lawyers Assistance Program, Dan leads job-seeker groups, handles substance abuse referrals, and conducts outreach to bar groups statewide on mental health issues. He also works with the Office of Disciplinary Counsel as the Diversion Administrator.
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Procrastination can be paralyzing. Here are some quick tips to get you over the hump with a link to a more in depth article.