Avoiding Self Inflicted Wounds

We go, and go, and go. We rush, and rush, and rush trying to get everything done that we want to get done.

While we aim and work toward our goals, we face obstacles and distractions that threaten our success. It is easy to overlook the possibility that we can shoot ourselves in the foot and harm our own efforts with self-inflicted wounds as much as any outside threat.

How can this be so you ask? The answer is simple and seems so benign that it makes it a more vicious threat to our well being than if the enemy were more apparent.

It begins innocently, and if not cut off, can grow into a habit and then into our character. It takes a strong effort to eliminate it from our core behavior. Once others see us exhibiting this characteristic, it then takes an even a stronger effort to convince them that we have purged it in order to repair our reputation.

We all can find ourselves putting things off until a more convenient time. If exercised occasionally, little harm will occur. If we regularly delay completing our responsibilities, others will know us as a procrastinator.

My daughter began testing the pleasure of putting off responsibilities one day when I asked her to pick up her toys. “I will” she said, and began to pull out additional toys to play. It was only when she repeated her response to my next request to pick up her toys that I discovered what she was really doing.

Deciding to eliminate procrastination as a possible character trait in her, I was prepared the next time we had a task for her to do. “Please clean up your room, I asked.” “I will” she replied.

“I will is no substitute for I did” I replied. “Please, do it now.” She complied, and I reinforced how nice it was to have completed a dreaded task and to be free from doing it later.

I have managed many people over the years, and the procrastinators are the most difficult to lead and help achieve their peak performance. They always have an excuse for being late on every task to the point that I could write a book listing excuses. If they only realized that the only person that they were fooling with their excuses was themselves.

In addition, they are often perplexed when they aren’t given additional responsibilities. They are blinded to the fact that their tendency to procrastinate makes them less desirable for promotion. Finding a way to get the job done on a timely basis is a much more attractive characteristic to earn a promotion than always being late and having to be pushed to accomplish required job functions.

A friend who runs a business in Hollywood that caters to the entertainment industry tells me that it is difficult to get his employees to understand the importance of showing up on time for work. An individual’s delay can negatively impact an entire team, and if the team fails in delivering a quality experience to the customer the entire business can be threatened.

“Never put off until tomorrow, that which can be done today”, is just as applicable today as when it was first stated. It is amazing how much more productive we can be if we will complete something at the first opportunity instead of deferring it until a later time. A simple example of how we can improve effectiveness is in handling mail or e-mail correspondence. How simple it is to look at something once and process it instead of putting it off until later.

In leading a team, I used a phrase to inspire confidence and motivate action that stated, “I can, I will, I did.” As I explained, we must first develop the confidence that we can complete a job. Second, we must commit that we will complete the job without fail. Finally, if we follow through on the first two steps, we will realize the success of accomplishing our goals. Success breeds confidence that further success will be achieved.

If we can minimize the number of self-inflicted wounds that reduce or delay achieving our goals, we will realize substantially greater success. If we eliminate or reduce procrastinating in doing the things necessary for our success, we will reduce the number of self-inflicted wounds.

© 2006 Richard V. Battle