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Break your procrastination habit
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Break your procrastination habit
THE BLUE TREE
Personal
Productivity
CEFR B2
Upper
Intermediate
warm up
- Do you have a problem with procrastination?
- Why is it hard to complete some tasks on time sometimes?
- Do you organize your work tasks according to priority or difficulty?
LISTENING
Listen to the audio. What is the main message of this HBR Management Tip?
reading
Break Your 1. Procrastination Habit |
| Do you keep 2. postponing work you need to do? Most of us procrastinate from time to time. Rather than feeling guilty about it, or 3. beating yourself up, try these strategies to break the habit. Schedule your deep work. It’s easier to put off work that requires concentration. So build time in your daily calendar to focus on your most important long-term project. Having a regular pattern each day will make it less challenging and help make progress feel automatic, rather than 4. cumbersome. Learn to accept demanding work. Don’t make the mistake of 5. equating easy work with productivity. The more tolerant you become of demanding tasks, the less you’ll procrastinate. This takes practice; commit to 6.tackling 90 minutes of at least one demanding task each day — not just busy work. Create a system for starting new tasks. You’ll be less likely to delay 7. novel tasks if you have a system for approaching them. Have consistent steps you take when you 8. encounter something new to reduce decision 9. fatigue about how to start. Use self-compassion. We tend to avoid tasks that stir up negative emotions. Try to identify what you’re feeling exactly, so you can address the emotion 10.head on. Sometimes the negative feelings about a task are driven by a prior experience. You can heal these wounds with compassionate self-talk. Tell yourself, “It’s normal to be disappointed in my past performance. I’m learning through experience.” |
| This tip is adapted from “How to Stop Procrastinating,” by Alice Boyes |
odkładać zadania na ostatnią chwilę
zwlekać, odkładać, przekładać (na później)
obwiniać się
nieporęczny (np. styl), nieudolny (np. o przeprosinach)
stawiać znak równości pomiędzy
uporać się (z czymś), stawiać czoło (problemom)
nowy, nieznany
napotkać, natknąć się (na coś)
zmęczenie
bezpośrednio, z determinacją
COMPREHENSION
- How common is the habit of procrastinating?
- What do some people do when they procrastinate?
- Why should we schedule time for deep work?
- How does it help to have a regular pattern for deep work?
- What mistake do some people make as regards productivity?
- What do we have to learn to tolerate?
- What can we do to approach difficult tasks easier?
- What tasks do we tend to avoid more often?
- How can compassionate self-talk help us?
POLL
Don’t Neglect Your Career While Focusing on Your Job
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Stand Out During Your Next Presentation
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How to Get Along with Difficult Colleagues
THE BLUE TREE
Better
Communicator
CEFR B2
Upper
Intermediate
warm up
- Who do you like/dislike the most at work?
- What traits should a good colleague have?
- What annoys you the most about the behaviour of your workmates?
LISTENING
Listen to the article first. What is the main idea behind this management tip?
reading
How to Get Along with Difficult Colleagues |
It’s easy to 1. get caught up in interpersonal conflict at work. But these negative dynamics can lead to mistakes, reduced creativity, and worse decision-making. Here are four ways to work more effectively with difficult colleagues. Understand that your perspective is limited. It’s not realistic to expect everyone to agree with you all the time. When differences arise, ask yourself questions like: What if I’m wrong? How would I change my behavior? What 2. assumptions have I made? View the conflict as a problem to be solved together. Understand what 3. outcome you’re aiming for. Do you want to get a project over the finish line? Build a healthy working relationship that will last into the future? Feel less angry or frustrated after your interactions? Decide on your goals before interacting with your colleague, and keep your eyes on the prize. Avoid 4. venting and 5. gossip. Choose whom you talk to (and what you share) carefully. Look for people who are constructive, have your best interests at heart, will challenge your perspective when they disagree, and can be 6. discreet. Experiment to find what works. Start by coming up with two or three methods you want to test out. For example, if you want to improve communications with a 7. grumpy colleague, decide that for two weeks you’re going to ignore their tone and focus on the 8. substance of their messages. Often small actions can have a big impact. |
| This tip is adapted from “How to Navigate Conflict with a Coworker,” by Amy Gallo |
dać się złapać, wrobić
założenia
rezultat, wynik
dawać upust (emocjom)
plotki, pogłoski
dyskretny, rozważny
gderliwy, marudzący, zrzędliwy
merytoryczna wartość
COMPREHENSION
- How can arguments at work affect our performance?
- How does it help to understand that our perspective is limited?
- What questions can we ask ourselves at this point?
- How can we view the conflict as a problem to be solved together?
- What should we remember about when we decide to approach a difficult colleague?
- Who can we talk to about this issue? Why?
- What’s the forth tip about? Can you think of any other ‘experiments’?
POLL
COMMENTS
How would you deal with a difficult colleague at work? Do you have any other tips you’d like to share with us?
COMMENTS
What is your method of dealing with procrastination? How do you make yourself do difficult tasks?
Share your views and experience here.