5 general improvements for paper task systems

1. Work with fixed sections

Make your notebook or planner clearer by using fixed categories and dedicated pages. Think of separate sections such as “Today”, “This week”, “Projects” and “Later”. By being consistent about this, you’ll never have to leaf through vague scribbles in different places again. You always have an instant overview, and you prevent important tasks from sinking into the paper swamp.

2. Work more visually

Symbols, colours and arrows make even the most densely written page easy to scan. For example, use a green tick for completed tasks, an orange exclamation mark for urgent jobs and a blue arrow for anything you move forward. By making your system visually appealing and distinctive, you recognise priorities faster and give yourself an extra motivation boost with every circle or box you tick off.

3. Make a clear distinction between notes and tasks

Writing everything down the same way? (in Dutch) Then action points disappear between meeting notes and stray thoughts. Always give tasks their own symbol (a small box or an asterisk, for instance), write notes as plain text, and consistently mark action points in the margin or with a colour. That way, every time you look back, you know exactly what you need to do, and you prevent notes from being left untouched or forgotten.

4. Keep updating

A paper system only really works if you keep it fresh. Set aside fixed moments every day and every week to go through your list again: crossed out means done, postponed gets a new date, and every new action goes straight to the right place. By consciously rewriting (what’s still waiting, what’s done?), you keep your system from getting cluttered and stay alert to your own procrastination.

5. Work with an index or table of contents

Number the pages in your (bullet) journal or, especially for projects or longer periods, use a simple table of contents at the front. That way you can quickly find where you wrote down an action, project report or brilliant idea. Especially with thicker notebooks, and for anyone who combines themes or projects, an index is a game changer for your overview.

5 general improvements for digital task systems

1. Use clear categories and tags

Never let your inbox overflow: add labels, categories or contexts to your tasks straight away. By structuring with tags such as “project X”, “quick jobs” or “calls”, you can filter quickly and work in a structured way, even as your system grows. Many tools offer smart filters that let you sort actions perfectly by urgency or role.

2. Separate notes from tasks

Prevent notes, action lists, project information and loose ideas from getting mixed up. Use separate sections (or linked apps) for tasks versus notes. For example: always put meeting notes in OneNote or Notion, and only the worked-out action points in your task app. That way you keep responsibilities and information neatly separated.

3. Schedule fixed review moments

Updating your digital system weekly (or even daily) prevents a pile-up of old tasks and searching for vague jobs. Set automatic reminders for a weekly review, and use those moments to delete items you no longer need, adjust priorities and freshen up the system. That way your digital tool stays an ally instead of a source of stress.

4. Use smart search and sort functions

Learn where the magnifying glass is, and how to make the most of filters. Are you searching by client, project or date? Many apps offer powerful search and sort functions that make even long, complex lists instantly clear. Also give your tasks clear, recognisable titles, so you can always find them right away.

5. Automate what you can

Strengthen your system with automatic recurring tasks, reminders from your calendar or, where possible, simple integrations with email, Teams or Slack. The more you outsource to your system, the less you have to remember yourself, and the smaller the chance that tasks fall through the cracks.

5 general improvements for ANY kind of task system

1. Take conscious ownership

Keep asking yourself: whose task is this? Should or can I hand this over, or does it really belong to me? By being sharp about ownership (in Dutch), you not only avoid picking up tasks that belong to someone else, you also work in a more focused and effective way. Discuss shared tasks, on paper or digitally, so there’s never any doubt about who does what.

2. Break big tasks into smaller pieces

Big projects are paralysing when you put them on your list as a single item. Break them down into small, clear subtasks (in Dutch) that are easy to oversee and tick off. For example, not “write new policy”, but “gather input for analysis”, “work out first draft”, “review version”. Every completed step gives you energy and prevents procrastination.

3. Cluster similar tasks

Work in blocks of time in which you always pick up one type of job: for example, a fixed block for phone calls, one for admin, or a block for answering emails. This works both on paper (a list of calls to make) and digitally (filtering by context). By not fragmenting your attention, you keep more focus and use your energy more efficiently.

4. Record your system, and keep it up to date

Every task system, digital or paper, is only as good as your own discipline in maintaining and updating it. Build in a daily and a weekly update, in which you archive tasks, reprioritise and clean up the system. Only then does it stay reliable and clear, and can you move forward with confidence.

5. Dare to adjust and experiment

No system works forever for everyone. Be critical: why do you sometimes not manage to get tasks done? Keep experimenting with layouts, tools and routines, and feel free to try something completely different. It’s precisely by continuing to fine-tune your way of working that you grow in productivity and job satisfaction.

Finally

Every task system stands or falls with attention, structure and ownership, whichever form you choose. Today, take a moment to consider which improvement would have the most impact on your enjoyment or peace of mind. Start with one concrete change, and share your insights with a colleague or your team. The more you clean up your system from time to time, the more it works for you, and the more energy and satisfaction you have left for what really matters.

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Are you interested in having your team work smarter, but not harder? A workshop or training Enjoy your Productivity gives you a unique opportunity to reflect on the way the team organizes their work, both on an individual level and on a team level.   

General information in Dutch may be found here. Please contact me for a tailormade workshop or training where both materials and instructions are in English.

If you’d benefit from personal attention for your own challenges, a coaching programme Enjoy your Productivity may be a smart choice. General information in Dutch may be found here. Please contact me for a first online meeting to get to know each other better. Naturally, this is without any obligation and free of charge.

Here are five practical tips you can apply today, to give your brain more rest.

1. Empty your head as much as possible

Your head works just like a computer: the more tasks your brain has to handle at once, the slower it gets. So make sure that everything on your mind ends up in an external memory as much as possible. That can be very simple: a notebook in which you write down everything that comes to mind, or a digital task list where you keep track of your tasks. You can also choose a mind map, or a drawing that shows what’s on your mind.

You can also empty your head by talking about your worries with someone else. Sometimes it’s refreshing to share them with someone who isn’t involved in the content of your work, although talking to colleagues or a confidential adviser at work can also work well.

2. Look at what’s enjoyable

However difficult it is, however hard your work feels: look for what was good and enjoyable about your day. At the end of every working day, write down three positive things, and think broadly. For example, that tasty sandwich at lunch, the fact that your inbox dropped below 100 emails, or that you took a step forward in a difficult project.

3. Do a body scan every evening

If you worry a lot, you mostly live in your head. But the effect of worrying lands in your body: it creates tension in your shoulders, your neck, your breathing. To stay in touch with your body and release that tension, you can do a body scan every evening before going to sleep.

It helps you focus on your breathing and on what’s happening in your body. Fifteen minutes each evening helps you sleep more calmly and wake up more rested the next morning. You can find out how to do a body scan on the website of Mindful.

4. Distract your brain from what’s bothering you

When you keep going over things, especially in bed, you’re busy with something you probably can’t solve at that moment. The chance that you’ll come up with new options or insights is relatively small. What you can try is to distract your brain from the unpleasant thing you keep thinking about, with exercises that make you focus on something else: an alternative to counting sheep.

For example, go through the alphabet and try to come up with a series of words that belong together. An alphabet of animals, for instance: ant, bear, cobra, dove, eagle, fox, goose… An alphabet of things you can eat is another option, or an alphabet of place names.

This video shows you a different way of dealing with your thoughts at night:

https://www.linkedin.com/embed/feed/update/urn:li:ugcPost:7510416473278840832?collapsed=1

5. Focus on your breathing

There are various breathing techniques that can help you calm down. You’ll find good examples on the websites of the NHS and Berkshire Healthcare NHS.

Don’t have the patience (or the calm…) to look into this? Then at least remember that breathing from your belly is better than breathing from your chest, and that it’s better to let each breath last a few seconds.

Work and rest are complementary: you need both to function well. If you’d like to read more about that, this blog post (in Dutch) is a good one.

As a bonus tip, I’d like to recommend the Digital Speed Reading Masterclass. Do you find it hard to filter and remember information? Then listen to this podcast about speed reading (in Dutch), in which I talk with René Hogenes about this topic. If, after taking in this new information, you’re considering this masterclass, I have a nice discount for you.

Work hard, and rest well!

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Are you interested in having your team work smarter, but not harder? A workshop or training Enjoy your Productivity gives you a unique opportunity to reflect on the way the team organizes their work, both on an individual level and on a team level.   

General information in Dutch may be found here. Please contact me for a tailormade workshop or training where both materials and instructions are in English.

If you’d benefit from personal attention for your own challenges, a coaching programme Enjoy your Productivity may be a smart choice. General information in Dutch may be found here. Please contact me for a first online meeting to get to know each other better. Naturally, this is without any obligation and free of charge.

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This blog post contains affiliate links. Read more about this in my disclaimer.

Herkenbaar? Dan ben je in goed gezelschap. Onduidelijke prioriteiten zijn in veel organisaties eerder regel dan uitzondering. Executive coach Amy Jen Su schreef er een helder artikel over in Harvard Business Review, met de titel How to Prioritize Your Work When Your Manager Doesn’t. Ze haalt daarin het bekende onderzoek van Robert Kaplan en David Norton aan: ruim negen op de tien medewerkers begrijpen de strategie van hun organisatie niet goed, of weten niet precies wat er van hen verwacht wordt. En aan de top is het niet beter: ook bestuurders zeggen dat ze te veel prioriteiten hebben die met elkaar botsen.

De vraag is dus niet of je met onduidelijkheid te maken krijgt. De vraag is hoe je daarin toch je eigen koers bepaalt, en met voldoening naar huis gaat.

Prioriteren begint bij jezelf

Su’s eerste punt is een stevige: wacht niet tot iemand anders je prioriteiten voor je bepaalt. Het is verleidelijk om de werkdruk bij je leidinggevende of de organisatie neer te leggen, en soms ligt daar ook echt een deel van het probleem. Maar wie zichzelf alleen als uitvoerder ziet, geeft het stuur uit handen. Bewust kiezen waar je je tijd aan besteedt, noemt zij een van de pijlers van succesvol werken.

Twee vragen als filter

Vervolgens raadt ze aan om niet alles tegelijk te willen wegen. Te veel keuzes verlammen, en leiden vaak tot beslissingen die niet in je eigen belang zijn. Su gebruikt daarom twee vragen. De eerste: waar lever ik de grootste bijdrage? Daarbij kijk je zowel naar wat de organisatie nodig heeft als naar wat jij met jouw ervaring en talenten uniek kunt toevoegen. De tweede: waar krijg ik energie van? Motivatie is namelijk de brandstof waarop je in actie komt.

Vier hokjes, vier strategieën

Zet je die twee vragen tegen elkaar af, dan ontstaan er vier soorten werk. Voor elk soort beschrijft Su een eigen aanpak.

Veel bijdrage, veel energie: geef het voorrang. Dit is je sweet spot. Hier maak je verschil én doe je het met plezier. Deze taken verdienen een vaste plek in je agenda.

Veel bijdrage, weinig energie: verdraag het. Niet elk onderdeel van je werk hoeft leuk te zijn. Soms hoort het gewoon bij je rol, of zit je nog in een leerfase en voelt iets daarom zwaar. Maar Su waarschuwt ook: als dit hokje steeds groter wordt, kan het een teken zijn dat je rol niet meer bij je past.

Weinig bijdrage, veel energie: til het op. Je vindt iets leuk, maar anderen zien het nut er niet van in. Dan kun je twee dingen doen. Laat zien waarom het wél waardevol is voor de organisatie. Of wees eerlijk tegen jezelf: duik je hierin omdat je het leuk vindt, terwijl het eigenlijk bij een ander hoort?

Weinig bijdrage, weinig energie: geef het weg. Delegeer het, zeg er nee tegen of schrap het helemaal. Su merkt fijntjes op dat taken die vroeger in je sweet spot vielen, door de jaren heen gewoon in dit hokje kunnen belanden.

Maak het zichtbaar in je agenda

Tot slot adviseert ze om terug te kijken in je agenda van de afgelopen maand: hoeveel tijd ging er naar elk hokje? Zelf geeft ze haar afspraken een kleur per kwadrant, zodat ze in één oogopslag ziet hoe haar week verdeeld is. Haar conclusie, met een knipoog naar Greg McKeown van Essentialism: als jij je tijd niet zelf indeelt, doet een ander het wel. En die ander heeft niet altijd jouw belang voor ogen.

Waar ik het mee eens ben, en waar ik een kanttekening zet

Wat ik sterk vind aan dit model: het neemt energie serieus. Veel prioriteringsmodellen kijken alleen naar belang en urgentie, alsof je een machine bent die alles even graag doet. Su laat zien dat plezier geen luxe is, maar een factor die bepaalt hoe goed je werk wordt. Dat sluit naadloos aan bij hoe ik naar slimmer werken kijk.

Toch zet ik er twee kanttekeningen bij.

De eerste gaat over eigenaarschap. Natuurlijk helpt het om zelf keuzes te maken. Maar onduidelijke prioriteiten zijn niet alleen jouw probleem. Als negen op de tien mensen niet weten wat er van hen verwacht wordt, ligt er ook een opdracht voor de organisatie. Eigenaarschap nemen betekent dus niet dat je alles op je eigen schouders legt. Het betekent ook: de vraag stellen, het gesprek aangaan, en benoemen waar het wringt.

De tweede gaat over het hokje “geef het weg”. Su schrijft voor leidinggevenden met een team om aan te delegeren. Maar veel professionals met wie ik werk, hebben niemand om taken aan over te dragen. Voor hen betekent dat hokje iets anders: bundel die taken, plan ze op een moment dat je energie toch al laag is, maak er afspraken over, of bespreek met je leidinggevende of ze echt nodig zijn.

En misschien wel het belangrijkste: wat jou energie geeft, kan je collega juist leegzuigen. Het ene hokje van de een is het andere hokje van de ander. Het model is dus een bril om mee te kijken, geen blauwdruk die voor iedereen hetzelfde uitpakt.

Wat kun je morgen anders doen?

Pak je agenda van vorige week erbij. Loop je afspraken en taken langs en stel bij elk item twee vragen: heb ik hier echt iets toegevoegd? En kreeg ik er energie van, of kostte het me energie? Je hoeft niets te veranderen. Alleen al zien hoe je week verdeeld was, geeft vaak een verrassend inzicht. Misschien zie je dat je sweet spot nauwelijks ruimte kreeg, of dat je veel tijd kwijt was aan dingen die eigenlijk bij een ander horen.

Kies daarna één taak die belangrijk is, maar je veel energie kost. Vraag jezelf niet af hoe je eraf komt, maar hoe je hem lichter maakt. Kan het op een ander moment van de dag? Kun je het samen doen met een collega? Of kun je het koppelen aan iets waar je wel plezier in hebt?

En heb je iets wat je met hart en ziel doet, maar waar anderen het nut niet van zien? Plan dan een kort gesprek met je leidinggevende. Leg uit wat je ziet en waarom het de organisatie iets oplevert. Daarmee neem je eigenaarschap op de manier die Su bedoelt: niet door alles alleen te dragen, maar door het gesprek zelf te beginnen.

Bron: Amy Jen Su, “How to Prioritize Your Work When Your Manager Doesn’t“, Harvard Business Review, 24 januari 2017.

Benieuwd welke manier van werken bij jou past? Doe dan de gratis zelftest werkstijlen.

Speelt dit in je hele team? In de teamtraining Met Meer Plezier Productief kijken we samen naar wat energie geeft en kost, en hoe je als team heldere keuzes maakt. Wil je vooral grip op de druk die dat oplevert, kijk dan eens naar Grip op Werkdruk, Energie en Stress.

Ga je liever gericht aan de slag in een 1-op-1 traject? Meer daarover lees je hier.

Sound familiar? Then you’re in good company. In many organizations, unclear priorities are the rule rather than the exception. Executive coach Amy Jen Su wrote a clear article about this in Harvard Business Review, titled How to Prioritize Your Work When Your Manager Doesn’t. In it, she refers to the well-known research by Robert Kaplan and David Norton: more than nine out of ten employees don’t fully understand their organization’s strategy, or don’t know exactly what is expected of them. And it’s no better at the top: executives also say they have too many priorities that clash with each other.

So the question isn’t whether you’ll face uncertainty. The question is how you can still set your own course, and go home feeling satisfied.

Prioritizing starts with you

Su’s first point is a firm one: don’t wait for someone else to set your priorities for you. It’s tempting to blame your workload on your manager or the organization, and sometimes part of the problem really does lie there. But if you see yourself only as someone who carries out tasks, you hand over the wheel. Consciously choosing where you spend your time is, in her view, one of the pillars of working successfully.

Two questions as a filter

Next, she advises against trying to weigh everything at once. Too many options paralyze us, and often lead to decisions that aren’t in our own interest. That’s why Su uses two questions. The first: where do I make my biggest contribution? Here you look at both what the organization needs and what you can uniquely add with your experience and talents. The second: what gives me energy? Motivation, after all, is the fuel that gets you moving.

Four boxes, four strategies

When you set those two questions against each other, you get four kinds of work. For each kind, Su describes its own approach.

High contribution, high energy: prioritize it. This is your sweet spot. Here you make a difference and enjoy doing it. These tasks deserve a fixed place in your calendar.

High contribution, low energy: tolerate it. Not every part of your job has to be fun. Sometimes it simply comes with your role, or you’re still learning and that’s why it feels hard. But Su also warns: if this box keeps growing, it may be a sign that your role no longer suits you.

Low contribution, high energy: elevate it. You enjoy something, but others don’t see the point. Then you can do two things. Show why it is valuable to the organization. Or be honest with yourself: are you diving into this because you like it, while it actually belongs to someone else?

Low contribution, low energy: give it away. Delegate it, say no to it, or drop it altogether. Su wryly notes that tasks that used to sit in your sweet spot can, over the years, end up in this box.

Make it visible in your calendar

Finally, she suggests looking back at your calendar for the past month: how much time went to each box? She gives her own appointments a color per quadrant, so she can see at a glance how her week is divided. Her conclusion, with a nod to Greg McKeown of Essentialism: if you don’t plan your time yourself, someone else will. And that someone won’t always have your best interests in mind.

Where I agree, and where I add a note

What I like about this model: it takes energy seriously. Many prioritization models only look at importance and urgency, as if you were a machine that enjoys every task equally. Su shows that enjoyment isn’t a luxury, but a factor that determines how good your work turns out. That fits seamlessly with how I look at working smarter.

Still, I’d add two notes.

The first is about ownership. Of course it helps to make your own choices. But unclear priorities aren’t only your problem. If nine out of ten people don’t know what’s expected of them, the organization has work to do as well. Taking ownership doesn’t mean putting everything on your own shoulders. It also means asking the question, starting the conversation, and naming where things rub.

The second is about the “give it away” box. Su writes for managers who have a team to delegate to. But many of the professionals I work with have no one to hand tasks over to. For them, that box means something else: batch those tasks, schedule them at a moment when your energy is low anyway, make agreements about them, or discuss with your manager whether they’re really necessary.

And perhaps most importantly: what gives you energy may drain your colleague. One person’s box is another person’s opposite box. So the model is a lens to look through, not a blueprint that works out the same for everyone.

What can you do differently tomorrow?

Take out your calendar from last week. Go through your appointments and tasks, and ask two questions for each item: did I really add something here? And did it give me energy, or cost me energy? You don’t have to change anything. Just seeing how your week was divided often gives a surprising insight. Maybe you’ll notice that your sweet spot barely got any room, or that you spent a lot of time on things that actually belong to someone else.

Then choose one task that is important, but costs you a lot of energy. Don’t ask yourself how to get rid of it, but how to make it lighter. Could you do it at a different time of day? Could you do it together with a colleague? Or could you link it to something you do enjoy?

And is there something you do with heart and soul, but whose value others don’t see? Then plan a short conversation with your manager. Explain what you see and why it benefits the organization. That’s how you take ownership in the way Su means it: not by carrying everything alone, but by starting the conversation yourself.

Source: Amy Jen Su, “How to Prioritize Your Work When Your Manager Doesn’t”, Harvard Business Review, January 24, 2017.

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Are you interested in having your team work smarter, but not harder? A workshop or training Enjoy your Productivity gives you a unique opportunity to reflect on the way the team organizes their work, both on an individual level and on a team level.   

General information in Dutch may be found here. Please contact me for a tailormade workshop or training where both materials and instructions are in English.

If you’d benefit from personal attention for your own challenges, a coaching programme Enjoy your Productivity may be a smart choice. General information in Dutch may be found here. Please contact me for a first online meeting to get to know each other better. Naturally, this is without any obligation and free of charge.

That makes you a pleasantly optimistic person to work with, yet at the same time a difficult one when it comes to seeing plans through to completion. “It’ll be fine” is a lovely thought to live by, but it isn’t action. And whilst you’re still dreaming about the big picture – how wonderful it’ll all be – the small, concrete steps remain undone: precisely the steps that make the difference between an idea and a result that actually exists.

Why this happens

A Dreamer often overlooks the step between dreaming and doing, not out of unwillingness, but because the thinking stage is simply more pleasant. In the thinking stage, everything is still possible and nothing has gone wrong yet. As soon as you start putting things into practice, limitations, obstacles and things that don’t work out straight away arise, and that feels like a disappointment compared to the perfect picture you had in mind. So you’d rather linger a little longer in the stage of the big, beautiful idea.

The strength you mustn’t lose

The Dreamer can put the importance of haste into perspective and is naturally optimistic and positive: ‘it’ll all work out’ isn’t just an excuse; it’s also a genuine outlook on life that brings a great deal of peace, both to yourself and to those around you. Moreover, because you’re aware of your own dreams and wishes, you’re well placed to consider what you really want, and that provides valuable insight for ultimately defining a goal or outcome clearly, once you reach the implementation phase.

What can you do differently tomorrow?

Take the plan you’ve been thinking about for a while now, and come up with one action you can take today, in no more than twenty minutes. Not the whole plan, just the very first, smallest step possible: making a phone call, jotting down half a page, or scheduling a meeting with someone who can help you further. It’s not about that step yielding much; it’s about breaking the pattern of just thinking.

And when you have your next big idea, ask yourself straight away: who’s doing which specific task, and when exactly? Not to spoil the fun of dreaming, but to highlight the difference between ‘I’d really like to do this’ and ‘I’m going to do this, on this date’. That difference, however small it may seem, is exactly where a plan turns into a result.

One final suggestion: link your dream to someone else who actually enjoys getting things done. Not to leave it to them, but to work together to translate the broad outline into concrete tasks. Two people with different strengths often get further than one person who has to take all the steps on their own.

Is this you? See if you are, with my free test to determine your procrastination type.

There’s a hidden benefit to that procrastination, even if it doesn’t feel like it whilst you’re in the thick of it. If you hand something in at the very last moment, you’ve got an explanation ready straight away if it isn’t perfect: there simply wasn’t any time left to make it even better. That’s much easier on your self-esteem than the thought that you *did* have plenty of time, did everything you could, and yet the result still wasn’t perfect. In this way, without you realising it, procrastination becomes a sort of protection against the idea that you might fail, even if you’d given it your all.

Why this happens

The crux of the matter is that your self-esteem is strongly linked to your performance. The benchmark isn’t ‘I’ve done my best’, but ‘the result is perfect’ – and that second standard is a bar that virtually no one can clear. Fear of failure plays a bigger role here than laziness or disinterest, even though, from the outside, procrastination might look like indifference. Nothing could be further from the truth: you’re actually very concerned about how things look.

The strength you mustn’t lose

Superhumans almost always work thoroughly and have a keen eye for detail. This is a real advantage, particularly when it comes to tasks involving the processing of large amounts of information, such as a course of study or a detailed report. You’re also often good at planning, even if your goals are sometimes a bit idealistic: you’re excellent at drawing up schedules, and you get quite far in carrying them out, until perfectionism throws a spanner in the works.

What could you do differently tomorrow?

Before you start your next task, consciously decide on a ‘good enough’ version in advance, and write it down in concrete terms. For example: this report is finished when it clearly conveys the three main points and is error-free, not when every sentence feels polished and every paragraph has been rewritten three times. As soon as you reach that point, hand it in, even if your fingers are still itching to tweak it further. The discomfort you feel at that moment is precisely the signal that you’re doing well, not a sign that you’ve left something out.

Do you find yourself redoing a task for the third time without the content actually changing? That’s a signal, not a sign of thoroughness. At that point, you’re not improving it; you’re postponing the moment of letting go, disguised as quality control.

One final thought: ask yourself what the actual consequence would be if this piece of work were an ‘8’ rather than a ‘10’. Often, in practice , that consequence isn’t nearly as bad as you might think, and that realisation alone can help you let go more quickly next time.

Is this you? See if you are, with my free test to determine your procrastination type.

That’s no coincidence, and certainly not a weakness of character. A looming deadline gives you a rush that a calm schedule never will: your body releases adrenaline, your focus sharpens, and the feeling of ‘I have to do this now’ is almost pleasant. Chaos feels familiar, and what’s more, it gives you a role to play: the one who saves the day at the last minute, the hero of the day. That’s a nice role to be in.

Why this happens

It’s just an expensive role, because the price you pay is that ordinary, everyday tasks lose all their appeal without the thrill. You put them off until they too have become a crisis, and only then do they feel worth tackling. The strange thing is that, as a result, a stress junkie sometimes actively resists calm and clarity, even though on paper that would be much more pleasant. Working in a systematic and predictable way feels boring, and ‘boring’ is almost a dirty word to a stress junkie.

There’s also a need for attention lurking within this pattern. Getting attention when you pull back from the brink just in the nick of time feels different from getting attention for work that’s been completed calmly and on time. That makes it tempting to let things get that far time and time again, even though there’s a real risk that it might go wrong one day.

The strength you mustn’t lose

Stress junkies are rarely afraid of complex challenges; they are courageous and possess plenty of energy and strength, which enables them to cope well even with tight, unexpected deadlines. That courage is valuable, especially in work where things do occasionally go wrong. The point isn’t that you should lose that edge; the point is that you don’t always have to create it yourself before you can get started.

What could you do differently tomorrow?

For a task that you normally leave until the last minute, deliberately build in an earlier, artificial deadline. For example, agree with a colleague that you’ll show them a draft version by four o’clock tomorrow afternoon, even if it isn’t finished yet. That gives you a sense of urgency and accountability that doesn’t depend on an impending disaster, yet provides just enough motivation to get moving.

And the next time everything is running smoothly and you find that this calm is making you restless: ask yourself whether you’re making a task seem bigger or more urgent than it actually is, purely to make things exciting again. That question alone breaks part of the pattern, because it reveals that the crisis is sometimes fuelled by yourself, not by the situation.

One final tip: if you find yourself constantly putting off a task, try consciously starting it at a time when there’s absolutely no pressure, just to see how it feels. Not to make it a habit straight away, but to discover that work done without a sense of urgency can still yield results – perhaps even with less stress afterwards.

Is this you? See if you are, with my free test to determine your procrastination type.

From the outside, it might look as though you don’t think it’s that important, or that you’re slow on the uptake. The opposite is true. You find it so important to get it right that every choice becomes a risk: what if I choose the wrong option and have to admit it later? So instead of choosing, you keep searching. Searching feels safe, because as long as you’re still exploring, you can’t go wrong. Choosing feels irreversible, even if that isn’t actually the case.

Why this happens

The problem is that no amount of information can completely eliminate doubt. You can wait endlessly for the moment when you ‘know enough’ to choose with confidence, and that moment almost never just happens by itself. At some point, you have to take the plunge with the information you have, even if it’s incomplete. For a Worrywart, that’s one of the hardest steps there is, because it requires living with uncertainty rather than trying to eliminate it entirely first.

There’s also a social aspect to it: a Worrywart often seeks the opinions of others, not just to gather information, but also to share some of the responsibility for the outcome. If things go wrong, it isn’t entirely your fault, because the other person thought it was a good idea too.

The strength you mustn’t lose

This trait is also precisely why Worriers often deliver such thorough work. Gathering information, weighing up different perspectives, taking others’ opinions seriously: these are valuable skills, especially in a team where someone else ultimately dares to make the final decision. It only becomes a problem when the gathering never stops.

What can you do differently tomorrow?

Before making your next decision, set a firm limit on your research: for example, two sources, or a fixed thirty-minute block – no more. Then make your choice based on what you have at that moment, even if it feels incomplete. That feels uncomfortable, and that’s precisely the point: that discomfort is the feeling of making a decision, not a sign that you’re doing something wrong or haven’t researched enough.

A second tip: do you find yourself coming back to the same question time and again without any new information coming to light? Then you’re no longer researching; you’re just procrastinating under the guise of gathering information. That distinction alone – between ‘I’m looking for something new’ and ‘I’m repeating what I already know’ – helps you catch yourself in time and finally make up your mind.

Want to make it just that bit easier? Before making a difficult decision, arrange a time in advance with someone to share your choice with, regardless of whether you’re ‘absolutely certain’. That arrangement acts as a sort of deadline for your indecision.

Is this you? See if you are, with my free test to determine your procrastination type.

Because whilst you’re busy with other people’s tasks, your own work piles up. Not because you’re lazy or don’t dare to do it, but simply because there’s no time left. At the end of the day, you’ve worked hard, you’re tired, and yet you haven’t managed to get anything done that really mattered to you. It’s a strange kind of tiredness: you feel as though you’ve given it your all, but not to the things on your own list.

Why this happens

The crux of the Workhorse pattern isn’t a lack of time. It’s that saying ‘no’ feels like rejection, and that threatens your self-esteem. Somewhere deep down, you believe that your worth depends on how useful you are to others. So you’d rather fill your diary with someone else’s request than with your own priority, because at least that other person says ‘thank you’ straight away. Your own task doesn’t say anything back; it just lies there waiting.

That’s what makes it such an invisible pattern. After all, a Workhorse doesn’t come across as a procrastinator. You’re busy all day, busy, active. But keeping busy with someone else’s schedule isn’t the same as making progress on your own goals. It just feels that way, and that makes it extra difficult to break the cycle: after all, you have been working all day.

The strength you mustn’t lose

This pattern also has a real strength: Workhorses have boundless energy and, provided they plan well, can get an awful lot done. Friends and colleagues can count on you, and that’s something to be proud of, not something to try to get rid of. The aim isn’t for you to become less reliable. The aim is for you to treat your own tasks just as seriously as those of others.

What could you do differently tomorrow?

Before you say ‘yes’ to a request, ask yourself one question: if I do this, which of my own tasks will be pushed back to tomorrow as a result? Not to make yourself feel guilty, but simply to make it clear. You’ll often find that the trade-off isn’t nearly as fair as it feels: you’re swapping an hour of your own priority for half an hour of helping someone else, and you only realise that when you say it out loud to yourself.

A second step: practise giving an answer that’s neither a resounding ‘yes’ nor a firm ‘no’. ‘I can’t do it this week, but I can next week’ or ‘I won’t have time for it until Wednesday – would that still be okay?’ are both just as helpful as an immediate ‘yes’, and they protect your own time. You don’t have to let anyone down to put yourself first. You just need to get used to the idea that ‘later’ is also a valid answer, and that the world rarely comes crashing down because of it.

Finally: once a week, keep track for yourself of how many of your ‘yeses’ that week actually contributed to your own priorities. You don’t need to do anything with this information apart from acknowledging it. That’s often enough to help you make a slightly more conscious choice next time.

Is this you? See if you are, with my free test to determine your procrastination type.

Dat maakt je een prettig optimistisch mens om mee te werken, en tegelijk een lastige om plannen mee af te ronden. “Het komt wel goed” is een fijne gedachte om bij te leven, maar het is geen actie. En terwijl jij nog aan het dromen bent over de grote lijn, hoe mooi het straks wordt, blijven de kleine, concrete stappen liggen: precies de stappen die het verschil maken tussen een idee en een resultaat dat er ook echt ligt.

Waarom dit gebeurt

Een Zwever vergeet vaak de stap tussen dromen en doen, niet uit onwil, maar omdat het denkstadium simpelweg prettiger is. In het denkstadium is alles nog mogelijk en niets is nog fout gegaan. Zodra je begint met uitvoeren, ontstaan er beperkingen, obstakels en dingen die niet meteen lukken, en dat voelt als een teleurstelling ten opzichte van het perfecte plaatje dat je in gedachten had. Dus blijf je liever nog even in het stadium van het grote, mooie idee hangen.

De sterke kant, die je niet moet kwijtraken

De Zwever kan het belang van haast relativeren, en is van nature optimistisch en positief ingesteld: “het komt wel goed” is niet alleen een uitvlucht, het is ook een oprechte levenshouding die veel rust geeft, aan jezelf en aan de mensen om je heen. Doordat je je bewust bent van je eigen dromen en wensen, kun je bovendien goed kijken naar wat je écht wilt, en dat levert waardevolle informatie op om uiteindelijk een doel of resultaat scherp te omschrijven, zodra je eenmaal in de uitvoerende fase komt.

Wat kun je morgen anders doen?

Neem het plan waar je nu al een tijd over nadenkt, en formuleer daar één actie bij die je vandaag nog kunt doen, in maximaal twintig minuten. Niet de hele uitwerking, gewoon de eerste, kleinste stap die mogelijk is: een telefoontje plegen, een half A4’tje opschrijven, een afspraak inplannen met iemand die je verder kan helpen. Het gaat er niet om dat die stap veel oplevert, het gaat erom dat je het patroon van alleen-maar-denken doorbreekt.

En vraag jezelf bij je volgende grote idee meteen af: wie doet welke concrete taak, en wanneer precies? Niet om het plezier van dromen te verpesten, maar om het verschil zichtbaar te maken tussen “ik wil dit graag” en “ik ga dit doen, en wel op deze datum”. Dat verschil, hoe klein het ook lijkt, is precies waar een plan verandert in een resultaat.

Een laatste suggestie: koppel je droom aan iemand anders die wél van uitvoeren houdt. Niet om het aan hen over te laten, maar om samen de vertaalslag te maken van grote lijn naar concrete taak. Twee mensen met verschillende sterktes komen vaak verder dan één persoon die alle stappen alleen moet zetten.

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