All about procrastination
Why do we procrastinate and how can we overcome it ? Let’s start decoding it.
Imagine! Today is the product release and the clock is ticking. Your boss is calling you again and again to get an update on the release while you are busy doing some final changes that you had put-off earlier thinking that you will take care of those later.
You are working furiously to complete a task before the deadline which is in next 2 hours, while silently cursing yourself for not starting it sooner.
How did this happen ? It should have been completed days before the deadline and by now you would have been free of this unnecessary chaos. What went wrong ? How and why did you lose your focus?
Well! You wasted hours taking coffee-breaks, concentrating on other unimportant tasks and checking your social media. You should have focused on the product keeping in mind it’s release date rather than wasting your time there.
Now you wish if there was a way of going back in time and changing the timeline which you can’t. So, now you are feeling sorry for yourself.
Sounds familiar ? If so, you are not alone! This is Procrastination.
In simple words, delaying of starting or finishing a task despite knowing it might have negative consequences.
Procrastination is a trap that many of us fall into. In fact according to researcher and speaker Piers Steel , 95% of us procrastinate to some degree. While it may be comforting to know that you’re not alone, it can be sobering to realise just how much it can hold you back.
Procrastination is a common part of our lives and it’s not hard to understand why.
For years, there have been debate around why so many of us procrastinate – 20% of the people have a chronic procrastination issue.
The chronic procrastinator, the person who does this as a lifestyle, would rather have other people think that they lack effort than lacking ability.
According to Association of Psychological Science - Joseph R Ferrari, PHD, the leading researcher — and thinkers in the past have come up with few reasons.
The first assumption is that we’re all lazy. You knew you had tons of work to do and you still knowingly evaded that responsibility. In some respects, this could be true. Procrastinators say they lack the necessary motivation to do a task even though they know it’s important. So perhaps they are lazy. The next reason is that procrastinators have no self-control and cannot implement the needed structure in their lives to complete tasks on time. Indeed, the absence of structure can negatively affect one’s productivity. But procrastination isn’t about laziness or bad time management.
Lazy people, simply don’t do anything and are just fine with it. Procrastinators, on the other hand, have the desire to actually do something but can’t force themselves to start.
Procrastination is a form of self-harm that’s why we always feel so bad when we do it. The more we put of the important tasks, the more negative feelings we have. Procrastination can also be stated as an emotional problem, and we procrastinate to help deal with these emotions.
So procrastination is more than just laziness or poor time management.
When it comes to procrastination telling someone to “Just do it!” doesn’t work. It would be like telling someone with clinical depression to “Cheer up!”.
So, you can stop feeling bad about your tendency to put things off. It’s a deeper problem, but something you can definitely overcome.
What causes Procrastination ?
When you understand what causes procrastination, you can use these strategies to overcome it and reach your full potential.
Everyone puts things off from time to time, but procrastinators chronically avoid difficult tasks. They delay at home, at work, and in their relationships, which inevitably impacts the quality of their performance and overall well being.
Overcoming procrastination begins with realising you are doing it.
But instead of beating yourself up about this very common problem, look deeper at what’s the actual cause of it. When you understand the reasons behind your behaviour, you can find the right strategy to manage and overcome it.
We all are different and we all have different strengths, also everyone has different reasons of putting things off.
Procrastination is the habit of avoiding urgent tasks despite negative consequences. When people procrastinate, they often delay priorities and instead focus on less important, more enjoyable simpler tasks.
People procrastinate from different reasons, sometimes it results from too much pressure from family, may be while growing up on a rigid household. For example, expectations for high performance from parents can make people put off projects out of fear of failure and criticisms.
Others may avoid doing something as an act of rebellion. You fight back and reclaim your right to say, “No, you can’t make me do that right now!”
Whenever we resist doing something, there is a good reason even if it isn’t logical or beneficial.
Let’s talk about the most common issues at the heart of procrastination and solutions to stop them, so you can start to create the life you want.
Trying to be a perfectionist
Perfectionism means striving for high standards and to be best at everything.
But perfection is impossible to achieve and aiming for it sets unrealistic expectations. As a result, the perfectionists develop a fear of failure. They wind up putting things off because they feel they won’t do something well enough or do it right. They wait until the right moment, that perfect time when they cannot fail — that “right moment” that never arrives.
Solution : The All or something approach.
Perfectionists tend to develop an “all or nothing approach” and think in extremes.
Like :
- My performance is either great or terrible.
- I’m either smart or stupid.
- I’m either wrong or right.
This leaves you with no in between or gray area or middle ground. To move forward you’ll need to replace “All or nothing approach” to “All or something”.
Making mistakes is far better than not doing something altogether. You might not get 10/10 but by making an attempt, you will still move past the point of doing nothing all all.
Expect to make mistakes. That process of trial and error will teach you important lessons. You’ll learn how to do things better overtime.
Keeping things for completing in future
Procrastinators often make a claim that put off tasks for the last minute because they perform better under pressure. They make this habit to get that rush of euphoria at complete it a task on time against the odds.
But this rarely works out as planned. This mostly leads to mishaps and unnecessary error that compromise the quality of their work.
The procrastinator usually has a poor understanding of how long the task will take.
They think that they can finish the task at the last moment and moreover they will perform better under pressure.
Solution : The Pomodoro Technique
Which is basically dividing the task into smaller tasks.
Now keep a timer for 25–60 mins and start the task. Once you start working you will be more focused on completing the task as you know you have a a time limit set for that.
Once the time is up, take a break for 5mins and break doesn’t mean you should start checking your mobile. Go eat something or talk to someone etc.
And once the break is over start working on the next task and repeat this until your task is over.
By following this technique, you develop the ability to focus during a shorter, more manageable chunks.
Also, larger task feels less overwhelming.
This is also a kind of tricking your brain also known as bio hacking. Every time you complete a task and mark it as done/checked, your brain releases a dopamine neurotransmitter, also known as the feel good chemical. With each hit of dopamine you actually train your brain to become more productive.
Avoiding
Wasting time on social media, watching tv or playing video games etc — even when you’re late on something important.
According to reports, that global average user spends 2 hours on social media every day.
Unpleasant or stressful tasks like working on some project, studying for an exam cause unpleasant feelings like fear, stress or inadequacy. Instead you drag your feet to do something and focusing on low priority tasks is a form of unconscious avoidance.
Procrastinators tend to prefer pleasure over progress. They are task averse, putting off important tasks by doing something else that feels more productive, easier and enjoyable. They have disconnect with the future self and don’t seek rewards that seem far in the future.
Example : Playing video games in school and skipping tuitions tests, eating sugar or sweets or drinking or smoking too much.
When faced with difficult emotions, someone may engage in self-destructive patterns that feel good at the time, like drinking too much alcohol, instead of working through problems and feeling painful emotions which ultimately leads to healing.
For many, procrastination results as a default defense mechanism in the form of avoidance. It acts as a coping mechanism, to protect yourself from feelings like guilt and anxiety. You become demotivated and disillusioned or in extreme cases develop depression or anxiety.
Solution : Recogonizing patterns of procrastination
Like other types of defense mechanisms, procrastination happens in the unconscious mind, so you may not even realise that you do it . You must figure out what causes procrastination before you can start changing those habits.
For example, do you avoid a certain task because you find it boring or unpleasant ? If so focus and get it out your way quickly. Then take a break or move on to tasks that you find more enjoyable.
You can also tackle the hardest tasks at your peak times. Identity, when you’re most effective. Everyone has certain period of time in the day when they are at peak of their energy. It can be a day, afternoon and may be night as well for some people. Do those tasks these times which you procrastinate about or delay all the time.
If you notice that you avoid tasks because you feel incompetent when you do them — get help, outsource, or find a workaround. This is how you will learn collaboration and problem solving as well. These are the key leadership characterstics.
Low Self-worth
In this case, people who suffer from low self-worth and higher level of stress and anxiety which can reduce self-esteem and lead to depression.
They may think things like :
- What if I have the problem all wrong ?
- What if I make a mistake ?
- What if I am not good enough ?
The cause of procrastination for them is believing the negative self-talk. Being too hard on yourself gets in the way of motivation and leads to patterns of procrastination.
Solution : Try building confidence
Mostly all of us have sufferered with self-worth at some point in our lives and building confidence is a life long process.
To overcome this, start by looking at the root causes. Do you have a past trauma that you need top heal from in order to regain your self-worth?
If so, consider speaking with a therapist who can help understand causes fro distress and low self-esteem.
Procrastinators put a strong emphasis on external validation. In other words , they worry a lot about what other people will say. They find value in themselves from the approval of other people and avoid doing something out of fear of criticism.
Solution : Surrounding yourself with positive people can also help you to say motivated and avoid that self-critical loop.
Fear of taking up new challenges
Procrastination often happens when a challenge seems to difficult.
A person avoids taking some tasks because of the fear that they won’t do a good enough job. They may not be better than others and even carry anxiety or guilt, which makes them avoid the task even more.
They get a feeling of
- I don’t feel like it.
- I’ll get around to it.
- What if I fail ?
- I’ll do it when the time is right.
Avoiding negative emotions may might sound like a good idea but real growth starts when you come out of your comfort zone and do things which scare you off.
Staying in your comfort zone is like a prison and most of the people are trapped in that as if they are paralysed. Due to this they are only procrastinating on pursuing their dreams but unable to face a challenge when they do.
As a result you don’t want to go for challenges which will help you grow not only professionally but as an individual as well. Most of them lack building meaningful relationships or pursuing their passions, out of fear or rejection.
Solution : Daily Planning
Make a plan for yourself based on where you see yourself next year or may be after 5 years or 10years. Divide your plan into small goals and set a timeline for each goal to target for the final goal which will be a combination of all these short term goals.
Organised people successfully overcome procrastination because they manager tasks by making a To-Do list and schedules and setting timelines.
In short, procrastination often occurs when you feel overwhelmed. When it comes to a big goal, many people get scared of even thinking about it and they never actually start working on anything related to that goal.
Many people get caught up in the how ….. How will I be able to do it ?
How is always a step later in the process of doing something.
Maybe you don’t know how to something, Take your attention away from how you’ll do it and dive into question, “What is it that I’m looking for ?”
THEN figure out the HOW with help.
Ask yourself :
- Why is the goal important for you ?
- What will it bring that will help you in your growth both personally and professionally?
- What kind of skills or experience you need for achieving this goal ?
You can also ask for advice from others who are already experienced in the task you’re facing.
Trouble focusing
Studies have proved that there is a strong link between difficulty concentrating and procrastination. For example , people suffering with Attention-deficit / hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often find it difficult to get a project started.
Once they do, they have trouble knowing how to prioritise, plan and stay on the track.
Solution : Manage your distractions to help improving your focus
- Set “Do not disturb” or “Silence” mode on your phone to reduce distractions
- Place anything distracting in a different room outside from your workspace.
- Take scheduled break to rest your brain.
- Set up quiet workspace, alone and free from distractions.
Decision fatigue
Have you ever stared at your closet and told yourself that you don’t have anything to wear ?
We actually have some many options available to us that it sometimes becomes difficult to choose one. Think about the amount time required to make a simple decision on what to wear when you too many choices available.
People often say that they want options and when they have options available to them , it becomes to make a decision.
As the saying goes, “Less is More”.. and in this case more time and energy to focus on the core values.
Procrastination can occur when we have too many options available. It takes mental energy to make decisions and we can put things off if they depends on our capacity to make a decision.
When you can’t figure out what to do, you’ll likely avoid taking action in case you make the wrong choice.
Solution : Simplify your decisions
Focus on things that actually matter. This will cut back your energy spent on less important choices.
- Remove the number of apps used on your phone or turn off app notifications to reduce time wasted checking your device.
- Declutter your wardrobe to make easier to decide what to wear, saving time on getting ready each day.
- Plan your day and focus on your tasks one-by-one, by level of importance, so you don’t have to constantly think about what to do next.
- Prioritize your commitments, putting the most meaningful at the top of your To-Do list.
- Take inventory of the people in your life. Put time aside for people who matter the most, and know when to walk away from toxic relationships.
Once you narrow down to find your procrastination pattern, get the required resources and start working on fixing your problem.
In the end, I would say that stop feeling bad for yourself for the things you have put off and start getting those done.
