What is Procrastination?
Procrastination is the habit of delaying an important task, in order to focus on less urgent, more enjoyable, and easier activities. It is not laziness, which means you are well, lazy. And it is not indolence, which is not wanting to participate in any activity or exertion.
But don’t fall into the trap of thinking it is a harmless habit. It is not. Procrastination can restrict your potential and reduce morale. It can even lead to depression and undermine your life. So, it’s crucial to take proactive steps to prevent it.
The first step to overcoming procrastination is to recognize that you’re doing it. Then, identify the reasons you are doing it, and try to manage and overcome it.
Signs that you are procrastinating.
Postponing things you don’t want to do, things you consider boring or frustrating. You may struggle to get started or you may wait until the last minute before deadlines.
When starting something you DEFINITELY don’t want to do, you may tell yourself and others that you’re going to get the job done for sure, this time. By stating it out loud or to yourself, you feel that it becomes real.
Procrastination is an active process – you choose to do something else instead of the task that you know you should be doing. Here are some of the avoidance strategies you might be using:
- Filling your day with low-priority tasks.
- Leaving an item on your To-Do list for a long time, even though it’s important.
- Starting a high-priority task and then going off to make coffee.
- Waiting to be in the “right mood,” or waiting for the “right time” to tackle a task.
Reasons you may be procrastinating.
Surprisingly, procrastinators are often perfectionists. If they can’t do something perfectly, they choose not to do it at all.
If you are a procrastinator, you may often let your emotions and negative thoughts get in the way of actually doing something you need to do.
People sometimes procrastinate because they may feel overwhelmed by tasks that keep pouring in from every direction.
Be clear that procrastination is not laziness: it’s a behavior caused by fear and unfounded negative beliefs we have about ourselves.
If you tend to procrastinate, don’t be hard on yourself. Instead, ask yourself if your behavior may be linked to fear, anxiety, ADHD, or another underlying issue.
Reasons not to procrastinate.
Procrastination is a trap that many of us fall into. In fact, it can restrict your potential and undermine your career.
It can also reduce morale, and even lead to depression. So, it’s crucial to take proactive steps to prevent it.
The first step to overcoming procrastination is to recognize that you’re doing it.
In fact, according to researchers, 95 percent of us procrastinate to some degree. While it may be comforting to know that you’re not alone, it can be sobering to realize just how much it can hold you back.
Ways to stop procrastinating.
The surest way to beat procrastination is to start doing what you have been dreading. Stop analyzing the project, and just begin to work on it.
While this may be easier said than done, it is possible to focus your mind to start tackling the task.
For example, you can decide to work for a brief period of time, even just 15 minutes. Once the time is up, you can re-evaluate if you want to continue. You can even set a timer to hold yourself to this initial goal.
Once you begin a task, the next steps often flow naturally.
Adopt Anti-Procrastination Strategies
Procrastination can become a habit – a deeply ingrained pattern of behavior. This means that you probably can’t break it overnight. Habits only stop being habits when you avoid practicing them, so try some of these strategies:
- Forgive yourself for procrastinating in the past. Studies show that self-forgiveness can help you to feel more positive about yourself and reduce the likelihood of procrastination in the future.
- Commit to the task. Focus on doing, not avoiding. Write down the tasks that you need to complete and specify a time for doing them.
- Promise yourself a reward. If you complete a difficult task on time, reward yourself with a treat, such as a slice of cake or a coffee from your favorite coffee shop. Rewards work!
- Ask someone to check up on you. This is the principle behind self-help groups. Or you could ask a friend or neighbor to help.
- Act as you go. Tackle tasks as soon as they arise, rather than letting them build up over another day.
- Rephrase your internal dialog. The phrases “need to” and “have to,” for example, imply that you have no choice in what you do. Say, “I choose to “instead.
- Minimize distractions. Turn off your email and social media, and avoid sitting anywhere near a television while you work!
- Do the things you dread doing first! This will give you the rest of the day to do what you find more enjoyable.
Sometimes it helps to focus on the “long game.” Research shows that impulsive people are more likely to procrastinate because they are focused on short-term gain. Combat this by identifying the long-term benefits of completing the task, for instance, how it could affect your income or long-term goals.
Another way to make a task more enjoyable is to identify the unpleasant consequences of avoiding it. For instance, what will happen if you don’t complete the work? How might it affect your relationships or how you see yourself?
At the same time, it can be useful to reframe the task by looking at its meaning and relevance. It’s also important to acknowledge that we can often overestimate the unpleasantness of a task. So give it a try! You may find that it’s not as bad as you thought, after all!
If you procrastinate because you’re disorganized, here are six strategies to help you get organized:
- Keep a To-Do List. This will prevent you from “conveniently” forgetting about those unpleasant or overwhelming tasks.
- Prioritize your To-Do List: This will enable you to quickly identify the activities that you should focus on, as well as the ones you can ignore.
- Tackle the hardest tasks at your peak times. Do you work better in the morning or the afternoon? Identify when you’re most effective, and do the tasks that you find most difficult at these times.
- Set yourself time-bound goals. Setting yourself specific deadlines to complete tasks will keep you on track and will mean that you have no time for procrastination!
If you’re prone to delaying projects because you find them overwhelming, try breaking them down into more manageable chunks. Organize your projects into smaller tasks and focus on starting them, rather than on finishing them.
Tackle tasks in 15-minute bursts of activity. Or, you can create an action plan to organize yourself. Start with quick and small tasks first. These “small wins” will give you a sense of achievement and will make you feel more positive and less overwhelmed by the larger project or goal that you are working towards.
Some Quotes about Procrastination:
“I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.”
— Attributed to Douglas Adams
“I do my work at the same time each day — the last minute.”
— Source unknown
“Do you know what happens when you give a procrastinator a good idea? Nothing!”
— Attributed to Donald Gardner
I’ve been looking over the list of spring chores I made up last fall, and darned if they aren’t fall chores, after all.”
— Attributed to Robert Brault
“He who awaits much can expect little.”
— Attributed to Gabriel Garcia Marquez
“You may delay, but time will not.”
— Attributed to Benjamin Franklin, who published it in “Poor Richard’s Almanack” (Item 665), published in the middle of the 1700s
“Delay is the deadliest form of denial.”
— C. Northcote Parkinson, in “The Law of Delay” (1970)
“When there is a hill to climb, don’t think that waiting will make it smaller.”
— Source unknown
“Think of many things; do one.”
— Source unknown, attributed to a Portuguese proverb
“Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.”
— Source unknown
“My mother always told me I wouldn’t amount to anything because I procrastinate. I said, ‘just wait.’”
— Attributed to Judy Tenuta
And my favorite: Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow
“If you are planning to do something today, don’t do it, you will have nothing to do tomorrow.”
“I’m going to stop putting things off, starting tomorrow!” ― Sam Levenson
One of the greatest labor-saving inventions of today is tomorrow.”
— Attributed to Vincent T. Foss
“Due tomorrow? Do tomorrow.”
— Source unknown
“Never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow.”
— Source unknown
“Tomorrow is often the busiest day of the week.”
— Source unknown
“Procrastination is something best put off until tomorrow.”
— Attributed to Gerald Vaughan
“Procrastination is the bad habit of putting off until the day after tomorrow what should have been done the day before yesterday.”
— Attributed to Napoleon Hill
“I’m going to stop putting things off, starting tomorrow!”
— Attributed to Sam Levenson
“Never put off until tomorrow what you don’t have to do at all.”
“Work is precious, save some for tomorrow. ”
I think productivity is overrated. I have possibility lists, not to do lists. It works for me.
I enjoy a little bit of procrastination. My life has been choc full of responsibility, and other people’s timelines. To be able to indulge in a little bit of “putting off”, for something more interesting or fun, is one of my life’s little luxuries.
Great quotes, Cheerful Monk! Very tongue-in-cheek. Possibility lists, as in “It’s possible I’ll get this done.” Or, “It’s possible someone will come around and do this for me!” It leaves room for all sorts of things to happen!
Maggie, I have never thought of procrastination as a luxury, but I will look at it with new eyes now! Thanks!
The things I might have on my To Do List often get into Procrastination but only because I don’t really need to do them. Currently the list has something about buying some pieces of clothing, but I don’t really need them, I more want a colour change and something that is new!
Then I’ve got “lists in my head” mostly to do with art supplies, one of which would be useful for the online course I’m doing but it’s not necessary right now. I will try that out when I’m next in the art store.
Thanks, Cedar51! I love new clothes, so sometimes I don’t wait to buy until I really ‘need’ them! It’s spring, a change of seasons, which always seems to me justification to buy something new. But finding something that will fit me (I’m only five feet tall) is a challenge!
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