Why do we procrastinate?
*This newsletter is intended to offer information only and recognizes that individual issues may differ from those broad guidelines. Personal issues should be addressed within a therapeutic context with a professional familiar with the details of the problem. Copyright 2018 Simmonds Publications: 550 La Jolla Blvd., 306, La Jolla, CA 92037
Almost everyone has been afflicted by procrastination at one time or another, that nagging menace that compels us to put things off for another day, another time. For some people it is a persistent problem, and for others it appears in only some areas of their lives. The result, though, is the same for everyone, increasing anxiety, wasting time, poor performance, missed opportunities, guilt, excusing ourselves, and avoiding people who depend on us. There are better ways of dealing with the demands of our everyday lives. Procrastination is not a trivial problem; it causes suffering for many people.
Who is likely to procrastinate? There’s no research evidence that gender and intelligence have anything to do with a tendency to procrastinate. Age may have something to do with it. One research finds that procrastination peaks in the middle to late 20s, decreases for the next 40 years, and then increases again in the 60s. Other research finds that people who feel overwhelmed and cannot readily calm down tend to put tasks off. There is a relationship between anxiety and procrastination. It is no surprise that people who fear failure have this problem, as well as people with low self-esteem. People with poor tolerance for frustration, difficulty in delaying gratification, or people who cannot concentrate often find it difficult to stick with a task until it is completed. Research also shows that those who have conflicts with authority figures and are rebellious have a proclivity for procrastination. People with depression, who may have low energy and hold negative thoughts about their ability to get things done, frequently have problems with procrastination. And then there is the perfectionist. Those perfectionists who set their own standards seem to have no problem with “sloth,“ but those who have adopted the standard set by others do have trouble completing their work. This is because they are sensitive to the evaluations they might receive from others; they want to avoid social disapproval.
Procrastination is a serious problem for many people. It can undermine our sense of well-being and prevent us from experiencing the full potential of our lives. A portion of our time is spent pleasurably, and a portion is spent on tasks we may not particularly enjoy. Such is the nature of life. To avoid the disagreeable is, unfortunately, to compromise the pleasurable. The person who is emotionally healthy is one who is familiar with and can tolerate the ups and downs and highs and lows, the light and the dark. Living completely entails embracing our responsibilities, relishing our pleasures, and appreciating our time.
A few tips to overcome procrastination:
Make up a to do list. Write out a list of things you need to do this week, or day, or month, and then cross them off, one by one, when they are done. With this list, you can see exactly what needs to be accomplished, and you can get a feeling of fulfillment as a list gets whittled down.
Set priorities. On your to do list, rank the jobs that need to be done in order of their importance. Then focus only on one job at a time.
Celebrate the completion of your task. Have a specific reward in mind for when your project is finished. Go out for dinner. Go to a movie. Take a weekend trip. Have a party. The celebration should be equal to your task.
Look at all you have accomplished. Rather than punishing yourself for not having done enough, take the more positive approach of examining all that you have done. Is the glass half empty or half full?