Procrastination: Why We Do It and How to Overcome It by Kimaya Kapuwatte
Procrastination is a universal experience affecting individuals across all stages of life. The unrelenting urge to delay tasks we know we should not, the temptation to push things off, the frustrating feeling of knowing we should be doing anything aside from scrolling through our social media platforms or binge watching shows, is something we have all experienced in one way or another.
Delving beneath the surface lies a complex interplay of psychological factors which contribute to our behaviour. By addressing the causes of procrastination and effective solutions, we can enhance our productivity and achieve our goals more efficiently.
So why do we do it? Understanding why we procrastinate is the first step to overcoming it. At its core, procrastination is much more than an issue with managing time or a lack of discipline but instead, is a deeper phenomenon driven by a combination of factors including a fear of failure, perfectionism and a lack of motivation. By understanding these factors we in turn can develop strategies to combat this behaviour, consequently improving our overall self-satisfaction.
One of the most common reasons people procrastinate is the fear of failure. When faced with a challenging task, we may delay starting because we are fearful we won’t succeed. This fear can be detrimental, impacting our ability to attempt the task all together. This behaviour is exhibited in an attempt to protect ourselves. Fear often arises from the pressure we place on ourselves to succeed, and the need to achieve that quickly. We tend to be most critical towards ourselves which prevents us from allowing ourselves the time needed to make mistakes which are an essential and natural part of the journey toward reaching our goals.
As humans, we often set unrealistically high standards for ourselves, desiring to do something perfectly leading to an overwhelming sense of pressure. While at times perfectionism is viewed positively, it has the potential to harm our wellbeing and performance. It is easy to get caught in a perfectionism-procrastination loop. Although the little voice in the back of your head keeps pushing you to start working on the project you were supposed to start a week ago, you may find it difficult to do so. The desire to achieve perfection through unrealistic standards alongside the belief that anything less is unacceptable, leads to procrastination, creating a self-perpetuating loop.
Both factors can make tasks feel daunting, leading us to put them off. We are innately driven to seek pleasure and avoid pain. This means we often need a strong desire or need to take action. In this context, we’re likely to choose scrolling on our phones, which offers comfort and immediate satisfaction, over tasks that evoke feelings of frustration or make us feel overwhelmed. Whether it is putting off an assignment or avoiding a difficult conversation, we typically only become motivated to act when the discomfort of not doing the task outweighs the discomfort of doing it. When we struggle with motivation, it is something we should not be too hard on ourselves about, it is human nature. overcoming these behaviours is possible to increase our productivity.
Procrastination is beatable so here are a few things we can do:
1. Start small:
When we break large tasks into smaller more manageable steps we feel less overwhelmed and this allows us to make steady progress. By working through small tasks we feel a sense of accomplishment which motivates us to keep going.
2. Be kind to yourself:
Even the most successful people do not get through their to-do lists with ease every single day! Do your best to meet the deadlines you’ve set for yourself and reward yourself for doing so. However that may look, rewarding yourself for completing tasks can be powerful in motivating you to keep doing the rest.
3. Eliminate distractions:
It is hard to stay on task so identifying what distracts you is important in ensuring you don’t procrastinate. This may mean you work in setting such as a library where seeing others work motives you, or it may mean turning your phone off and or using apps to stay focused such as the Forest App.
4. Try out time management techniques:
By improving your time management you can reduce procrastination. Techniques you could use may be the Pomodoro technique where you work for 25 minutes followed by a 5 minute break and repeat a few times. You could also light a small candle and do your task till it burns out or you could keep a list to check off as you go. Give different techniques a go to see what resonates with you.
5. Structure your to-do lists:
Start with your One Big Thing (OBT): This is an important task that needs to be done by the end of the day. Next, list your No Matter What’s (NMWs): These are non-negotiable habits, such as reading for 15 minutes or spending time with loved ones. Lastly, write whatever else needs to be done the following day.
This approach ensures important goals prioritised and completed on time while breaking down tasks into small manageable goals to work though.
Although procrastinating is frustrating and challenging, we can overcome it. Be patient with yourself and celebrate your progress. With the right mindset, the cycle of procrastination can be broken and goals can be achieved more efficiently. We never feel fully ready to do things that scare us or take bold actions, we try to protect ourselves, but taking risks and pushing ourselves is necessary to stop avoiding tasks and reach goals we know we are capable of achieving.
Kimaya Kapuwatte
References
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Nelson, K.L., & McDaniel, J.R. (2023). Fear of Failure: Why is Pursuing Success so Scary? Scholarly Journal of Psychology and Behavioural Sciences, 7(1), 799-804. https://doi.org/ :10.32474/SJPBS.2023.07.000254
Rathi, S., & Chaudhary, V. (2024). Understanding the Psychology of Procrastination: Causes and solutions. International Journal of Linguistics Applied Psychology and Technology, 1(2), 1-24. https://ijlapt.strjournals.com/index.php/ijlapt/article/view/45
Voge, D.J. (2007). Classroom Resources for Addressing Procrastination. Research and Teaching in Developmental Education, 23(2), 88-96.
https://mcgraw.princeton.edu/undergraduates/resources/resource-library/understanding-and-overcoming-procrastination