Procrastination was something I struggled with for way too long. Longer than I care to admit that’s for sure.
But I also came to the realization that most of us do.
And we’ve been doing it since we were kids in school.
Yet, instead of kicking the nasty habit once we graduated, we’ve only snowballed and made it worse in our adult years.
To combat this, I’m here to share my favorite tips from the book The Procrastinator’s Guide to Getting Things Done
Before we jump in, I have to warn you that this article was heading towards a mega-sized post so I decided to chop it up into a three part series on combating procrastination.
Today, I’ll show you why we are such procrastinating fiends. At the end of the article, I’ll share what’s ahead in the next two posts.
P.S. I still encourage you to buy the book because there are so many helpful details I couldn’t include since I needed to keep this article under a zillion words. Also, Dr. Ramirez Basco is a genius and she states these points a hundred times better than I could.
How the hell did we get here?
As I mentioned, most of us started this nasty habit as kids.
Instead of planning our projects out ahead of time and spacing the workload out, we waited until the absolute last minute to get things done. This point doesn’t need much explaining.
But as we got older, procrastination became so much more.
According to Dr. Ramirez Basco, “Procrastination gives us temporary comfort in a world full of demands and uncertainties. It is our rest stop on the long road of life and responsibilities.”
If that doesn’t hit home for you too, I’d question your procrastinating title.
Ramirez Basco also mentions that procrastination is:
- “Our comfort zone”
- “An altered state of reality”
- “A roadblock in your life path”
- “Seductive”
Here’s what she means by those:
Procrastination is like our big, comfy beds: it’s safe, obv comfortable, and really hard to get out of. [Our comfort zone]
When we do it, we feel a sense of relief and happiness that we can finally take a breather.
It’s a time where we can toss the to-do list out the window and just enjoy a mental break.
So we do.
We take it easy. We watch endless amounts of Netflix and catch up on shows we may not even be that interested in. Or we browse and refresh Facebook a half dozen times or more throughout the day and we zone out some more. [Altered state of reality]
And what inevitably ends up happening is that we don’t make much progress throughout the day which eventually snowballs into the I’ll just start fresh next week mentality. Inevitably, this ends up spilling over into the next month so many times that it becomes a New Year’s resolution instead. And we all know how that pans out (read: it doesn’t). [A roadblock in your life path]
Lastly, procrastination can be so deceiving. It convinces you that you don’t need to do things and instead gives you permission (even justification) to avoid the things you really hate to do but know you should be doing. [Seductive]
As Ramirez Basco put it so perfectly, “Procrastination looks like a comfortable, relaxing experience, but underneath it is full of guilt and self-loathing. Peacefulness is what we pretend to feel while we are procrastinating, yet it is anything but peaceful.”
For me, that checks all the boxes once again.
Procrastinating as a Coping Mechanism
Within the first few pages, Dr. Ramirez Basco gives you two eye-opening quizzes to help you uncover your true procrastinating tendencies.
In the first one, she uncovers the fact that procrastinating is a way for us to cope.
Specifically, if you answer “yes” to any of the following questions then you might just be a procrastinator.
- “If you feel uncertain, will you postpone taking action or making a decision?”
- “When you are mentally or physically tired, do you tell yourself you will do it later?”
- “If you dread having to face a problem or a difficult person, will you avoid it for as long as you can?”
- “If you are nervous about having to do something difficult, will you delay it?”
- “If you are angry about being forced to do something you don’t want to do, will you procrastinate?”
- “If you are afraid you are going to make a mistake or mess things up, do you wait too long to start a task?”
- “If you have to face a person who is unpleasant, will you make an excuse to put if off?”
The second quiz is far too long for me to type up so I’m going to sum up my favorite points from it in our next section.
Procrastination Types
Yes, there are different types of procrastinators. And yes, you can fall under multiple categories.
- General: You understand that you shouldn’t put things off and doing so makes you feel guilty.
- Avoiders: Like me, avoiders are great at putting things off. This is how they deal with stressful situations and shit they don’t want to do. Avoiders try to do this for as long as possible.
- Disorganized: I call these the under/overs. These procrastinators have a bad habit of overestimating how much time they have to tackle something and underestimate how long it will take them. People in this category are usually overwhelmed by too many things to do and are unsure of where to start. I also think this type is prone to being late All. The. Time.
- Self-doubter: Another favorite of mine. Self-doubters are too scared to take action. They’re usually unsure of their own abilities despite past accomplishments proving that they can actually kick ass. Essentially, these people lack self-confidence (*raises hand*). The idea of making a mistake causes them to freeze up entirely (*raises both hands*).
- Interpersonal: These are the protesters. Their procrastinating ways surface because they’re trying to prove a point. If you hate when someone tells you what to do at work, you’re probably dealing with this procrastination style.
- All-or-nothing: Are you the type to overwork yourself to a point of exhaustion? By the time this hits, your wiped out for days or weeks. Dr. Ramirez Basco calls these binge workers and I can totally relate. You try to take on so much work that you end up overwhelmed and unable to complete everything. It’s a recipe for an exhausting disaster.
- Pleasure seeking: These are the binge watchers. Instead of cleaning the house, they’re likely to be on the couch binging on mindless social media apps and TV shows. They’re also more likely to push things off until tomorrow.
How many of those bad boys can you relate to? I know I can relate to more than two of them.
I’m too tired
Most of us are just too tired mentally and physically. But the thing is, this can be a sign of procrastination in disguise.
Are you waiting for Monday to roll around to start eating better or working out? Do you vow that you’ll find a new job next January yet you still haven’t updated your resume?
These behaviors should turn into red flags for you now.
Newsflash: you will never feel like doing certain things. Anything that requires you to work, feels uncomfortable, or is something you resent having to do, will cause you to procrastinate.
Next newsflash: the right mood is never going to strike. You have to create it even when you don’t feel like it.
This is also where discipline comes in. It’s doing the things you know you should be doing even when you don’t feel like doing them (shoutout to Brian Tracy on that one).
And this shit is hard. It takes practice, patience, and most importantly, consistency. But, no matter what, you can’t give up.
You can’t play the victim either. We all have overwhelming moments in life. And we were all biologically designed to overcome them. We have every tool we need to survive anything life throws at us. You just have to believe that now.
If you’re feeling stuck, the best tactic I’ve found to get me moving is to set a timer. I’ll set a timer for 25 minutes to start. If I’m feeling super unmotivated, I’ll start with 5 minute increments since they almost always turn into 30+ minute sessions once I get started.
You just have to get started even when you don’t want to.
According to Dr. Ramirez Basco, the following statements are likely to come up:
- “I need to be in the right mood”
- “It’s not the right time”
- “I’ll know when it is time to do it”
- “I need to think about it some more”
- “I’m just not feeling it”
- “I’m not in the right place”
- “I’ll get to it when I get to it”
If you see these jerks, it’s time to get moving. Don’t be seduced into procrastination.
So if anything in your life is holding you back right now, figure out your first step, take it, and keep going. Do not give up!!
This is a great place for us to stop for today. As promised, here’s a sneak peek of what’s ahead in the next two posts in this three-part series:
Next week (Wednesday, November 9th):
- Why fear is causing you to procrastinate
- How to get past hurt feelings
- Tips for setting priorities and avoiding distractions
- How to confront your fear of making a mistake
- Combating tunnel vision
- How to deal with setbacks
Two weeks out (Wednesday, November 16th):
- How we use procrastination in our relationships
- Why passive aggressiveness can be connected to procrastination
- How to stop being a people pleaser
- Combating the all-or-nothing work style
- How to stop being a perfectionist once and for all