Procrastination: Why We Do It & What To Do About It
There it is sitting on your to do list...still. Just looking at the words makes you feel a bit heavier and anxious. Maybe you conveniently forgot to do it again. Maybe it’s been nagging at you constantly as you feel guiltier and guiltier for not taking action. But still...there it is.
Procrastination almost seems like a dirty word, a character flaw, a weakness or failure on your part. It’s something that better people don’t deal with. Maybe there’s a time-management app that can fix this?
When it comes to procrastination, no amount of planners, checklists, time hacks or apps can “fix” our desire to put certain things off. Here’s why: procrastination is an emotional response to a task. Using your logical brain to try to get yourself into consistent action can only get you so far. Only when you deal with the emotions behind the procrastination can you move forward. So, let’s look at how we can do that.
The Emotional Side of Our Brains
When it comes to our emotional brains, there are two things to remember:
1. We will always desire to do what is easiest and most enjoyable.
The emotional brain, or limbics system, is responsible for our rewards circuits and habit loops as well as our motivation. It’s job is to simplify our lives and keep us safe and happy. It’s the reason we seek out the fastest way to do something or get somewhere. It’s the reason we want a fun coffee drink every day at 3 p.m.
If we know that we will always desire the easiest and most enjoyable option, it makes sense that those things that we find challenging, frustrating, or boring have a tendency to not get done. They don’t meet the aims of our emotional brain.
2. We tend to prioritize short-term satisfaction over long-term benefit.
One of the great things about being human in this modern age is the ability to see past the immediate future. We can set plans and have goals. Our logical brain can create the steps to get us from today to that future point. But, when it comes to making an in-the-moment, action-taking decision, we tend to favor the here and now over the future.
Why do we do this? If you were to think about yourself right now in this moment and then think about your future self days, weeks, or years from now, which do you feel more connected to? My guess is that you choose the you of today. You understand who you are now. The future you is a bit unknown, almost another person. We have a tendency to disassociate from the future version of ourselves making it tougher to feel both the rewards and consequences of waiting to do something. On the other hand, we can easily feel the rewards of not doing an undesirable task now. Let that other future self deal with the consequences. It doesn’t feel like it’s you anyway, right?
What Emotions Cause Procrastination?
Beyond the natural desires to do what is easiest and most fun, other emotions can contribute to our procrastination.
Fear
Fear pops up a lot in creative projects. Is this good enough? Am I good enough? Will I be laughed at or excluded? If you identify as a perfectionist, this fear may be the driver keeping you stuck in procrastination. After all, it’s better to just not do it if it can’t be perfect, right?
If you discover that fear is the main thing driving your procrastination, try asking yourself the following questions:
What am I afraid will happen by taking action?
What’s the worst that could happen?
What can be possible by taking action anyway?
What can help the desire to take action be stronger than the fear?
Lack of Desire
As mentioned before, we have a tendency to always do what is most enjoyable. If you have something on your to-do list that isn’t fun for you, it’s more than likely going to sit there. Maybe you find it tough or confusing. Maybe it’s not your zone of genius, so it takes a lot of thought, research, or trial and error to complete. Maybe it’s a repetitive task that doesn’t inspire you like the other things on your list. Whichever is the case for you, there are three ways you can go if you discover that you’re procrastinating due to lack of desire:
Delegate it: If a task isn’t desirable and it doesn’t need to be done by you, see if you can allow someone else to do it. Chances are that what you find boring or too challenging is something that is easy and enjoyable for someone else. Not only are you freeing up your time for what lights you up, you’re also allowing someone else to do what they enjoy as well.
Delete it: Do you need to do this task, or is it something you feel you SHOULD do? So many times we create these expectations for ourselves that aren’t necessary. We take advice from experts and want to follow each of their steps. But, do you really need to do this task at all? If the answer is “no,” drop the guilt and delete it. You’ll feel instantly better.
Connect it: So, you can’t delegate it because it must be done by you, and you can’t delete it because it is necessary...now what? You still don’t want to do it. Instead, see if you can connect this task to something bigger. Who will benefit from you doing this? How will it help them? How will it improve both your life and their life? What impact will this action have in the world? If you can take a step back and see a bigger picture and the role this task plays, you may find a stronger desire to complete it.
Lack of Alignment
Sometimes procrastination can be a positive sign. It can be easy to be pulled into tasks and goals that aren’t really our own. We get distracted by the next shiny new course, book, or expert advice. We form partnerships and help out with others’ projects. Suddenly, we have a whole list of tasks that are burdensome and don’t light us up. When procrastination hits and it doesn’t seem to be based in fear or desire, take a look at your alignment. Ask yourself the following questions:
Does this task align with my goals?
Does this task align with my core values?
Will this task take me in the direction I ultimately want to go?
If your answer is “no,” then why are you doing it? It may be time to look at who or what is influencing your decisions. What benefit does this course of action have for you? Connection? Inclusion? Then, it becomes a question of how you can find these benefits in your life while staying true to who you are and what you want.
<<For more on figuring out your core values, who you are, and where you want to go, check out How (& Why) To Define Your Core Values & Mission.>>
We all procrastinate from time to time. It’s not a weakness or failure. In fact, it may help clarify for you where you should be focusing your energy and what you really want.
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