Procrastination
“That’s a problem for future Homer. Man, I don’t envy that guy.”
Sometimes it’s easy to push an important task to the end of the list, or to the next day. We get busy, or there is another more urgent and pressing job that we must attend to. Is that procrastination? Obviously, postponement is a key feature. But so too is irrationality. Because it is not procrastination if there are rational reasons for putting off a task.
Procrastination is an avoidance behaviour or coping mechanism that has gone a little off track. It is usually a result of feelings of anxiety or even dread about a task that they have to complete. In order to overcome these negative feelings, people switch to another task or activity, one that gives them more joy. But this is only temporary relief, because that task is still looming in the background, and as every minute ticks over, the deadline moves ever closer.
And for some people, the temporary relief is replaced by an even bigger sense of dread, leading to a vicious and self-defeating cycle.
One of the reasons that procrastination comes easy to some people is that we are hardwired in a way that makes us struggle with tasks that promise future benefits in return for exerting effort now. It’s why prevention is so difficult. Short-term gain overrides long-term benefit in what behavioural scientists refer to as present bias.
Why do we put things off?
Control: When a task feels like you have lost control, procrastination helps you to regain a sense of agency.
Self-worth: Procrastination is a tool to protect us from a threat to our self-worth and independence. If we believe that our identity and self-worth is tied to our work, then judgement of that work output is really a judgement of ourselves. Therefore, we think that delay helps to protect us.
Fear: Fear of failure. Perfectionism. Fear of high expectations. Being overwhelmed. Fear of not finishing. Sometimes fear of success. Because success leads to more work, and greater expectations.
Reward: Putting off work is a (temporary) relief from stress.
How to tackle procrastination
Do nothing or focus on that task. Set aside time for the task or activity and either do that task, or do nothing. You can choose not to work on the task – but you can’t do anything else. No social media, no email. The task or nothing will focus your mind.
Create habits. Reducing the number of decisions you need to make throughout the day helps to reduce procrastination. Don’t put yourself in a position where you have to decide whether to go to the gym or for a run. Make it a habit and the decision is already made.
Perfect is the enemy of the good. A job done is better than an incomplete job on track to being perfect. The key is to finish something no matter how imperfect it might seem to you.
Remove distractions. Friction is your friend. The harder it is to be distracted, the easier it is to focus on the task.
Reward yourself. Positive reinforcement creates the environment to succeed.
“If your job is to eat a frog, eat it first thing in the morning, and if your job is to eat two frogs, eat the big one first’.”