.jpg){kind=logo}
Is procrastination holding you back from accomplishing all that you want? Do you live or work with someone who procrastinates and you want to understand why? Here's your chance to learn more. Procrastination is the voluntary delay of some important task someone intends to do despite knowing they will suffer as a result. Everyone procrastinates on some tasks, some of the time. But, research by Joseph R. Ferrari, PhD, who has published extensively on the topic, indicates that 20 percent of the adult U.S. population are chronic procrastinators (Ferrari, 2010). Procrastination carries a negative connotation. Yet many chronic procrastinators are able to meet their obligations and deadlines and are very productive, successful individuals. However, their achievements may come with unwanted physical and emotional tolls because of procrastination.
Background
I first explored the topic of procrastination as a way to pass the time while driving between Connecticut and Boston for AMWA-NE board meetings. I thought I'd try to be productive during the drive, so off I went to peruse my local library's self-help section of audio books (pre-podcast popularity). There I happened upon "The Now Habit: A Strategic Program for Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt-Free Play," by Neil Fiore, PhD (Fiore, 2007). Even though I'd been academically and professionally successful, I knew I had a tendency to procrastinate. I would turn my work in on time but sometimes endured a fair amount of angst to achieve this. I wanted to better understand this behavior. Is it an innate trait or something I learned to do (or didn't learn not to do)? So, I checked out the audio book to see if I could find some answers.
I listened to most of the book in one trip and it blew my mind! I found the neuroscientific theories about procrastination fascinating and the author’s tips very practical and helpful. That was how I began my journey to understand procrastination and how to combat it. I am not an expert on the topic but am happy to share what I have learned to help others on their journeys. In March 2024, I led a discussion on the topic at the AMWA-NE Chapter roundtable event, and in turn was asked to write this article. Each time I revisit the material to prepare for an event, I pick up another nuanced tidbit about it.
Overview
Procrastination is a very complex behavior and there is more written on it than I can summarize here. My goal is to introduce some of the theories on why individuals procrastinate and offer some practical tools to prevent it. It is important to note that procrastination is separate from, yet intertwined with, other traits such as organizational skills, time management, and decision making. It is primarily a delay in starting or completing a task or project. Some authors suggest that procrastinators actually tend to be too organized in that they feel the need to have, for instance, read every article on a topic, bought new highlighters to mark up those articles, AND cleaned off their desk before being able to start the project at hand! Some have also found an association between procrastination and perfectionism (Bennett, 2014).
Theories
So why do people procrastinate? Research examining the underlying neuroscience behind procrastination has increased over the past quarter century. Much of the research is published in psychology journals and the research participants are frequently college students. There are many theories on why people procrastinate and the root cause may vary among individuals. Please note that there is work examining procrastination as a symptom of certain neurobehavioral disorders, such as attention deficit disorder or obsessive compulsive disorder, but I will not address those here.
Some of the theories include procrastination as:
A motivational style: Some individuals are task driven while some are deadline driven. Those who are deadline driven may not be motivated to complete a task until the deadline nears. It is only then that they seem to be able to focus and get their creative juices flowing to undertake the task (Lamia, 2017).
Rooted in fear: This could be fear of either failure or success or of not being perfect. The person who procrastinates is always able to say, "This could have been better if only I hadn't run out of time." (Ferrari, 2010, Fiore 2007).
A dysfunction in mood or emotion regulation: Procrastination (substituting some relatively pleasurable activity for the intended important task) triggers dopamine release in the brain's pleasure centers. This results in the individual experiencing pleasure in the short term despite long-term consequences. In this way, procrastination is not unlike substance abuse disorders (Ferrari, 2010, Fiore 2007).
Overcoming Procrastination
Understanding the source of your procrastination and identifying when you are in it, is in itself powerful. If you understand why you do it, then you can identify what is happening in the moment and implement strategies to break out of it. I think an apt analogy for overcoming procrastination is the process needed to quit smoking or lose weight. The steps to conquer these issues are similar and include:
Recognize the problem: If you are reading this, you probably already self-identify as a procrastinator or know someone who is. If you don't think procrastination negatively impacts your life enough to make changes, then the next time you find yourself putting off performing a necessary task, (ie, procrastinating) make note of the emotions you experience in that moment. They may include things like guilt, regret, stress, shame, or anger. Wouldn't it be nice to experience such negative feelings less frequently?
Have a desire to change: No one else can fix this for you. You have to want to change this behavior. I suggest you focus your attempts to overcome procrastination to aspects of your life with real consequences, such as your job or your physical or financial health. Completing work assignments, getting your finances or estate in order, or finding a physician and scheduling an appointment matter! Whether you organize the basement or weed the garden has little meaningful impact on your life, so let those go for now. As you conquer procrastination in the high-priority aspects of your life, you may find those tools carry over into the other aspects too. Also, as you conquer procrastination, you may increase your productivity, allowing you time to address the lower-priority items.
Understand why you do it: This will take some work on your part. I've mentioned a few resources in this article but there are many books, articles, blogs, and podcasts available. Pick ONE whose title speaks to you and commit to reading or listening to it this week. You don't have to read it cover to cover. Scan it, and read only what is pertinent to you. If it doesn’t seem like a good fit, let it go; don't waste your time. Move on to a different one.
Many of the resources are going to include exercises and tools to help you understand why you procrastinate. I encourage you to perform these honestly, for only then will you get to the root of your problem.
Adopt tools for change: These resources will also offer exercises, tools, and suggestions for changing your procrastination behavior. Some may speak to you more than others. Pick one or two to try. Incorporate the ones you selected into your life for at least two weeks to give them a chance to take hold. Some you will find helpful and some not. Keep the ones that work, discard the ones that don't.
A few tools I have found particularly helpful include setting a timer for 20 minutes and doing NOTHING else but the task at hand for that period. Getting started on a task is often the hardest part. Another practice I've incorporated is listing only discrete, actionable next steps on my to-do list as opposed to global headings such as "plan networking event.”
Make incremental changes: If you attempt to incorporate too many changes at one time, you may find yourself overwhelmed and unable to act. As you discover tools that work for you and make them part of your daily habit, you can investigate additional resources and continue to incorporate new strategies over time.
Seek support: Sharing your journey with others that you trust can be helpful. They may help you identify when you are procrastinating so you can implement your tools for change and they can celebrate with you when you are successful.
Celebrate success: When you have a success, even a small one, savor it. Make note of the emotions you experience in that moment. Contrast those with the emotions you felt when you procrastinated. Decreasing the negative emotions that occur during procrastination and increasing the positive emotions that occur when you don't provides motivation to continue conquering procrastination. When you are successful, reward yourself with guilt-free free time.
Keep on quitting:
Remember, procrastination is not something you are going to fix all at once. Don't give up. You have to keep at it. Sometimes you will succeed and sometimes you will fail. Don't let one failure derail your efforts. Try again. And be kind to yourself! Negative self-talk is not helpful. If you can't seem to make the progress you want, you might consider seeking professional help by enlisting a counselor or life coach.
References
1. Ferrari,J.R. (2010). Still Procrastinating? The No Regrets Guide to Getting It Done. Hoboken.: John Wiley & Sons.
2. Fiore, N,A. (2007). The Now Habit: A Strategic Program for Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt-Free Play. New York: Penguin Random House.
3. Bennett, Samantha. (2014) Get It Done: from Procrastination to Creative Genius in 15 Minutes a Day. Lovato: New World Library.
4. Lamia, M. (2017) What Motivates Getting Things Done Procrastination, Emotions, and Success. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield.