7 Reasons Why We Procrastinate
Our lives would be so much easier if we didn’t procrastinate, right? So why do we do it?
There is a slew of reasons why someone may procrastinate. The reason (or reasons) can entirely vary on a person-to-person basis. The cool thing is, procrastination can be beaten. But, like all hindrances, the first step is admitting that there’s a problem.
Below are 7 reasons why we procrastinate. If any of them make you feel exposed, then you may want to dig a little deeper into why it slows you down – and how you can overcome it.
Paralyzed by a Fear of Failure
The fear of failure is often the most difficult one to overcome. We want the final product to be perfect. What’s the best way to guarantee that it will be perfect? Not to do it at all.
This can be why someone takes years to write a book (or journal) that they could’ve done in at least half the time. Every word has to be perfect.
But of course, we know that by not doing a project we are not actually succeeding at it. That’s when we finally metaphorically pick up the pen and get started.
Bored to Death
This one may seem silly but we may not do a project simply because it is just too boring. It’s not engaging enough to keep us interested so we wander off to do something we are engaged with instead.
Beyond being boring, the project could also be outside of what we believe we are capable of – either too easy or too difficult.
Paralyzed by a Fear of Judgment
No one likes to be judged! God forbid someone says something negative and crushes our self-esteem. So we would again rather not produce anything at all to avoid any form of judgment.
But, no one judges you more than you. That’s a fact, Jack.
Our own brains judge ourselves more than our family, friends, the randos on social media, other people in our industry, teachers, and our clients.
Doesn’t that seem so silly?
I’ll still close my eyes and say a prayer before I click “send” on a client’s final project though.
Overwhelmed by Feelings of Unworthiness
This one is so sad but still valid. We don’t feel like we deserve positive comments, happiness, or payment for our work. We can’t help committing self-sabotage because we are not the type of person to achieve the goal on the other side of the project. Besides, the client won’t like it anyway so why should I bother doing it?
I feel like this is Eeyore’s reason for procrastinating. I believe repeating positive affirmations and carrying an umbrella for protection from the raincloud overhead would be a good start to defeating this one.
The Tank is on “Empty”
Or we are running on fumes. The point is, we are doing too many things and are too tired to do the task. By the time we get around to doing the project, all motivation is lost and we put it away for tomorrow.
There is a great book called The One Thing by Gary Keller. It is all about organizing your priorities so that you do the most important thing first and reward yourself by doing the distracting things – such as scrolling social media or doing laundry.
Struggling with Depression or ADHD
ADHD can make focusing on anything difficult and amplify procrastination. Depression can also make accomplishing a project a burden. When depressed, a person can feel exhausted, unable to concentrate, or have a lack of interest in the task at hand.
Distracted by Anything Else
At the end of the day, we can get distracted by doing anything other than the thing we have to do. This has to do with self-control. We are more interested in doing what we want at that moment and will worry about the consequences later.
In this day and age, social media is one of the biggest distractors for most of us. I can’t even tell you how many times I realized I was scrolling on Instagram rather than writing this post!
Procrastination is a common thing people struggle with. From the research I did, it seems to boil down to self-worth. The more you believe in yourself, and take care of yourself, the better you will feel about doing whatever it is you have to do.
Source: https://solvingprocrastination.com/why-people-procrastinate/
The Daily Question for Entrepreneurs: The Three-Year Transformation is a journal designed to keep you motivated and help you hold yourself accountable when you start a new business. By answering one question every day you can determine what you need help with, reflect on your progress, and ultimately grow as a person and entrepreneur.