The Problem of Procrastination
The irony that I am writing this blog after procrastinating working on this website for so long I’m a little ashamed to admit it! But hey, here we are and you know what, it’s given me some insight into the dreaded PROCRASTINATION habit that so many of us struggle with.
We know logically that whatever the thing is, it’s needs to get done and yet we are finding every little thing to put in the way to avoid taking care of it. The worst is the productive procrastination. My house was never cleaner than when I had to write my graduate school capstone paper. So you can justify to yourself, “Well I didn’t write my paper, but at least I vacuumed the floors and the dogs got a nice walk!” All good things, but not the thing I actually needed to get done.
So why do we procrastinate?
Lack of Structure and Clarity—We have too much time. We know that we don’t need 2 weeks to write this paper, so we can wait until we have juuuuust the right amount of urgency the night before it’s due to finally get it done.
Emotional Regulation—We are avoiding uncomfortable emotions brought on by addressing the issue: frustration, anxiety, self-doubt, or fear of failure just to name a few.
Perfectionism—We are waiting for the perfect time when you’ll feel ready to do it just right, which rarely happens, or comes once you’re in a panic because now you have to cram.
Present Bias—We see immediate gratification with less effort and our attention naturally goes toward that shiny thing! and away from the delayed gratification and high effort required to complete the task at hand.
Low Self-Confidence—”I didn’t fail, I just didn’t try.”
How to Work With It!
Be curious, not critical about your procrastination patterns—Read from my list and see what resonates with you.
Learn to tolerate discomfort—When you sit down to write that paper, notice the discomfort in your body. Put a hand over it (your heart, gut, throat, temples), and BREATH deep. Know that it is normal to feel this way and bring warmth and love toward this discomfort before getting started. You will be surprised how much you may have to do this for yourself. It’s OKAY! You’re learning and it’s uncomfortable.
Set the bar just above zero whatever that is. “I’m just going to open the page and see what happens.” You can’t be disappointed if you don’t have any expectations looming over you. Just start and see what happens.
Break it down! Most tasks that seem easy to push off may have more complexity than you are giving credit. Sit down and plan out the task. What do I want this final product to look like? Now walk back step by step until you’ve returned to the beginning. See the intermediary steps that it will take to get you to the finish line. And begin!
For more tips on working with procrastination and ADHD, reach out for a consultation and we can see if working together is a good idea for you!
