By: Nikki Duthie
Procrastination seems to be the ‘big bad’ of my productivity. It has invaded my work life, university assignments, and even my home life (washing, anyone?).
The thing is, each of these areas are completely different. They require different skills, time, and effort. So why am I procrastinating in so many areas? I used to attribute procrastination purely to laziness. However, I happily declutter the house, exercise (although maybe not so happily), walk the dog, watch lectures, bake, and do all sorts of things that aren’t sitting down reading or watching Netflix. I know I feel so much better when I finally get the task done, so why don’t I do things?
This got me thinking – perhaps there are reasons I procrastinate specific tasks. Recognising why I procrastinate gave me some sort of procrastination-beating superpower. Once I knew why I didn’t want to do a task, I could figure out how to find the discipline to figure out how to do the task. It’s a bit confusing, but basically, you ask yourself:
Why don’t I want to do this?
How can I overcome this reason?
From there, you find a way to manage the task that takes the underlying reason into account.
What If…
Fear of failure is a huge reason for procrastination. You can’t mess it up if you don’t do it, right? This is doing a huge disservice to you and those around you. Yes, you might stuff up. Everyone does. That’s how we learn. It’s not that easy in real life, especially when that fear is paralysing. What if you stuff up in front of everyone? Well, that would suck. BUT you’ll learn and grow, and you’ll be okay. It’s very easy to say, and not very easy to do.
How can you deal with your fear? Talk to someone! Are you stressed about a work commitment? Talk to a co-worker or your supervisor. Chances are, you can get support and assistance from those around you. It’s important to recognise your fear without letting it take over. Yes, something might happen, but also – chances are everything will be fine.
Murky Waters
If a process is unclear, it’s almost impossible to get started on a task. I’m very Type A. If I’m not 100% clear on what I’m supposed to do, I will procrastinate that task until the end of time.
However, the best way to deal with this is to ask someone. Chances are, in a workplace especially, someone else has done the task or has more information than you do. Just ask for some help (there seems to be a running theme so far)!
Eating Elephants
Okay, I get it. The task is massive. It’s insurmountable. It’s an elephant. However, there’s a pretty common saying regarding elephants: eat an elephant one bite at a time.
As counter-intuitive as this sounds… just start. Find the smallest part of the insurmountable task where you have no idea what to do and just do it. You can fix or delete it later. Sometimes the idea of starting is harder than actually doing something, and you know more than you think you do! I’ve found that recognising that this is the reason I’m procrastinating gives me the motivation I need to start. Which seems odd, but it works. For example, whilst I still have no idea what I’m doing in an assignment for uni, I just started it. And I’ve rewritten that start already, but I’m 300 words closer to being done than I was a week ago.
I Just Don’t Want To?
Sometimes, a task just makes us uncomfortable! We can’t really figure out why, it just does, or we know why and it’s superficial but a hard hurdle to overcome!
This is the worst reason I procrastinate – the task I am meant to be doing makes me uncomfortable in some way. I procrastinate the washing, because it’s too cold outside to hang it out. Even though this is the most superficial and seemingly silly reason, it can be the hardest to get over. For something as simple as the washing, I just need to suck it up.
However, for something more serious, it can be much more complex. For example, it is uncomfortable to talk to someone about an issue between the two of you. It is uncomfortable to step out of your comfort zone and start a business. It is uncomfortable to start a budget and get control of your finances. And that’s okay! This discomfort often has underlying reasons that I’ve described above (and probably some mix of all of them, because emotions are complex). Being uncomfortable is so important for our growth, regardless of the underlying cause. You will never grow as a person without doing something different and stretching yourself.
If a task makes you uncomfortable for serious reasons (not silly weather-related washing related problems), guess what… ask for help. Or, talk yourself through it, slowly. Make a plan for that conversation. Sign yourself up for a finance course. Procrastination relies on us being isolated. Reach out to someone for help, or even just to talk through the uncomfortable task.
Exiting the Procrastination Station
We’ve covered a few tips on beating procrastination. Namely, ask for help. However, give yourself compassion! All of these reasons can bring some pretty uncomfortable emotions – stress, anxiety, fear, guilt, and shame, to name a few. Procrastinating is common. It’s stressful. Beating it is hard. It’s okay to procrastinate, to a point. It’s okay to be scared. Be compassionate with yourself, and you’ll find doing the task to be so much easier. Take it slow. Take breaks. Don’t beat yourself up over procrastinating, just try and eat that elephant, one bite at a time. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, take a step back and look at it again after a break. Without compassion, your negative emotions associated with the task will grow until it actually is nearly impossible for you to do it.
The Golden Rule
Faith is a huge part of my life. The Golden Rule in beating procrastination lies in this bible verse:
23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
Colossians 3:23-24
If I’m truly, from my heart, working for God in all things, then procrastination becomes this small, sad little thing that I can kick out the way. Because God is above my fear, my confusion, and my discomfort.
It’s important to note that there can be more serious reasons for procrastination, such as mental health disorders. If you need help, you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14, or access Beyond Blue here.
Article supplied with thanks to Life FM in Adelaide.
Feature image: Photo by Magnet.me on Unsplash