Why do people procrastinate?
You know the situation. You have been meaning to put up those shelves for some time now but you just haven't gotten around to it. Last week the hardware store didn't have the materials on sale and this week you don't really have time to fit it in. Maybe next week you think. But next week arrives along with more excuses. Unfortunately the more you procrastinate the more it becomes a learned behavior. Instead of wanting to perform an action it soon becomes the norm not to do it.
Are there somedays where you wish you could just press a button and all of your jobs would be done for you?
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So why are some jobs more likely to cause you to procrastinate? We are happy to put the effort into things we enjoy such as going out to a concert but other tasks such as making a doctors appointment or cleaning out the garage seem to slide. There are a number of factors that can cause procrastination as outlined below.
Priority
One reason is that it might not be that important to you. We all have "nice to have" projects as well as "must do" projects. Sorting out the garage or putting up those shelves for example. We have lived with the current situation for so long that we have come to accept it as the norm.
Desire
There may be a lack of desire to do something. Mowing the lawns is a good example. Once we have spent an hour or two in the sweltering sun, what have we really achieved? We will need to mow it again in a week or two thereby deflating our sense of accomplishment.
Fear of failure
We like to think we could do most things we set our mind to. But what is our subconscious telling us? We can all imagine a smart new set of shelves in the garage but could we do it? Sometimes the imagined victory almost makes the real thing not worth doing.
Large tasks
Sometimes tasks may seem just too large or complicated to do so we keep putting them off. The classic example would be studying for an exam. We look at a years worth of work and throw our hands up in despair. Why not start next weekend, or after that projects due, or later on in the week. Unfortunately the excuses keep coming and all of a sudden it's the night before the exam. Procrastination is the reason a lot of students cram on the last night.
So how do we break the cycle of procrastination? There are two very simple tools that can be used. The first one is to make a to do list. Although it might sound obvious, having your tasks written down can really help focus your energies. The second tool is to break each project down into smaller tasks. This way you get a sense of accomplishment as each of these small tasks are completed. Procrastination is a learned behavior and hopefully with some practice you will be able to unlearn it.
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