The Five Causes Of Procrastination

Identify The Devils That Are Stopping You!

Procrastination: excuses, excuses!

Photo: Dani

Who is not familiar with that nagging feeling that keeps on tugging at your heart, reminding you of an important tasks that demands your attention and yet you keep putting it off? Yes, it is important, it needs to be done, and consequences could be serious.

..But, no. I have to check the email. I have to reply to that client's letter. I have to make just two or three small calls.

...One excuse after another keeps on presenting itself; you literally kill your day and still, that important job has not been attended to.

Let us examine these questions and see why procrastination is so hard to get rid of! The causes of procrastination can be divided into three broad categories: emotional devils, overwhelming tasks, and motivation. Let us examine each one of these.

Emotional Devils

It is possible that the task that is waiting to be completed triggers some unpleasant emotions in you. While trying to avoid those emotions you avoid that task. Maybe you are afraid that you will not be able to complete the task – maybe it is too difficult for you and generates feelings of inadequacy in you—and you don't want to face these uncomfortable emotions.

It is also possible that not the complete task, but some parts of it challenge your confidence and competence. Suppose you have to complete the yearly report of your department. You know it is important for you, and one part of you is quiet excited about it. But there is one part of the report, which calls for statistical calculations, and herein lays the crux. You don't know how to do them! This is an important report for you, and you don't want to involve anyone else in this; you are afraid that some one else will steel the limelight.

It may quite possibly the fear of failure. Or is it fear of success? Maybe, success in this task will mean more responsible role for you: either you do not want it or are afraid to take it up.

On the opposite end, burnout could be the reason you are feeling lethargic and un-motivated at your workplace.

There could be so many emotional causes of procrastination. It could be as mundane as that the task is very unpleasant and you will be bored to death while doing it; and you just keep on putting it off, not aware how much stress and anxiety you are piling up, which at some point in future, you will have to face once.

To overcome this problem, you will have to do some soul searching. Give a cold and hard look at your feelings – is there some uncomfortable feeling - fear, lack of confidence, incompetence - lurking there? Face your emotions, live through them, and learn to resolve them. If this is not possible, just do the job, while still carrying your emotional baggage. It is mostly fear of one kind or another. Learn to do all that needs to be done, even if the fear is still there.

Overwhelming Tasks

Sometimes the causes of procrastination lie within the tasks themselves. You find the task is quite daunting and too big. You are just perplexed: where to start and how?

Overcome this problem by breaking up the task in several parts and scheduling. Write down the complete plan. It will clarify several doubts which your mind is resisting to face, which again becomes one of the causes of procrastination.

After breaking up the task in several parts, focus only on parts. Intersperse bits of interesting activities in between these tasks, even if they are unrelated to the whole project: it will make the job less boring.

Here the time management skills will help you: goal setting, scheduling, delegating, all these skills will take much of the burden off your shoulders.

Motivation

One latest theory of motivation says that the motivation towards completing a task varies in direct proportion to the expectancy of success, and the expected pleasantness of completion. On the other hand it varies in inverse proportion to the time required to complete the task and your 'delay sensitivity'.

Accordingly, it is quite natural that you veer towards watching a movie, instead of preparing for our exam, because, (a) the first task is pleasant, and, (b) the second task is difficult, dry and the outcome is uncertain! Here again, when the causes of procrastination, are connected with motivation and pulls from various distractions, the time management skills, like preparing a to do list and goal setting will prove extremely useful.

Indecisiveness And Perfectionism

If you are like one of my friends who just freezes when presented with two alternatives, or two or more choices, then the situation could prove to be quite hopeless. If your mind goes into tizzy every time it is called upon to make a decision, then you will keep on going in circles, or worst, your mind will become immobile due to the terror of being called upon to take one decision.

The indecisiveness could be having its roots in some psychological traits: low self esteem, fear of failure, perfectionism can become the causes of procrastination.

if it is fear of failure that stops you, then please remember that the solution lies in doing it anyway -- all the time carrying with you your emotional baggage. Learn to adopt the attitude that Some tasks just need to be got done no matter what!

For the perfectionist the salvation lies in realizing that nothing is perfect, and that it is better to do something which is less than perfect, than not doing it at all. The remorse that you will feel in the second case will lower your worth in your own eyes. But, if you do some task imperfectly, you might have a chance to improve upon it later on.

Solutions For The Causes Of Procrastination

The opposite of procrastination is managing your time well. But, the problem with procrastinator is that things just slip out of his or her hands. Every time she adopts strategies to organize her life, she is pulled back into same old habit patterns that have been governing her life.

The solution lies in evolving a strategy to understand these subconscious patterns of habits and behaviors. Learn from a procrastination expert.

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Further Reading

The Real Benefits Of Time Management

Reduce Stress Levels With 10 Practical Time Saving Tips

The Secret To Writing A To Do List That Gets Things Done

How Procrastination And Stress Might Be Holding You Back

Know Yourself To Overcome Procrastination And Stress!

Poor Stress And Time Management Symptoms

The Importance Of Time Management

Seven Time Management Skills That You Must Have

Reduce Stress by Minimizing Distractions

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