This is What You Need to Know to Stop Procrastinating

DISCLAIMER: SOME PEOPLE HAVE A MEDICAL REASON FOR PROCRASTINATING, FOR EXAMPLE ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER (ADHD), MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER, OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER, ETC. IF THIS IS OR MIGHT APPLY TO YOU, PLEASE SEE YOUR PHYSICIAN FOR FURTHER MEDICAL ASSESSMENT.

When it comes to procrastinating, do you know how to stop doing it? It seems like there are a lot of resources out there that will teach how to organize your time, but what if the real issue is you don’t know how to stop procrastinating?

That’s right, overcoming procrastination and being good at managing your time are two very different things.

This blog post is Part 1 of my two-part blog series Too Little Time. Next month I’ll discuss what time management is and tips for getting better at it. However, I wanted to dedicated a whole post about procrastinating because this might be the main reason you’re having trouble managing your time.

And procrastination is a big topic.

So grab a pen and paper, sit down, and let’s dive deep!

Breaking down procrastination

I will be the first to admit I’ve struggled with procrastination. I’ve gotten a lot better at not putting things off on a regular basis but still, I slip up from time to time and rush to get things done.

Honestly, I didn’t think procrastination was a big deal. I mean, I completed things on time and it seems like lots of people do it. Still, it didn’t sit well with me that I was doing this, so I decided to figure out how to stop procrastinating. I started by figuring out what it means to procrastinate.

When I looked up the definition of this word, I was shook.

To procrastinate means “to put off intentionally and habitually something that should be done.” (emphasis mine)¹.

Now, tell me you ain’t shook by the meaning of this word too.

I was surprised because it conveys two things about a person that procrastinates:

• They intentionally – on purpose, by choice, consciously make the decision to – not do something they know needs to be done
• Their behaviour is a learned, practiced way of living

What it looks like

Procrastination can look like a bunch of different things. If you’re like me, it might exemplify itself with starting your day off with a break before you start any work, because you feel you just need to relax. Two hours later, you’re still “relaxing”.

Maybe it’s that mad rush to haphazardly put together a presentation for work that’s due tomorrow morning. Only, you’ve known about this presentation and its due date for two months.

What about starting project after project but not finishing any of them?

It might be waiting until everything is just right before you get started on a task or finally cross it off your to-do list.

Your calendar might look “busy”, but it’s really an excuse to avoid doing something that’s undesirable.

Could it be deep down you simply don’t care that someone needs you to finish a project by a certain time because it prevents you from addressing your own desires and needs?

Might it look like you passing off your responsibilities to colleagues or forcing loved ones to pick up your slack?

Or how about filling your day with things that don’t really matter, avoiding the thing that’s truly important.

Yup, procrastination can look like all of these things and more.

But there’s hope for those who can’t seem to stop procrastinating because the definition of the word also means:

• Because you can choose to not do something, you can also be intentional about not putting things off
• Since can learn to procrastinate, you can also learn and practice things that will help you overcome this negative habit.

How?

The first step to fixing any issue in life is discovering why it’s an issue in the first place.

Once you understand the reason(s) you’re procrastinating, check out my FREE Procrastinator Stopper resource filled with Truths to focus on to help you overcome procrastination.

Why you’re procrastinating

Could the reason you take so long to start and/or finish something have anything to do with fear?

Why yes, yes it is.

Pause and ask yourself “what am I so afraid of when it comes to [insert task here]?”

The root of every procrastinating thought is fear – it just rears its head in many different ways. Below are eight ways how. See if you can relate to any of them.

Overwhelm

You might be procrastinating because you feel buried in the amount of work a task requires. The responsibilities you have are so engulfing, you feel you can’t get started. Maybe you become too burdened to finish. It could even be that you don’t fully understand what’s being asked of you. Ultimately, these feelings of overwhelm birth dread and result in nothing getting done.

Perfection

If things were just right, you’d get started on whatever it is needs doing. The thoughts running through your head that’s stalling things include “it’s not the right time/place/situation, I don’t want to fail…”. Until circumstances line up perfectly to limit the risk of you making a mistake, you ain’t getting started. Or you’ve already started but can’t finish until you deem your efforts flawless. Unfortunately, perfectionism – the way the world demands it – is lousy motivation for completing a task.

Comfort

Does the reason you’re taking so long to finish that one thing on your to-do list have anything to do with you wanting to stay in your comfort zone? Now ask yourself why that is. Maybe it’s because you fear the change success could bring you. So, you don’t start or properly finish certain things you know will elevate you to a new level in life or you delay fulfilling certain responsibilities to slow down the progression towards something new. Your doubts and worries about what the future holds and your ability to maintain your success keep you from completing things on time or at all. Procrastinating is keeping you “safe”.

Feeling unqualified

Like many people, you’re scared you don’t have what it takes to do the task well. You think the thing you’re responsible for deserves someone more qualified doing it. Or you might be thinking you want to take on that item on your to-do list but have no idea how. You lack the skills, knowledge, and understanding of how to really see that thing to its completion and the lack of qualifications breeds self-doubt and low self-esteem. And so you keep procrastinating because of the fear you’re not qualified enough.

Pride

Be honest with yourself. The thing that’s on your to-do list doesn’t impact you significantly and that’s why you’re putting it off. You have more important things to do, particularly things that matter to you. That prideful thinking is linked to the underlying fear that your needs won’t be met unless you get to them first and that no one else will consider you. You do what you want and need ahead of others’ needs. Again. And again. Until it results in you taking forever to start or finish anything that isn’t centered around your wants and desires. That’s right, procrastinating is just a clever way of hiding your pride.

Busyness

Being busy is preventing you from getting anything done. How? Your anxiety about looking lazy is pushing you to get involved in everything possible – whether you need to or not. Worries about things not getting done makes it difficult for you to delegate and this keeps way too much on your plate. You’ve committed to too many things or worn yourself out to the point that you’re looking for a break more often than looking to get things done. Your phobia of rest is masquerading as procrastination.

Hopelessness

You’ve started things on your to-do list but the length of time it’s taking to finish those tasks is making you uneasy. Are you really doing things right? Is what you’re working on what you’re supposed to be doing at all? Fear can look like hopelessness – distress over a delayed expectation. Procrastinating begins when dreams and plans take too long to complete. You start to think “if it’s taking this long, maybe it was never meant to be” and before you know it, that dream never comes to fruition.

Dislike

Have you ever put off doing something you simply don’t enjoy? You have doubts about the true significance of getting than assignment done. Similar to hopelessness, you’re concerned you’re not on the right track if completing a certain task on that track fosters so much dissatisfaction. Lack of pleasure from fulfilling a responsibility or crossing something off your to-do list might conjure up uneasiness and angst about how you’re spending your time. So what do you do? You avoid those tasks to avoid the “danger” of wasting your time and missing out on more enjoyable things in life.

These are not the only ways procrastination shows up but one or more of these reasons might be why you’re procrastinating. Be honest with yourself and do the heart work of figuring out why you’re putting things off. It’s an important step towards ending this negative habit.

Stop procrastinating

Almost ten years ago my siblings and I helped my mom remove weeds from her front lawn. First we tried mowing over the weeds and applying weed killer but that didn’t work. Trust me, we tried twice. It wasn’t until we removed the weeds by hand that we learned if you’re going to really get rid of a weed, you can’t just cut it off at the surface. You need to uproot it completely.

If you’re going to overcome procrastination, you’ll need to address the root cause of your intentional, habitual choice to put things off – your fearful thoughts.

Below are three steps to get you started in ridding yourself of fearful thoughts.

Step 1

Recognize you don’t have to be afraid. Culture will tell you that fear is a part of life, and it’s right – every human being has a fearful thought from time to time. This doesn’t mean you need to be okay with being afraid. You were never created to be worried, anxious, distressed, or panicky and you don’t have to receive the spirit of fear in your life. If you’re concerned fear could be related to a medical issue, please talk to your doctor. Part of conquering fear might include professional counseling and medications.

Step 2

Get your focus off the fear. I’m not saying you can’t acknowledge fearful thoughts. On the contrary. If you don’t acknowledge something, you give it permission to continue as is. Recognize that you’re feeling afraid but don’t focus on fearful thoughts. Shift your focus by challenging those negative thoughts. To start practicing this, check out my FREE Procrastination Stopper resource with reflection questions to help you take every fearful thought captive!

Step 3

Renew your mind. Not only do you need to uproot those fearful thoughts, you’ll need replace them with good ones. It’s like applying weed killer after you’ve uprooted all those weeds from the lawn, which helps prevent them from coming back. To help keep those fearful thoughts away, check out my FREE Procrastination Stopper resource with Truths to meditate on for the specific type of fear listed above (overwhelm, hopelessness, pride, etc.) that you might be struggling with.

As always, let me know what you think by commenting below and thanks in advance for sharing this post with your friends!