Overcoming Procrastination: 3 simple steps and an overarching worldview
Photo by Pedro da Silva on Unsplash
To procrastinate is to be human—with procrastination a self-perceived problem for many adults. Although we may have the most lofty intentions (e.g. “Okay, I’m going to complete that application tomorrow morning”), when the time rolls around the immediacy of short-term rewards often far supersedes whatever previous aspirations we may have had. Yesterday’s hero is today’s mediocrity. That is simply the way our brains are structured. It is incredibly adaptive, at least in our evolutionary history, to make immediate indulgences whenever available. Who knows when the next meal will be, so feast on what is front of you!
Unfortunately, in a modern world in which the possibilities for indulgence are near infinite (from cellphones to snack surpluses), a steady stream of temptations can lead to chronic, quite harmful forms of procrastination. Indeed, many devices and technologies you own were designed precisely to keep you hooked, co-opting well-known behavioral conditioning principles. In addition, some of us are a bit more prone to procrastinate than others. Impulsiveness, one of the largest predictors of procrastination, has a strong genetic basis, with procrastination being highest in men—particularly in our mid-20’s—owing to strong links between gender and impulsivity. Psychological factors, such as low self-efficacy, perfectionism, and depressive symptoms, can also be root causes of procrastination as we overestimate the likelihood of failing at our endeavors and thus feel overwhelmed by them. Finally, family, social, and cultural factors can also play a role, making our To-Do list contain mostly externally-imposed tasks instead of internally-driven desires. In a nutshell, if you find yourself procrastinating often it is very much not because you are “lazy.” It’s because you’re human. There’s a whole host of biological, psychological, and environmental factors we have to contend with to be anti-procrastinators.
Still, this is not to say that we are doomed to procrastinate. In addition to treating underlying depressive disorders and other conditions through therapy, there are some simple cognitive-behavioral strategies we can employ on our own. Here are three simple steps we might use to subvert our brains, which are so naturally inclined to procrastinate:
Congratulate yourself - you’ve already done the hardest part!
I know it sounds weird to be so kind to yourself when you believe you haven’t done anything. BUT, you’ve actually already done the hardest part of the work! I’m not just placating you — the anticipatory anxiety of worrying about doing a task often far outweighs the actual stress involved in the work itself, especially for highly anxious folks. That is, if you are currently dreading doing something, pat yourself on the back—you can honestly say you’ve done the hardest part. Knowing that you’ve already faced the worst can give you confidence that you can handle the journey. It’s all downhill coasting from here! You may feel like you have little self-efficacy at this moment, but your mere survival in the face of your current overwhelmed feelings is a testament to your strength.
Trust your gut - if you’re feeling overwhelmed you’re likely taking on too much
As procrastinators we have a tendency to see the entirety of a task at once, representing it on our minds as an incredible impossibility. If the task feels overwhelming, trust your gut that the way it is currently framed is unrealistic. It could be that you’re overly focused on getting it “perfect,” that the deadline does not offer you enough time, or that you’re trying to meet someone else’s expectations rather than following your own feelings and values. Let go of the deadline, the standards, and the perfection. These are simply de-motivators for you right now. The extremely nice thing about just beginning on any small part is the momentum that comes along with simply beginning.
Focus on experience, not time management - time management is cognitive, tedious, and restrictive - live in the process by focusing on the activity
Perhaps its a book report, a presentation, an e-mail, a telephone call - whatever it may be that we are putting off, it is likely that we are emphasizing the chore rather than the experience. As procrastinators we tend to focus on task completion and “getting it out of the way.” Even if we do stop avoiding the task and say “fine, I’ll just get it over with,” we are now stuck in a regretful, self-alienated, detached to-do list. The process is tedious and we’re stuck tolerating it. When we are so pressured, the desire to actually do the thing (and the quality of our work) greatly deteriorates.
Instead, see if you can notice that natural tendency to say “Ugh” and drop below this thought to the actual experience of doing the thing. It can be as simple as feeling your fingers on the keyboard, of lacing your shoes, of feeling your foot on the ground as you begin a walk, of hearing the other person’s voice on a phone call, or of reading a part of a text that does interest you. Make the actions, the task, yours. Embody the activity and live within it. Own what matters to you and forget the rest.
If we are chronic procrastinators we may have to do this “noticing the Ugh” and dipping back into the experience multiple times during a single task. Eventually the “dipping in” will become the habit. I am confident the quality of the product or interaction you craft from “noticing the ugh” will be 1000x better than the quality of the product created by focusing on time-management or “getting it done.”
Don’t berate yourself if these steps aren’t enough. Self-compassion is crucial, and if you find yourself consistently avoiding tasks you once enjoyed, even after attempts to stop, this may be a sign of depression or another condition. Depression is a real medical illness, meaning that we can point to very predictable parts of your brain that will be different from your non-depressed counterpart (more specifically in the limbic regions controlling memory, attention, and mood; McEwen, 2003). You wouldn’t get mad at yourself if you couldn’t walk because your leg was broken, you would focus instead on getting better. In the same way we shouldn’t be mad at ourselves if we procrastinate because of depression, but focus instead on getting better. The good news is that the brain, just like the rest of our bodies, demonstrates incredible plasticity and capacity for healing. It is very responsive to both therapy and/or medication.
the overarching worldview
Ultimately, neither life nor work is about how much you accomplish. Teachers, employers, and friends want you to feel enlivened by the things you do, not deadened (otherwise you should find some new friends or a different employer). The greatest thing you have to offer your family and workplace is the full strength of your creativity, playfulness, and effort; not on completing tasks. Even better, when we focus less on “getting things done” and more on experiencing our work and personal lives, the quality of our work will improve drastically.
So, you are not just lazy, you are human. Fortunately life can still be lived and enjoyed—even with our procrastination along for the ride.