Lucy has always dreamed of writing a novel. She believes she has it in her to write a good story. As a child, Lucy used to write good stories as a requirement for school essays. Life moved on and Lucy grew up to be well settled in life but yet there’s a discontent within as a part of her yearns to fulfill that dream.
You might ask, ‘what stops her from sitting down and writing a story?’ Good question.
Let’s dive in to see what goes on for Lucy.
One fine day, Lucy settles down at her desk to write a story. She has gathered her laptop, notebook and pencil (just in case), her mobile phone and arranged them neatly on the table. As she opens a new document to start writing, she also opens a search engine to research more about the topic. As she starts reading the content online, it leads from one website to another and soon she realizes half the morning has gone by and she has not typed a single word on her opened document. Might as well get up for some coffee and then sit back down to write. But back in the kitchen while her cup is in the microwave, she finds dishes lying around that needs to be kept in its place and few other chores. Then when she gets to drink her coffee, she notices the notifications on her mobile phone and there goes another 30 minutes.
Well, you get the point. See how time flies!
Finally, when she gets back to her laptop she’s thinking “I’ve wasted half the day, I’m never going to get anything done, I don't even know how to write, what am I doing here. What’s the whole point of this? That's enough, I’m done with this. I don't think I can ever write something.” and she closes the laptop.
Days turned into months and years and Lucy’s writing work remained untouched. Despite a deep yearning to write a story, Lucy felt trapped in a cycle of avoidance, self defeating thoughts and intense frustration.
I think we all understand Lucy. We all have indulged in procrastination in the past or even currently. How do you feel afterward? Frustrated? Disappointed in yourself? Helpless? Angry? Do you see yourself in this cycle?
Hope it comforts you to know that procrastination isn't always because of laziness or the lack of willpower. There are other causes that lead you to procrastinate and potential solutions. Would you like to know them? Would you also want to see changes in yourself? Start by acknowledging your situation. Then grab a piece of paper and work this out with me.
Go ahead and list down one thing (or things) you have been procrastinating?
We know it is not very beneficial to procrastinate but we still do it anyway, why? Because it is so easy to!
So what do you do instead of the task? Write down other behaviors/actions you identify yourself doing when you procrastinate the main task
What are things that easily distract you, list them?
You know what? These behaviors are helping you in some sorts:
It gives you immediate satisfaction/relief. Like watching a reel on Instagram/YT is more appealing than the delayed satisfaction of completing the task.
It helps you avoid the fears or anxieties that lurk behind doing the task - so procrastination protects you from feeling these uncomfortable feelings. It could be fear of failure, need for perfection, feeling not good enough. Or even self defeating, ruminating thoughts.
Constant decision-making, feeling overwhelmed, fatigue makes it harder to take action leading to procrastination. There’s always some or the other work/chores that needs to be tackled - so where’s the time for this dream project?
Boredom, dislike of the task in itself, no end objective, no deadline, the end reward is not worth the effort
Take a moment to think as to what makes you procrastinate? What drives you away from the task or your dream project? What unpleasant emotions does it bring up? Note these down.
Now that you have identified why you procrastinate and how it serves you, it is easier to address it. Thankfully, procrastination is a behavior that can be tackled and changed.
Have you noticed how we procrastinate cleaning up the house but when a guest calls up saying that they will be visiting soon, we jump up and race against time until the house becomes spotlessly clean. :)
What can you do to tackle procrastination?
Break tasks into smaller steps. You don't have to do it all at once.
Set clear goals and deadlines.
Reward yourself for completing small steps. Celebrate small wins.
Practice self-compassion and encouraging self talk. Be kind to yourself and avoid self-criticism. Don't beat yourself up for having procrastinated, there’s enough people already doing that to you. What you tell yourself matters, if you will not say it someone else, don't say it to yourself!
Work with a professional if you need to overcome fears and anxieties and even to provide you with personalized strategies and support.
So what is that you have been procrastinating? And what small steps will help you overcome this? Write to us and let us know how you used this article to tackle procrastination, it could be for a simple task or even a one time attempt. For me, it was writing this article and publishing it here. The motivation was to get some productive work done before the start of the long weekend and now I can celebrate my small win.
Comments