Procrastination Deconstructed
If you're anything like me, you procrastinate. Not all the time, but certain things keep getting put off (hello taxes!). And I often hear, especially from new clients, that they have a pattern of procrastinating on some pretty important things too. Honestly, I don't know of a single person that doesn't procrastinate some of the time.
Lately, I've been trying to make sense of why all of this procrastination is happening. I'm not lazy, and neither are my clients, so what's going on? Based on what I see, I've identified 5 of the most common reasons for why we procrastinate and have a recommended solution for each.
Procrastination Reason #1. This Feels Overwhelming: Let's be honest, some things (product launches, website redesigns, building a new home) take a ton of work. This reason for procrastination kicks in when there's a mountain of work to do. The first step to overcome this type of stalling is to start planning. Before you begin any work, create a project plan. Tools like Asana can help. Having a plan will reduce the feeling of overwhelm. Then you can begin the work.
Procrastination Reason #2: No Time: Sometimes, you legitimately have a full calendar, and it feels like something important has to go to create space. I recommend looking out a week or two or more in the future and block off a big chunk (or a series of smaller chunks) of time for this work. Somehow, miraculously the rest of the work gets done. If you're bad about keeping true to these scheduled times, enlist a buddy or buddies to do a coworking session. My guess is you won't have a problem finding a friend who's been procrastinating too.
Procrastination Reason #3: Fear of Failure. I see this when clients are afraid that if they launch something new (a program, new product line, a podcast), they won't do a good job, or they'll do a great job, but nobody will like or buy whatever they create. First, accept that this is true. Sometimes we fail at the things we try or what we create doesn't resonate. So consider this worst-case scenario. Can you live with that? Remind yourself that you have a 100% chance of failure if you don't move forward, then begin.
Procrastination Type #4: You'll Feel Incompetent. This one is less obvious, but I see it often. Delaying on the difficult project that requires you to use new technology you are unfamiliar with, trying a technique you've never used before, or learning a new skill that inherently takes time to master. If this is you, the best solution is to get help from an outside source. Pay someone to help you - a mentor, coach, or service provider who has already mastered the thing you're not so good at yet.
Procrastination Reason #5: It's No Fun And You Don't Want To Do It. This is probably the most common one. Don't believe me? Check out the line at the post office on April 15th. The first thing to do is to ask yourself, can someone else do this for me? If the answer is no (and this is rarely the answer), and it must be you, one tip is to reward yourself after the job is done. So plan a day off after you complete your taxes, or do out for dinner at your favorite place, etc. Anything to give you a little light at the end of the tunnel for when the job is over.
So stop beating yourself up for procrastinating - it's normal! Then make a list of the things you're procrastinating on, and for each, identify the reason from the list above then try out the recommendation. And think about how good it will feel to get that thing done!