No matter how efficient and timely you may be when it comes to tackling your everyday responsibilities, we’re all human. We’ve all had certain to-do list items that feel daunting to even think about, let alone actually complete. The saying “pressure makes diamonds” may be true for some, but for others, their best work comes from getting a head start. If you’re in the latter category (like I generally am) but find yourself battling the natural tendency to procrastinate, this blog post is for you!
Since it’s back-to-school season, it feels like a great time to combat procrastination. As someone who just started going back to school AND started a blog at the same time, being on top of my workload is crucial for managing everything! Of course, though, this topic can absolutely be relevant to you even if you’re not a student. Without further ado, let’s delve into five reasons why we procrastinate (and solutions for each scenario):
1- Lack of motivation (i.e. “Why do I need to do this? What is this going to get me?)
Sometimes we have to complete tasks that don’t have an obvious reward to gain upon completion, at least not in the short term. These are the tasks that may feel meaningless or pointless. However, in most instances, the reason why these tasks need to be completed is because they add up to a bigger, longer term purpose. For example, an aspiring social media influencer might not feel motivated to post content regularly in their beginning stages, because they don’t yet have an audience, and they know that it will take time to build one. What they’re not accounting for, though, is that their regularity posting content is what will help them build that audience. While any one piece of content may not make the difference, any one piece of content could make the difference. And all the content put together surely will!
Snapping out of an unmotivated state requires us to look beyond the near future and remind ourselves of our big picture goals. Some strategies for doing this include making a vision board and journaling about your long-term goals, both of which you can refer to regularly. In doing so, try to dig as deep as possible about why these goals matter to you. The stronger your sense of purpose is, the better you’ll be able to tackle your tendency to procrastinate. Think of each task on your to-do list that you initially thought of as “meaningless” as a small piece of a bigger puzzle—one that has more meaning than the eye can see!
2- Lack of inspiration (i.e. “I have no idea what to create/write/do”)
When the tasks on your agenda involve any form of creativity, you’ve probably spent more time staring at a blank canvas, page, screen, etc. than ideal. It’s a daunting feeling that has likely made you want to put those tasks on the back burner.
While there’s no quick fix for creator’s block, there are some steps you can take to stimulate your creativity. Different strategies work for different people, but some commonly effective examples include switching up the environment you’re creating in (ex: reorganizing the room, going into a different room or place, going outside, etc.), exercising, reading, listening to music, brainstorming with other people, and consuming content that could spark ideas (NOT to copy them, just to gain general inspiration). Stepping away from the task at hand and trying any number of these techniques might just help you return with a new perspective. Of course the goal isn’t to continue putting the task off indefinitely. Rather, the goal is to invest your time into activities that get your creative juices flowing, so that you don’t have to procrastinate.
3- Lack of desire (i.e. “I simply don’t want to do this”)
If you ask the average person what their least favorite chore is, chances are, they have at least one answer at the ready. It’s easy to procrastinate when it comes to the chores we hate (rhyme unintended). There are plenty of tasks on our to-do lists that aren’t enjoyable but need to get done.
In these cases, it can be beneficial to pair them with things you do enjoy. For example, if you hate doing dishes but love listening to music, you might want to consider listening to music while doing dishes. If you have a tedious homework assignment to complete, you can have your favorite snack or drink as you work on it. If you find that these pairings could distract you from completing the task at hand, an alternative option would be to save the things you enjoy for after you’re done, as a reward to look forward to.
Either way, it’s also helpful to remind yourself of how good you’ll feel after your dreaded to-do list items are behind you. Throughout my school years, this has always been my biggest motivator for getting my homework done early. In fact, in high school, I’d find small pockets of time during my school day to get some of it done, so that I’d have less to do at home. Rather than having your chores hang over your head, you can nip them in the bud, then get to do the things you actually want to do!
4- Overwhelm (i.e. “There’s so much to do that I don’t know where to start”)
When a to-do list feels never-ending, or one particular item on the list has several parts, it can feel intimidating to even find a starting point. However, it can become less intimidating by breaking each item down into smaller parts. For example, if you have “clean the entire house” on your to-do list, it’s no wonder why you’d be more likely to procrastinate. It’s one huge task that encompasses many smaller ones. Writing out each smaller task, and only doing a reasonable number of them at a time, can make it feel much more manageable.
If there’s a certain deadline for the big picture task, that’s all the more reason to start sooner than later. The further in advance that you start, the more you can space out the smaller tasks as needed. You can also feel greater accomplishment by checking off each small item on the to-do list, rather than waiting until it’s all done to check off one big item.
5- Lack of confidence (i.e. “I don’t believe I will succeed at this task”)
It can be difficult to take on a task that you already have self-doubt about your ability to complete. To quote my previous blog post, Monthly Mindset Shift: How to Handle Failure with Confidence: “Regardless of the specific scenario, passion toward a desire or goal has a tendency to intensify all our emotions surrounding that desire or goal—both the good and the bad. Every little win feels like we won the lottery, while every little loss feels like a giant punch in the gut.” (The whole post is a must-read!)
If you really want to succeed in this task but don’t believe you can, you might fear proving yourself right, hence the tendency to procrastinate. However, as per the theme of this entire blog, mindset is half the battle. Going into any new or unfamiliar task, it’s unlikely that you’ll have instant success. What’s important to keep in mind, though, is that your beginner’s stage isn’t an indicator of how you’ll do over time with more experience.
My challenge to you is to approach a new task knowing that it could be difficult in the beginning but will eventually come more naturally to you. With this mindset, you’re less likely to let the fear of failure stop you from starting. It’s just a matter of giving yourself grace and patience. It may also help to reflect on other times when you went into a new venture feeling less-than-confident that you’d succeed but eventually did (even if it took a while). Let those instances strengthen your faith in yourself and your ability to tackle new challenges!
The bottom line…
Whatever the reason may be, procrastination is not an unbreakable habit. Now you have the tools—both in terms of mindset shifts and tangible actions—to make progress! To circle back to the first sentence of this post, we’re all human, so we may still procrastinate on occasion. However, if we can create better mindsets and habits on the matter overall, we’re less likely to procrastinate as often. So, be kind to yourself as you work on making these strides!