7 common causes and proven cures for procrastination

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7 Common Causes and Proven Cures for Procrastination

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7 Common Causes and Proven Cures for Procrastination http://www.marcandangel.com/2010/11/22/7-common-causes-and-prove...

1 of 16 2/19/2013 1:38 AM

This is a guest post by Mike from Living Skillfully: Change Your Life.

Do you put off doing things that would bring you closer to your desired goals? I know I do. But why are we so

foolish?

It has something to do with how our daily responsibilities overwhelm us. In the midst of all the important things

we know we need to do, we somehow convince ourselves that none of these things need to be done right now.

In other words, we decide that some peace and relaxation in the short term is what’s most important.

So we take another break, read another blog post, watch another TV show and just kick back and relax. And life

is blissfully dandy… for a little while.

But then suddenly the inevitable deadline has arrived. Ahhh! It’s panic time!

So here are 7 common causes and proven cures procrastination. I’m hoping these tips help you avoid that insane

moment of panic.

1. Fear of the outcome

Sometimes we’re afraid we’ll fail. Sometimes we’re subconsciously afraid we’ll succeed and then we’d have to

deal with all the disruption (growth) and change that follows success. And other times it’s our fear of rejection

or simply our fear of looking like a fool.

The best way I’ve found to defeat fear is to stare it down. Connect to your fear, feel it in your body, realize it

and steadily address it. Greet it by name if you have to: “Welcome, fear.”

If you are conscious of it, soon it becomes shy, hangs its head, and mooches off, scraping one shoe on the

ground.

2. Helplessness in the face of complexity


2 of 16 2/19/2013 1:38 AM

We look at a task at hand and feel intensely un-resourceful. It may remind us of something we had to do when

we were younger, before we had the skills to conquer it (even though that’s no longer the case). Or it may

actually be a daunting task at our current skill level. Either way, the task seems far too complex, so we try to

avoid it.

This time the solution is to break it down. Take that complex task and break it down to its bare essential

components and then tackle each one of those components one at a time.

Sometimes it’s also helpful to recall one of your previous successes with conquering a complex task just to get

yourself in a positive mindset. Think of a time you were really on top of things, achieving great results – when

you were in the zone. Close your eyes and place yourself in that memory with all your senses.

3. Rebellion and laziness

We resent the task in front of us. We feel imposed upon. “I have to do this,” we think to ourselves. “But I don’t

have to do it now.”

Rebellion is about control. We assert our control by choosing when (or whether) to do the task.

A friend of mine whose home-schooled son is very rebellious came up with a clever hack. She said, “We’re

going to do what kids who are in school do. You’re going to sit and do school work for 8 hours a day.” Her son

rebelled, naturally. When the rebellion was in full effect, my friend offered an alternative. “Or, we could do this

home-school style. If you finish early, we can go somewhere fun.” And her son worked more productively than

ever.

So when you notice yourself feeling rebellious and lazy about a task, think of a way to reward yourself for

getting it done now. Also, remind yourself of the consequences of not doing it.

4. Lack of motivation

I procrastinate doing my tax return. It’s an administrative task and I don’t like it. But it helps when I think

about it this way: “I’m due a refund this year.” When I concentrate on the amount of money I get back versus

the time it takes to do my taxes, it’s an excellent hourly rate. And it motivates me to focus on getting it done.

That by itself wasn’t quite concrete enough, though. So I promised myself a reward: out of the refund, I would

buy myself a kayak – something I’d been thinking about for awhile to help me get back in shape.

The basic principle is reframing. If you know the job has to be done but it’s not emotionally important to you,

find a way to make it important. (If I was going to be paying a penalty fee for turning my taxes in late, I could

set aside the equivalent amount of the penalty for a reward, for example.)

What are you going to get by doing this that’s important enough to motivate you to do it now?

5. Lack of focus and fatigue

Distractions are everywhere. You must learn to ignore them.

Minimize distractions by secluding yourself. Disconnect the Internet and power off your cell phone if you have

to. Check e-mail and voicemail at set intervals instead of randomly every few minutes. Find a quiet space

where you can concentrate on the task at hand. And only take breaks as a reward for accomplishing smaller

sub-tasks.


3 of 16 2/19/2013 1:38 AM

Also, it’s hard to focus when you’re fatigued. So get enough sleep, eat healthy and exercise regularly.

6. Not knowing where or how to start

Or maybe the task just looms in front of you as a big block, like a building with no doors. You walk around its

perimeter and you don’t immediately see a way in. How do you get in? Where do you begin? You can’t figure

it out, so you set the task aside.

I’m creating a course on procrastination. It started out as one of those buildings with no doors. “How do I even

start designing a course like that?” I thought.

Well, I wrote down a few reasons why people procrastinate (the starting point). I thought about reasons why

you’d want to stop (the end point or goal). Once something has a beginning and an end, it’s a lot easier to

start seeing the middle. And usually you can work from both ends until you meet in the middle. Each of those

reasons is a topic. And each of those topics has a start and an end, and so on and so forth.

So don’t give up. Uncover the starting and ending points and start filling in the blanks one at a time.

7. Perfectionism

One of the best bits of advice ever about perfectionism comes from Melody Beattie’s book Codependent No

More. “It just doesn’t matter,” she says. “IT JUST DOESN’T MATTER!”

But that’s hard advice to put into practice sometimes. I’ve often put off implementing ideas by using the excuse

that I’m not yet prepared to do the idea justice. Some part of me thinks I’ll end up wasting the idea by

implementing it poorly at my current level of skill.

But guess what? My current level of skill isn’t going to increase unless I practice. And I can’t practice until I

implement. And that means I have to implement with my current level of skill, make mistakes, learn from them

and press on.

So in reality, not implementing that idea right now is the only true way to waste it.

And guess what else? There are plenty of additional ideas and variations I haven’t thought of yet, and most of

them won’t come to me until I’ve started implementing and making mistakes. It’s impossible to steer a parked

car.

Conclusion

By taking the time and initiative to understand your own reasons for procrastinating, and devoting a little energy

to take the necessary steps to move forward, you can beat procrastination. We all can.

In fact, simply writing this article was a testament to this. I kept procrastinating on writing it because I lacked

focus. So I locked myself in my den, eliminated all distractions, kept the end in mind and started writing. And

as usual, starting was the hardest part. Now I’m done.

For additional guidance on beating procrastination, I highly recommend The Now Habit: A Strategic Program

for Overcoming Procrastination.

Mike Reeves-McMillan blogs at Living Skillfully: Change Your Life. His upcoming procrastination

course is Stop Procrastinating, Start Succeeding.


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29 Comments

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29 Comments

farouk

November 22nd, 2010 at 5:08 am

yes that’s so true

the only way to get over procrastination is to understand its underlying causes

Living the Balanced Life


Perfectionism is a big one for me. I feel if I can’t do something perfectly, then I have to wait until I can.

Which means then it gets put off forever, since I’ll never be perfect!

Like 779 ShareShare 47


5 of 16 2/19/2013 1:38 AM

I am working really hard to overcome this as I feel it is a great burden we place on ourselves and the

others around us.

Bernice

http://livingthebalancedlife.com/2010/focus-on-be-ing/

Lua


Thank you very much

I`m a student in my last year at college and next week my midterm exams will began !

I was feel sad , lack of time … But now after reading your article I`m so excited to start to study and focus

in it

I believe in my self and my ability to get high marks

MissTyrious

November 22nd, 2010 at 12:44 pm

thank you so so much for this! you couldn’t have written it at a better time! I had a paper to submit at 10

am today and I finished it at 9 am o_O After having procrastinated I seriously never understand why I did

it in the first place. It doesn’t make any sense, as you’ll have to do your task anyway. And I also find

myself just doing useless stuff whilst procrastinating, instead of getting every thing done at once so that I

can move on to better things. Your article helped me to understand a lot of things and I’m definitely trying

to put your tips into practice… starting NOW.

Parker Lee


Hi Mike

Wow, I think you pretty much covered every possible reason on procrastination, where were you when I

was playing world of warcraft three years ago

Thanks for sharing Mike!

–Parker

Dream Innovation


From personal experience, if you really want to make sure you’re consistently on track, create a system

for yourself. Often times we forget all the things we have to keep track of so using some sort of program

to organize will be optimal such as Outlook or Google Calender. When we do this, we can plan ahead days

in advance when we want to do what and when deadlines are.

Establish a habit, and then, while it may be tiring at first and hard to keep, your brain will adjust to the

changes and what wer your lazy sleep-in mornings will become when you’re done with half of what you

need to do!

Good work, Mike, and good pick Marc!


6 of 16 2/19/2013 1:38 AM

- Kevin

Amber Goodenough


Great post!

I am the queen of procrastinating, it runs in my family. This post was awesome, helped me look some of

my excuses in the face, not pleasant but helpful. And gave me some great ideas for fighting the urge to let

things go.

Thanks!

Amber

Ashna


This is a neat post Mike. I guess I have the problem of being a perfectionist which is often the cause of my

procrastination. However, I agree with what you say…”My current level of skill isn’t going to increase

unless I practice. And I can’t practice until I implement.” I need to remember this every time

perfectionism holds me back from doing something.

Thanks!

Mike Reeves-McMillan


@Farouk, yes, exactly my point - find the cause and then address it.

@Bernice, me too - perfectionism is a curse. I just had to learn to let go a bit and acknowledge that things

can be good and useful without being perfect.

@Lua, that’s great, so happy to have helped.

@MissTyrious, understanding does help, doesn’t it? Because it helps us take the right action.

@Parker, my pleasure, thanks.

Isaac


8. The Internet

Ande Waggener


Great list. #2 and #7 are key for me. Little tiny steps and total permission to screw it up help me just move

forward and build confidence as I go.

eaglebeth

November 23rd, 2010 at 1:59 am

uhh… yeah ill get to reading this later…

Smitherine



7 of 16 2/19/2013 1:38 AM

I love this: “You can’t steer a parked car.”

Next time I put something off, I will remind myself that it’s up to me to move the damned car

Charles


Procrastination is the art of good timing.

Randy McLean

November 23rd, 2010 at 6:47 pm

As a few others have mentioned perfectionism was/is a big one for me. Then I thought about Microsoft.

Windows isn’t perfect but it is always released before every possible bug is worked out. And Mr. Gates is

one of the most financially successful people on the planet!

Dia

November 24th, 2010 at 3:05 am

Hi Marc,

This is an excellent post on procrastination my friend. It is crucial that we undersand the causes, so we can

overcome procrastination. Thanks for sharing

Mike Reeves-McMillan

November 24th, 2010 at 3:11 pm

@Isaac, very true.

@Ande, that’s the way to make amazing progress. Do just that for a year and you’ll be astonished where

you get to.

@Smitherine, yep, you can’t improve if you aren’t practicing.

@Randy, that’s a good analogy (one I use in the course, actually). The whole software industry is based

around creating something that’s imperfect but useful, and then improving it after it’s been in the real

world for a while and you know how people are responding to it.

Peter G. James Sinclair

November 25th, 2010 at 8:25 pm

Thanks Marc.

Procrastination is the killer of future dreams. Initiative is the creator of today’s greatest experiences and

yesterday’s greatest memories. We must seize today with all that it has to offer us and make it the greatest

day we have ever lived.

We must grab opportunity. Experience experiences. Love lots. Forgive heaps. Dare to try, test and

experiment. For the present moment is our gift to unwrap and explore.

Why wait?

arina nikitina

December 2nd, 2010 at 9:23 am


8 of 16 2/19/2013 1:38 AM

I was like nodding in agreement to all the ideas here. These are the topmost reasons why people

procrastinate or have very little motivation in life, in career as well. The pointed cures are presented

simply so readers here get it right away. Then I came to the conclusion part that mentioned “understanding

the reasons”. Now this is very important for the effort to overcome procrastination. It’s noticeable how

many people we know would say, “I’m going to do things on time, as they should be done. Starting now.”

The next thing to do does get done, even the next few ones. But after that, regression takes place. It’s due

to lack of deeper understanding of the causes, knowing how the attitude came about. But if we only give

ample amount of time to really look into why we procrastinate, chances are the answers and solutions are

most fitted. Then finally cutting off that habit is much easier.

And hey, Mike? Don’t wait longer to write some more OK? Don’t procrastinate with pushing me to

increased wisdom. LOL!

selfempowerment

December 4th, 2010 at 12:51 am

Hi,

Thanks for sharing and i totally agreed with all the points. Just to add in some more, i think poor time

management, no prioritize of task also add in to the factors of procrastination. Cheerse

Stephanie LH Calahan (@StephCalahan)

December 22nd, 2010 at 7:27 pm

Nice post. Here is another thought on procrastination: Understand the real time it takes to do tasks

We often put things off because we think something will take longer than it really will. “I just don’t have

time!”

Try These Instead:

Play Procrastination Attack! Beat the Clock.Pick a time frame – let’s say 15 minutes – where you know

you can focus on a task and get as much done as you can in that time frame. You’ll be amazed at how

much you can accomplish!

Sit in a chair and do nothing. Sit still —- very still! Do not read. Do not listen to music. Do not watch T.V.

Do not talk to anyone. Do not do anything! Just sit very still and do nothing. After about 10 or 15 minutes,

you will get very uneasy. You will start to be aware of each precious minute passing you by while your

goals are not being accomplished. Before you know it, your motivation will be reactivated and you’ll be

off and running!

To your success!

Stephanie

bill

December 31st, 2010 at 5:05 pm

I’m going to read this website tomorrow

Happy 2011, everyone!

Jonha | iJustDid.org

January 18th, 2011 at 12:42 am


9 of 16 2/19/2013 1:38 AM

I love articles that covers about procrastination but this one pretty much encompasses everything. I see

myself nodding in almost all the reasons listed.

Alyssa

March 18th, 2011 at 7:39 pm

I love this because all of these reasons are so obvious. I’ve procrastinated in every way you mentioned,

and the whole time I knew I was in the wrong. It’s all about holding myself accountable.

This article is especially good when I consider the fact that I am currently sitting at work, eating Wheat

Thins, and putting off doing a four-page thesis paper over “The Picture of Dorian Gray,” as well as a

college application…

I guess I have to do them now!

Thanks, Mike :3

Oswald

March 29th, 2011 at 3:45 pm

I find somehow everything about life is procrastination when you are not following your dreams, and you

can’t WAIT to do things when you are really on the right path in your life - procrastination is a sign and

symptom that you need to think hard about what you are doing and your goals. Eustress is great! I have a

million things to do as I gear up for my next long -term trip abroad - (will be telling all about it) and I

LOVE the stressful feeling of it!

Paris

October 6th, 2011 at 10:34 pm

Oh my god! I read the first 3 on this list and LOVED it, they hit the nail on the head, and then i thought “i

need to save this to read later cause its important”, CTRL D, and then, *stumble*. I PROCRASTINATED

READING ABOUT A PROCRASTINATION ARTICLE CAUSE IT BECAME SUDDENLY

IMPORTANT TO HELP MY PROCRASTINATION!!!….. help…..

Martin Gysler

March 20th, 2012 at 6:09 am

A very interesting post, I also wrote an article about this very hot subject here: http://martingysler.com

/2012/03/08/procrastination-or-the-pleasure-to-do-it-tomorrow/. I’ll add your link in my post. Thank you!

Sam Tornatore

March 26th, 2012 at 5:29 am

Great procrastination causes and tips. I like the perfectionism tip the best. A great mentor of mine says

“become perfect as you go” If you wait till all the lights are green you will never get going.

Thanks

Sam

Amy

November 21st, 2012 at 7:03 am

This is an excellent list, and in my experience, an important one to keep in mind. There’s a lot of

unconscious feelings and thoughts that have to go with procrastination, and naming them and being able

to sort through them is probably the best long-term solution to overcoming this habit (at least it has been


10 of 16 2/19/2013 1:38 AM

for me!).

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