The real reasons why you procrastinate (and how to stop doing it!)

I can’t tell you how many conversations I’ve had lately with people who keep putting things off.

They can’t gain momentum, never seem to get things done and feel like they’re fluffing around doing bits and pieces but not the things they need (or actually really want) to be doing.

They feel unsatisfied, unproductive and like they’re wasting heaps of time.

Their stress keeps rising, they feel overwhelmed and they can’t work out what to do.

They feel stuck and like they’re going nowhere fast.

Do you ever find yourself doing anything to avoid what really needs to be done? 

You’re definitely not alone if so (I’m actually writing this in a couple of Pomodoros so I don’t get distracted- more about that later). 

You might say you’ll do something after x is done, tomorrow when you have more time or that you’ll just start next week. But then you guessed it, it never gets done.

Procrastination is a habit that holds us back.

It’s a form of self-sabotage that essentially distracts us from what we really want (or should) be doing.

It’s an active choice we make to do something else (often something completely different) than the task we know is glaring us in the face. More often than not, it doesn’t make sense and it takes up lots of energy as we’re always thinking about what we should be doing, not what we’re actually doing. 

Here are some reasons why you might procrastinate:

• You have so much to do that you don’t even know where to start, so you don’t (hello overwhelm!).

• The things you put off don’t excite you, or even fulfil you when you do eventually get them done because they’re not aligned with your values and priorities.

• Your expectations are way too high and you’re asking too much of yourself so you’re setting yourself up for failure.

• You worry that unless the conditions are perfect (e.g. no distractions, lots of time, you feel great etc.) you won’t be able to do a good enough job so you keep waiting, and waiting and waiting for that ‘perfect’ time but it never seems to come around.

• You don’t actually want to do what you’re avoiding (sometimes you can let it slip, other times you’ll just have to get it done).

• You might not have the energy to do something complex that requires problem solving and nutting things out so you don’t even try.

• You don’t do something to protect yourself. You don’t want to let yourself down if you don’t get it finished or done to scratch.

• You find that what you have to do is draining you (physically, mentally and/or emotionally). It might be as simple as not calling someone back because they go on, and on and you can’t be bothered listening.

• You feel like no matter what you do, you’re getting nowhere so what’s the point?

Want to know how you can help yourself break this habit (even just a little bit)?

• Plan. Map out your month, week and then days to begin with. You don’t have to do this forever but begin with some structure and predictability. By doing this you’ll have a clearer picture of what actually needs your time and attention.

• Allocate blocks of time to do certain things. Then break these things down into smaller, more achievable steps rather than setting aside an hour to do 17 steps that make up one task on your list. You might do the same thing at certain times each day (hello routine!) or on the same day/s each week. 

• If you’re easily distracted, use the Pomodoro Technique to stay focused. This means that you break tasks down into 25 minute blocks and then have a 5 minute break. Once you’ve done 4 of them, you take a longer break (approx. 30 minutes) and then you can keep going. This will help you to see a start and end point, motivate you to get things done in each block and leave you feeling more satisfied. During these blocks, pop your phone on ‘Do Not Disturb’, don’t open emails or check social media, or do anything that’ll take your focus away from what you’re doing.

• Keep your priorities front and centre in any given moment by asking yourself ‘what’s most important right now?’.

• Don’t try and multi-task. Have a single focus and work on it until it’s complete. 

• If something takes less than 5 minutes, do it on the spot. Otherwise you’ll spend so much time trying to remember to do it later on.

• In any given moment focus on the next obvious step and resist the urge to jump ahead to the end goal straight away. When you wake up in the morning and your mind races with your to-dos, think of what the most obvious steps are e.g. get up, have a shower, eat breakfast etc. 

Here are some reminders to keep coming back to when you find yourself procrastinating:

• Doing something, no matter how small is better than doing nothing.

• Slow progress is better than no progress.

• Take small steps because little by little a little becomes a lot. 

• Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is take a step back and regain perspective before you get started again. 

Once you get something done that you’ve been wanting (or needing) to do, give yourself some credit.

Notice how you feel and keep this close so next time you procrastinate you can remind yourself of how good it felt to get something done.

What’s one thing you’ve been putting off the most lately? Do you know why? Share it with us in the comments below.

Bridget x

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