You know exactly what you need to do and have set aside a block of time in the day specifically to work on it. Yet when the time comes for you to make a start on this task, you find yourself hesitating, suddenly finding other jobs that “need” to be done instead, perhaps making a deal with yourself (e.g. “I’ll do these other things first, then I’ll be ‘in the mood’ to do it”)
“Someone who is a procrastinator is not lazy”, explains Dr Fuschia Sirois, a professor of psychology at the University of Sheffield. “They have impeccable homes and they have alphabetised their spice racks and everything’s all perfect and nice. They often spend a lot of time doing things. But they’re not doing the things they should be doing”
Often when we procrastinate, we are not only aware that we are avoiding the task in question, but also that doing so is probably a bad idea and that we will most likely suffer the consequences. And yet, we do it anyway.
So why do we procrastinate? Mood and emotion play an important part. We may feel overwhelmed by aspects of a certain task, such the time commitment, or other negative expectations we have around it. In an attempt to avoid these feelings of anxiety or worry, we choose escapism in the form of checking social media or binge-watching another episode of Queer Eye. “But this pattern of “giving into feeling good” makes us feel worse later, when we face the consequences of missing a deadline or making a hasty, last-minute effort” says Tim Pychyl, author of “Solving the Procrastination Puzzle”
Chronic procrastination can eat away at our plans, intentions, energy and time. The good news is, however, that there are steps we can take to overcome it and move forwards:
1. Break it down
What is the precise task that you are avoiding? What are your automatic reactions to it?
It may be that the task or project you are putting off seems overwhelming or intimidating; so much so that you don’t know where to start. If this is the case, think about how you can break it down into smaller, more manageable parts. For example, "working on the monthly report" can be re-defined as "spend 30 minutes calculating the sales statistics for the past month", "input the data onto the spreadsheet" and so on. Develop a set of instructions that would allow someone else to perform this task on your behalf. Breaking it down like this will help you feel less overwhelmed and more empowered.
Where you can, schedule in specific times for each stage and also specify how long you are going to spend on each step. Err on the side of expecting to spend less rather than more time on task here.
2. Identify the smallest possible step you can take to get started
It is easier to keep going with a task once you have overcome the initial hurdle of starting it in the first place. If you find yourself procrastinating over a specific task or project, stop and take a few moments to define the smallest first step you can take to get engaged with it. For example, if the task is to write a university assignment, the first step could be to turn your computer on and bring up the relevant file. This helps you to “touch” a task rather than keeping it at arm’s length.
This may sound very basic but honestly, it works! Research has shown that once we get started on a task, our perceptions of it change dramatically, in the best way possible. We perceive the task as less stressful, difficult and unpleasant than we had done originally. Plus, once we are engaged with a task or project, by nature we are no longer procrastinating and are much more likely to move forwards with it.
3. Identify your procrastination thoughts
Pinpoint your thoughts about doing the project or task. In what ways could you be magnifying the negative aspects of it or minimising your ability to handle it? The ability to recognise your procrastination “script” and observe how your procrastination manifests itself often helps to make the process less automatic and provides you with cues on how you are delaying tasks.
Be compassionate with yourself here. David Robson, the author of “The Intelligence Trap” writes: “Self-compassion can create a sense of safety that allows us to confront our weaknesses and make positive changes in our lives, rather than being overly self-defensive or wallowing in a sense of hopelessness” Try to think differently about the task, reframing it in a way that you view the positive elements of completing it.
4. Focus on your “why”
When you create meaning to a task, you create a connection to it which, in turn, makes it much easier to start taking action. Dr Fuschia Sirois elaborates: “Finding meaning in the task, whether it’s in relation to yourself or to other people, is really, really powerful. And it’s a great way to start that reappraisal process and dial down some of those negative emotions, or at least make them more manageable”
Try taking a step back and look at the task or project through the lens of a bigger picture. What would this mean for your life? What are your goals and values around this? What’s the big picture? Taking on a new perspective can jump-start the process of taking action.
5. Apply the 10-minute rule
As we saw earlier, putting yourself in motion when you’re procrastinating is often the hardest step. One tactic you can try here is the 10-minute rule. Commit to giving yourself just ten minutes of focus on a task or project - you can even set a timer if you like.
After you have spent these ten minutes on task, stop and reassess how you feel. You may decide you want to continue (research has shown that once you start a task, you start to see it differently and it doesn’t seem so overwhelming) or you may choose to stop at this stage. All the same, congratulate yourself on having broken the procrastination chain!
6. Be satisfied with imperfection
It may be that the idea of starting a project or task is overwhelming for you because you fear that it won’t be good enough or that it will judged negatively by others. You put off making a start for this reason and risk getting caught in a perfectionism-procrastination loop.
If this is the case, don’t wait for conditions to be perfect to get started (they never will be!). Trust that you have everything you need to progress with this task, and that you will discover any additional resources you need once you have made a start. If a project or task seems intimidating, try just starting it anyway and writing whatever first comes to mind. Imagine that it is a rough draft and remember that any work accomplished is better than no work at all.
Do you have any tried-and-tested methods for overcoming procrastination? I'd love to hear your ideas and comments!
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