Ep #99: Why Do We Procrastinate?

You are listening to The Overthinker's Guide to Joy, episode 99. This is the one
where I'm going to talk about procrastination. And you may want to grab a pen and
paper for this one, because it turns out it's a little more complicated than you
might think. Let's dive in.
This is a podcast for overthinkers, overdoers and overachievers who are tired of
feeling over anxious and just want to feel better. I'm your host, certified life
coach, Jackie de Crinis.
Hi there, and welcome back. So I think it was the last episode that I recorded
that I had mentioned all the different things that were getting in the way of
recording my episode. I think it was like after a Monday holiday, and so I was
playing catch up all week, and then I was having a technical issue with my
microphone, and then when I finally sat down to record the episode. There were
landscapers outside and it was like leaf blowers and lawnmowers and there was too
much noise to record. And so I kept getting farther and farther behind. And this
week, I didn't have any of those excuses. I could argue that I was planning to do
another episode on time management, so a totally different topic. And then I changed
my mind because then there was another topic that I wanted to cover and then
somehow I just didn't put my butt in the chair to write my outline and sit down
and record it but then I seem to have lost a day and then another and then today
I found myself doing laundry and making fresh juice with my brand new electric
juicer which I may have inadvertently broken on its maiden voyage but that's another
story. And my husband walks into the kitchen as I'm knee deep in my pineapple
turmeric ginger concoction. And while I'm cursing at my new juicer for making this
horrific noise, and then I saw little black flecks of plastic collecting the top of
my freshly squeezed juice, which is what made me suspect that I probably broke it.
Anyway, my husband walks in just like at this moment that I'm cursing and I'm, my
hands are covered in juice and all the things. And he says, Hey, aren't you
supposed to be recording your podcast today? And I sheepishly said, yes, but can't
you see I'm busy? And he chuckled and said, by making a huge mess in the kitchen
so that you have something to clean up and avoid recording your podcast. I'm like,
yeah, so anyway, he was right. He was totally calling me out on avoidance behavior
and procrastination and that's when I decided, you know what, I really should be
doing an episode on procrastination because it's not just me procrastinating today.
It's kind of like everybody I've talked to this week has had something looming large
over them that has caused them to procrastinate and I thought, you know, it happens
to all of us and I don't consider myself a procrastinator. I consider myself really
kind of Johnny on the spot about schedules and things like that, but I do find
there are certain things that I drag my heels about, and this might be one of
them. As much as I love doing a podcast, I'm always like, "Oh, is that the right
topic? Is that really what I want to say?" You could say that I overthink the
Overthinkers Guide to Joy podcast, but I think it's really an important topic, and I
know I've covered it in variations on other episodes, but I think it's important to
cover it again. I ended up doing a little bit of research on it, and I was like,
"Well, why do people procrastinate?" I mean, I know why I was procrastinating because
I really wasn't sure which topic I wanted to talk about, and then I allowed myself
to get very distracted. But what are some of the other reasons people procrastinate?
Well, it turns out that procrastination is both complex and varied. And Like so many
other things, of course, it's rooted in psychological, emotional,
and situational factors. The question, though, is why do people procrastinate?
Well, it turns out there's a bunch of pretty common reasons, but there's a lot of
them. So the biggest one is fear of failure. People may procrastinate because they're
afraid of not doing the task well. And this fear can paralyze them into inaction,
which is actually very closely tied to the next reason. And that is perfectionism.
So this is a subject that I've talked a lot about in the past. The desire to
complete tasks perfectly can lead to procrastination. Those who set unrealistic high
standards from themselves might delay starting a task because they fear they won't
meet their own standards. I relate to this a lot but my clients relate to that one
as well. But then there's a third reason and that is lack of motivation.
Now when individuals are not interested or invested in a task they are more likely
to procrastinate. Now I don't want to call out my daughter, but she doesn't listen
to the podcast anyway, so I think I'll be okay. But my youngest daughter is home
from college for the summer, and she works full time. She's super helpful when she's
home. She helps make dinner and do the dishes and is generally just a joy to be
around. However, keeping her room neat or putting away her laundry after it's been
done is a very low priority on her proverbial totem pole. And this is kind of
foreign to me because I'm a super neatnik and I have to put everything in its
place to just feel like I can think clearly. But she apparently lacks that
motivation and I'm hoping that's kind of a latent gene and she'll grow into it. But
anyway, I digress. Lack of motivation is a major source of procrastination.
But then there's another reason, which is poor time management. Some people struggle
with organizing their time effectively, and that leads to procrastination because they
simply misjudge the time needed to complete tasks. But there's another one,
and that is overwhelm. So if a task seems too large or daunting, people might
procrastinate because they feel simply overwhelmed and don't know where to start. And
then Here's the issue of distractions. And in a world full of distractions,
just for example, social media and television being the two most obvious, it's very
easy to get sidetracked and delay tasks. And then there's the issue of lack of self
-discipline. Now some people struggle to self -regulate and stay on task without
external prompts or deadlines. And then finally, there's emotional regulation issues.
And that is procrastination can actually be an avoidance mechanism to avoid negative
emotions associated with a certain task. So tasks that are boring or create anxiety,
like for example, a lot of people procrastinate paying their taxes because it's very
confronting. It's not only sometimes tricky to read the forms and understand them,
but they also want to have to write a big check to the government. So they might
procrastinate on that because it creates anxiety. Or something as mundane as like
doing the dishes, boring, people might avoid it for that reason. Again, emotionally
regulating that fear of boredom or irritation.
These are the reasons behind, or I should say the common reasons behind
procrastination. But there's also different types of procrastination, which are
categorized based on underlying causes or behavioral patterns. So here's a few
examples. There's passive procrastination. This is the classic form where individuals
delay tasks without actively making a decision to do so. They just avoid the task
until the last minute. So there's no malice, there's no agenda, They just don't do
it until they have to. Then there's active procrastination. And in this case,
these are individuals who deliberately choose to delay tasks because they believe they
work better under pressure. They might still manage to complete the tasks on time,
but they use the delay as a strategy. So anybody who's ever known people who cram
for tests because they think they do better. That's an active procrastination. So
they think that that stress deadline of, "Oh, I only have this many hours to study.
I'll focus better. I'll do better and I'll perform better." Again, it's a strategy.
It's not necessarily a good one, but I do know a lot of people who implement that
type of procrastination. Then there's the perfectionist procrastination. And here,
Again, the delay is due to the fear of being unable to complete the task perfectly.
So perfectionists may spend way too much time planning or refining details,
which can lead to delays. I've also known people who procrastinate because they're
perfectionists because they like that active procrastination, that thing where they
have that self -imposed deadline because they're running out of hours. So there's two
different things. One causes delays, they miss the deadline, and one loves the
pressure of the deadline. Then there's decisional procrastination. Now this involves
delaying decision making, often due to fear of making the wrong choice. And
individuals might postpone tasks because they're simply indecisive. Now I know a lot
of people who are not good at making travel plans because of that. It's just too
daunting. And I know a lot of people who aren't good party planners because of
that. They think they want to have a party, an open house, a birthday party, some
kind of celebration. And ultimately, they're just so afraid of making the wrong
decision, they just never plan it. Then there's avoidant procrastination.
And this is the type of person who avoids tasks that they find unpleasant or evoke
negative motions. I had mentioned like paying your taxes could be one of them. So
to escape the task, they might engage in other more enjoyable activities. They may
go play a round of golf or they may go to the movies or they may zone out in
front of the TV. They'll basically do anything to avoid the unpleasantness of
whatever the task at hand is. Then there's chronic procrastination. And this is a
habitual form of procrastination in which individuals consistently delay tasks across
various aspects of their lives, which often leads to very significant consequences.
People who are chronic procrastinators are often accused of being lazy. And it may
not be laziness. It may be all those other things we talked about, which is time
management, avoidant behavior, indecision, perfectionism that leads to a lifestyle or a
lifetime of chronic procrastination. But the thing is understanding the type and the
underlying reasons for procrastination can actually help us develop strategies to
overcome it. So here are the most effective strategies or techniques to stop
procrastinating. The first one is set specific and achievable goals.
By breaking down large tasks into smaller manageable steps, this makes the task seem
less overwhelming and then provides a clear roadmap for completion.
Another technique is prioritizing the tasks. And by prioritizing the task,
you base them on their urgency and importance. You focus on high priority tasks
first to ensure that the essential work gets done. Another one is to create a
schedule. Simply plan your day with specific time blocks dedicated to each task.
Having a structured schedule can reduce the likelihood of procrastination.
The other one is something I've talked about in a couple of episodes now called the
Pomodoro Technique. And this is the one I use to write. In fact, it's the one I
use to write my book that's coming out this fall. But I've discussed this many
times because I love it so much. And this is the method in which an individual
works in very short, focused bursts, typically 25 minutes, followed by a short five
minute break. What this method helps you do is maintain focus and reduce the
temptation to procrastinate. So whether you're paying bills or filing or cleaning out
your closet or writing a book or writing a song or writing an email or series of
emails that 25 minute blocks can really give you that focus and then you take that
break and you come back to it. Okay, what's another technique? Eliminate distractions.
And while this is painfully obvious, I am victim of it too. I leave my phone on
my desk and then if I don't turn off the ringer or the notifications, I find
myself glancing over who texted, who called, who left a voicemail, what's happening
on my social media. So if you're like me and that phone is a big temptation.
You wanna either turn it over, turn it off, or leave it in another room when you
need to focus. So another thing is creating a dedicated workspace to eliminate
distractions. So, you know, if you don't have an office, even if it's just a corner
of your living room or your kitchen, but again, turning off the TV, Having people
be quiet around you or use your headphones if you can't get the piece you need to
focus. I've told you many times, I use classical music, often in my headphones, to
just eliminate distractions around me. I find it very calming and it helps me focus.
Another one is to set deadlines. So self -imposed deadlines can create a sense of
urgency and help you stay on track. Now, if possible, if you're not great with your
own self -imposed deadlines, you want to share these deadlines with others to increase
accountability. So that might be your partner, your roommate, a colleague,
a coach, a good friend, a neighbor. But by giving other people and asking them to
hold you accountable, then when they call you and say, or text you and say, how's
that paper coming or how's that bill paying coming? You feel accountable to somebody
else. Okay, what's another technique? Practice self -compassion.
If this doesn't come up in every episode, I'd be surprised. Self -compassion is just
being kind to yourself. Recognize that procrastination is really a common behavior and
focus on getting back on track rather than dwelling on past procrastination. I think
when we identify or self label, say things like, I'm a procrastinator or I've always
been a procrastinator or I'm lazy, that's not serving us. So rather looking forward
of, I am getting better at time management Or I'm getting better at doing things on
time. Or I'm setting schedules, I'm setting deadlines, I've got an accountability
partner. Forward looking positive self -concept statements is so much better than
sitting in the muck of I'm always late, I'm always procrastinating, I'm always
behind. So what's another technique? Find motivation. Identify the underlying reasons
why completing this task is so important. And connect this task to larger goals or
values that can provide motivation. So for example, if you know that decluttering
your house is going to make you feel lighter and better, then when you take one
closet at a time, the motivation is by doing this one closet. I'm going to feel
lighter and better. I'm going to give clothes away or I'm going to sell clothes or
I'm going to get rid of things that don't belong. I'm going to have more room to
breathe. And then you envision your house being less cluttered everywhere because you
started with that closet. That's finding motivation. Another one is to use rewards.
Set up a reward system for completing tasks. And once the task is complete, it can
be as simple as taking a short break, enjoying a treat, or engaging in your
favorite activity. What's another? Visualize success.
And this is true in all aspects of life, but imagining the positive outcomes of
completing the task and the negative consequences of not completing it. Visualization
can help increase motivation, and reduce procrastination. Here's one of my favorite
techniques. Adopt the two minute rule. If a task can be done in two minutes or
less, do it immediately. This can help prevent small tasks from piling up and
becoming overwhelming. So I always say this about things that are easy, like if you
have an easy email to answer, just answer it. Like just if it's yes or no, or it
takes one sentence, just write it, get it off your plate, get it out of your
inbox. If you have a text that is a yes or no question, or just an easy answer,
get rid of it, like answer it, be done with it. Same with like picking up a piece
of clothing off the floor, like rather than leaving it there, and then all of a
sudden you're tempted to maybe throw another piece of clothes on the floor, just
pick it up, throw it in the laundry hamper, put it on a hanger, hang it on a
hook. Just the things that are easy are such low -hanging fruit and you'll have a
sense of accomplishment right away And then it be kind of accomplishment begets
accomplishment All right, what's another trick build a routine Establish daily habits
and routines that incorporate important tasks so consistency can reduce the tendency
to procrastinate over time I've talked about this so many times, but like I have a
morning routine. And one of my morning routines includes, of course, feeding the dog,
which I can't forget 'cause he'll bark at me every second until he gets fed, but
also emptying the dishwasher and putting away the clean pots and pans from the night
before that we're drying in the rack. Like I just get my kitchen organized first
thing in the morning. It takes me about 10 minutes. And then I have a nice clean
kitchen to work with for the rest of the day, whether that's making lunch or making
dinner, or even if I'm gone for the day, I come home to a nice, clean house. But
little habits like building a routine, making your bed, emptying your dishwasher,
putting away your laundry, all of those things can help mitigate that overwhelming
feeling of, oh my God, I have so much to do, I can't get to anything important.
What's another one? Seek support. So we talked about this before, but sharing your
goals and progress, and progress, no, as I said, right? So not just your goals,
but what you've accomplished with a friend, mentor, or accountability partner. This is
so good because it's so great to have a cheerleader and you gotta celebrate the
small stuff. You can't just be like, oh, I finished my book, too huge.
You've got to be like, "I wrote a page today," or "I finished a chapter," like you
really have to celebrate the journey as well as the end result. What's another one?
Focus on progress, not perfection. Accept the tasks do not need to be perfect.
Aim for progress and completion rather than perfection. This can reduce that fear of
failure and the habit of procrastination. Another one,
reflect on success. So this goes back to seeking support, right?
And then telling them about your progress, not just finishing your goals, but by
reflecting on your success regularly, daily, regularly reviewing what strategies worked
best for you and reflect on where you had success. Learning from past experiences
can help refine your approach to overcoming procrastination. So I often look back and
I'm like, oh, how did I do that before? Oh, that's right. I used my Pomodoro
method and I listened to classical music and it helped me sit down and focus and
get whatever writing I needed done. But you might have your version of that.
We've covered a lot of territory today. And I know this is gonna be one of those
episodes where you're like, wait, wait, wait, that was too much. So listen again,
take a piece of paper out and write down what resonated for you. What do you think
will help you overcome whatever you're procrastinating with? Which brings me to my
sort of final question. What's on your to -do list that you've been procrastinating?
Is it like a big goal? Like finishing a book or a screenplay? Or is it organizing
your garage? Or is it something small, but kind of boring, like filing paperwork or
putting away your laundry? Whatever it is, start a list. Like everything,
put all the things that you need to do on one sheet of paper. And then divide it
into priorities. What's big? What's small? Tackle the small ones if it's like under
the two minute rule. Like get those off your plate because that feeling of checking
those things off your list is going to create momentum for you. And when you get
to the big ones, divide those into smaller tasks too. And then it's just rinse and
repeat. All right friends, that's what I have for you today. And now that I'm
finally finished with my podcast that I was procrastinating for several days, I'm
going to reward myself by having a snack and going to take a long walk with a
friend this afternoon. I look forward to talking to you next time and bye for now.
If you would like to learn more about working with me as a coach, you can connect
with me through my website at jackiedecrinis.com. That's J -A -C -K -I -E -D -E -C -R -I -N -I -S .com.