Most of us have been guilty of procrastination at one point of time or another.
It could have been something trivial like waiting to do the dishes until tomorrow, or it could have been something much more important, like waiting until the night before to prepare for an important meeting.
Regardless of what we were putting off, we likely used a similar form of justification like:
- I don’t know how
- It’s boring
- I’ll do it later
- I’ll feel like doing it more tomorrow
- I’m too tired
- It’s not that important
Procrastination is the ultimate in short term thinking and is, as Lester R. Bittel puts it:
An insidious temptation that plagues all of us -Lester R. Bittel
So Why Do We Procrastinate?
There are many different reasons to procrastinate including:
- Lack of knowledge or understanding
- Boredom
- Lack of motivation
- Fear of failure
- Fear of success
No matter what the reason or situation however, the underlying cause is almost always the desire to avoid pain.
When we procrastinate it’s because we’re linking more pain to completing the act now, than we believe we’ll experience later. Unfortunately, this is incorrect.
The first step to kicking a bad procrastination habit is to understand that putting something off until later causes far more pain then simply doing it now.
Is Procrastinating Really That Bad?
The short answer is yes. Procrastination is harmful to your body and your mind. Studies have shown that over the course of an academic term, students who procrastinated had more colds, flus, and stomach issues.
In another study, scientists tracked student performance between those who procrastinated and those who completed their work right away. The results were that those that procrastinating group performed worse and also suffered increase stress and illness.
Putting things off also negatively affects those around you and can cause resentment when others are forced to pick up the work that you may have intended to do “later”. When looked at in a family or relationship setting the effects are just as harmful and can lead to a steady decline in relationship quality over time. Nobody likes someone they can’t count on.
Procrastinators are made, not born.
Nobody is born a procrastinator, rather this bad habit tends to first be learned at home. It can be caused by an authoritative parent or a desire to rebel. Regardless of the cause, it is a learned response that should be unlearned if you want to really get the most out of your life, your work, and your relationships.
The first step is to understand the cumulative damage that consistently procrastinating causes in all areas of your life. The next step is to try to take immediate action to solve it.
I like and recommend Brian Tracy’s book “Eat That Frog” and if you still need a bit more help than a professional counsellor may be the answer.
The beauty of getting things done early is huge, with benefits that include less stress, more free time, a higher quality of work, better relationships, and an overall higher quality of life.
Surely this is worth working for today, and not tomorrow.
