Procrastination: What can we do about this Big “P” word?
We all procrastinate in some way or another about particular aspects of our lives. Procrastination is defined as the voluntary action of delaying or postponing something, we are putting something off to a later time in the future because we simply can’t deal with it right now. We avoid whatever we can that will make us feel bad and we run to what will make us feel good.
So, what would someone who procrastinates really like to know?
1. Why do we do it? 2. Ways to overcome it?
Psychologists have asserted that procrastination appears to be a coping mechanism. When people are faced with certain tasks which may come with unpleasant emotions their initial and immediate reaction is to procrastinate (avoid). People know that their better judgment is telling them that they should be doing what they are avoiding, however, they don’t have enough will power to go against their better judgment. So, we can also say that when we procrastinate, we are doing what we can to prevent ourselves from the unpleasant emotions which we believe that we cannot handle or manage right now.
There is a level of pain that comes with procrastination. Sometimes this pain can be as bad as the pain of taking the action itself. Every time the thought enters your mind and you become aware that you have been putting a task off and you clearly know that you should not, a gush of guilt or shame may come rushing in causing a hell of a lot of pain. Sometimes this alone causes some people to procrastinate even further thus creating a vicious cycle. Sometimes we get tricked by procrastination and fear that we think that if we don’t make a decision or take the actions necessary that that is better than making the wrong choices. However, we don’t see that by not taking action or making a choice we are in actual fact still choosing but we are letting the procrastination chose for us.
The Brain: Our Operating System
The prefrontal cortex, which is located right behind the forehead, is part of the brain that is in charge of the complex cognitive, emotional and behavioural functioning. So, it is fair to say it is the part of the brain that gets a task completed. According to Procrastination expert and professor of psychology Tim Pychyl, this is also part of the brain that really separates us from animals.
However, this part of the brain does not function on automatic. It must be kicked into gear by giving it conscious instructions such as “I have to complete this article by 2pm.” In any given moment when are not present our limbic system takes over the show. Our limbic system is the part of our brain which has a variety of functions: emotions, behaviour, motivation, memories, and arousal. The limbic system is the one we give in to what feels good and as a result, we procrastinate. Therefore, it is imperative that we make sure our prefrontal cortex is kicked into gear by learning strategies/approaches to help manage our procrastination habits and prevent our limbic system from wanting to jump right in.
We are all different human beings, we all have different personalities, different likes and dislikes so it is safe to assume that we would all have different strategies to overcome our personal procrastination. The key here is to experiment with them, evaluate each strategy if necessary make tweaks to them and then stick to the one that you love most. There are different strategies for every level such as; behavioural, emotional and cognitive. The sooner you face the discomfort of taking the action the sooner it will decrease.
Here are some strategies that one can use to overcome procrastination:
Why
Work out why you need to complete this task. What are the costs if you don’t complete the task? What would you be giving up or risk if you don’t do it? By simply asking yourself these questions you can start to develop your strong compelling reason why you want to complete this task. In addition to that, by doing so you can actually allow your prefrontal cortex the opportunity to actually win the fight against your limbic system.
Mindfulness
The prefrontal cortex processes information at a much slower rate when compared to our emotional part of the brain. As a result, the executive functions that we have don’t really have a chance to kick in. However, mindfulness meditation has been shown to slow down the emotional part of the brain, which may make it easier to activate the executive functions.* Mindfulness meditation, defined by Jon-Kabat Zinn, is “the ability to pay total attention to the present moment with a non-judgmental awareness of the inner and/or outer experiences.”
Just take action
According to Mel Robbins, who is a motivational speaker, the five-second rule is a great way to overcome procrastination. She states, “If you have an impulse to act on a goal, you must physically move within 5 seconds or your brain will kill the idea.” She further states that “whatever your goals are, show the world, and yourself, that you’re serious by taking action, however insignificant that action may seem, RIGHT NOW.” In addition to that she adds “when you physically move, your brain starts to build new habits. When you do something you’re not used to doing, you are in the act of building new habits and erasing existing ones.”
Inconvenience
Inconvenience is another great strategy. Placing tech devices away from you, on the opposite side of the room or even perhaps in another room altogether. Gretchen Rubin, the author of Better than Before, states that “to a surprising degree, we’re powerfully affected by how easy or hard it is to follow a habit.” So, if you find yourself irresistibly tempted by something, make sure you make it super-inconvenient for yourself to get to. By doing so you can reduce the temptation of it.
Set Yourself a Doable Goal/Deadlines
Break the task into small doable achievable goals. Take the first step and complete it. Small doable achievable goals don’t feel as painful. Procrastination entices you to stay in your comfort zone, so make sure your goals or deadlines are not too farfetched. According to Brian Tracy, the author of Eat that Frog, he states that one should always go with the harder tasks first in the morning. According to Gretchen Rubin, the author of Better than Before, we have more willpower in the morning which decreases as the day progresses. A lot of people feel they must have the pressure of a deadline to complete tasks. The pressure of the deadline gives them the focus and commitment they need to carry the task to completion.
Motivation Follows Action
Most of us wait to feel motivated to take action. However, motivation doesn’t come first. Motivation follows the action. When we have completed something that we have set for ourselves we feel certain emotions such as relief, happiness, and excitement. These emotions boost our motivation to keep going, to continue taking more actions so that we can get another hit of those feelings. Don’t discount these emotions, make sure you celebrate them and acknowledge them. Your brain will do whatever it can to get more of those feelings.
Partner up: Accountability
When we partner up and share a goal with someone else, this creates a type of pressure as we know that we have promised our partner to be somewhere or complete something by a set day or time. This increases the likelihood of reaching our goals or completing the set task. So, by using this strategy, when you have something to complete tell your partner when you will complete it and as a result, you will feel more obligated to complete it. You will have your prefrontal cortex in gear to make sure the job gets done. Make sure you choose the correct partner for you. You need a partner who will support you during this journey.
Do something you like with something you are avoiding
Another great strategy is to link the task you are avoiding with a task that you actually like doing. For example, listening to your favourite podcast or book while you are training at the gym may make going to the gym less painful. You can also be willing to sit and complete an essay/report in a beautiful café with a delicious cup of cappuccino. The amount of emotional pain involved in completing the task we are avoiding gets reduced by the pleasure of doing something we really enjoy.
Think on paper
It is very important to think on paper, bring out what is going on inside. Once you begin writing and see what you are thinking sometimes this alone can be a powerful way to reduce procrastination. However, for others, it may not be so easy. When we find ourselves constantly putting something off, creating something else, being busy with many other tasks it is important at this point we start going in and finding out “why”. What is really going on? What are we struggling to complete this task? Just by being curious sometimes the answers can pop up in the least unexpected way. It is important to remain open and be curious.
“When you have to make a choice and you don’t make it, that itself is a choice.” William James
Do you procrastinate in any area of your life? Are you aware of it? Do you have strategies that you use or could benefit others?
* https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/28/how-meditation-may-change-the-brain/