Procrastination is such a common occurrence in everyday life. It's not just lazy people, there are many reasons why you may do it! Maybe for time management or maybe to avoid stress; the list goes on and one thing remains true - if you're procrastinating, your process isn't perfect yet.
There are so many different reasons that lead us to procrastinate at times - but usually it falls into one of the categories below:
Fear of Failure
"What if I screw it up?" This is an all-too-common fear that has kept people from starting a lot of things. But with the right mindset, this can be prevented; after all, no one's perfect!
With every project comes challenges and obstacles, but if you stay true to yourself in completing those projects as best as possible, success will come your way. You'll get the practice and experience needed to improve your current habits, leaving you with a better process for future projects.
Fear of Success
Some people are terrified of being a success. That might seem strange, but when one is successful in something, it can cause pressure on that person to maintain the same level, or even surpass their accomplishments, which may be overwhelming.
Fear Not!
You will be successful, that's a guarantee. You just have to stay true to your goals and you'll get there.
You Don't Like Doing It
This is a widespread reason for avoiding things you need to do. The general idea is if you really don't like doing something and someone else can do it for you, stop!
If its a task that still needs to be done ... do the first step before all your thoughts about not wanting to do this cloud everything. Break it up into smaller manageable steps and you'll be successful in getting it done.
You Don't Know How to Do It
There are times when a person will put off doing something because they're not confident that they know how to do it correctly. If you don't know how, learn or find someone who does and go for it!
Prepare by doing your research, find a step-by-step plan that fits for you and make sure to take the first step.
Lack of Desire or Motivation
Putting off tasks and responsibilities due to lack of desire or motivation is a common problem. It's only an excuse if it comes from the idea that everything you do needs to be exciting. But for other problems like "writer's block," just start going through the motions - for five minutes at least - to get over it! After that you can start to brainstorm ideas and procrastination starts to become less of a problem.
You Don't Like Authority
Some people procrastinate because they're not comfortable with someone telling them what to do. Even if you don't openly defy authority, it's worth considering this might be an issue for you. For example, if deadlines make you resentful - rather than motivated or focused on the task at hand - this could indicate a problem in your relationship with authority figures.
The only way to get past this is by understanding that when we ignore deadlines ... we're really hurting our chances of success more than anything else
If you notice that deadlines are being missed, over-nighters seem to be the norm, and a lack of motivation is dragging you down at work or school - it's important to figure out what has caused these symptoms. Once this issue is identified and addressed, procrastination tendencies can quickly start phasing themselves out.