You're Not Lazy, You're Scared

Today we’re going deep into procrastination. We’ll be looking at key points from the book “Solving the Procrastination Puzzle” by Professor Tim Pychyl, a leading procrastination researcher. This book is a treasure trove of information, 40 years of research condensed into a readable format. So let’s get started!

Procrastination: Bigger Than We Think

First off: procrastination is a much bigger problem than we think. We joke about being procrastinators or leaving things to the last minute, but this habit's consequences are far-reaching and serious.

Health Impact: Procrastination doesn’t just affect our work or studies; it can affect our health. How? In two ways:
Regret: When we lose someone close to us we often experience regrets. These regrets come in two forms:
Happiness Sabotage: Procrastination can literally sabotage our happiness. Many psychologists and philosophers agree that happiness and fulfillment come from pursuing self directed goals. When we procrastinate on these self directed goals we are directly impacting our potential for happiness.

Understanding these points can be a real wake up call. It helps us see that procrastination is not just a harmless habit - it’s something that can affect our lives in many ways.

The Emotional Core of Procrastination

Now here’s the key point: procrastination is an emotional issue. We often think of procrastination as a time management problem or a lack of willpower but that’s not the whole story.

Usually when we procrastinate it’s because there’s some kind of emotional blocker in our way. There’s an internal resistance to the task and underneath that resistance there’s almost always a negative emotion.

In most cases this negative emotion is some form of fear:

Fear of failure
Fear of not being good enough
Fear of what others will think
Fear of success (yes, that’s a thing!)
Fear of boredom

Here’s the cycle: We feel bad about starting the task → We avoid it to feel good in the short term → This fuels more procrastination → Repeat.

So what can we do about this? The first step is to name the fear. Try asking yourself, “What am I actually scared of here?” You might be surprised by what you find out. Just the act of identifying and naming the fear can often reduce its power over us.

Motivation Is Not a Prerequisite for Action

You don’t need to feel motivated to take action. We often fall into the trap of thinking we need to “feel like” doing something before we can start. But that’s not true at all!

Think about it - do you always feel like going to school? Probably not. But you go anyway, right? That’s because motivation is not a prerequisite for action.

This can be a huge relief. Once you get this idea you can completely change how you approach tasks. Instead of waiting to “feel motivated” you can choose to act regardless of how you feel.

One way to do this is to lean into identity. Instead of thinking of yourself as a procrastinator, think of yourself as a professional. Professionals do what needs to be done, whether they feel like it or not. So the next time you’re faced with a task you want to put off, ask yourself: “What would a professional do in this situation?”

Strengthen Goal Intentions

If we want to stop procrastinating, one way is to strengthen our goal intentions. Meaning we have a strong reason why we’re doing a task.

When a goal is self directed - something we personally and intrinsically want and value - we’re less likely to procrastinate. When a goal is external - because of pressure, rewards, to avoid punishment or shame - we’re more likely to procrastinate.

So how can we strengthen our goal intentions? Here are a few ways:

Create a clear mental image of what achieving your goal will look like. For example if you’re studying for an exam, imagine yourself passing and how that will feel.
Reflect on how the goal aligns with your personal values and long term aspirations.
Surround yourself with visual cues that remind you of your goal. This could be as simple as changing your phone or computer wallpaper to an image that represents your goal.
Tell others about your goals. This can create a sense of accountability and strengthen your commitment.

Remember the stronger your goal intention the less likely you are to procrastinate on the tasks to achieve that goal.

Implementation Intentions Is A Simple Tool

Finally let’s talk about a surprisingly effective tool to beat procrastination: implementation intentions. This might sound complex but it’s actually simple. An implementation intention is basically an “if-then” plan: “If X happens, then I will do Y.”

Here are some examples of how you might use implementation intentions:

“When I make my morning coffee I will drink a glass of water while it’s brewing.”
“If it’s 4 PM I will stop what I’m doing and start on my homework.”
“When I finish dinner I will spend 10 minutes tidying my room.”

These simple plans can be very effective at helping us overcome procrastination. They take the decision making out of the equation - instead of deliberating over whether to do something you’ve already decided in advance what you’ll do when a certain trigger occurs.

You can use implementation intentions in any area where you procrastinate. For example if you put off studying you might set an intention like, “If it’s 7 PM then I will start my study session, no matter what.”

Time-based is a type of implementation intention. Just a fancy way of saying “put it in your calendar”. By scheduling specific times for tasks you’re creating a plan of when you’ll do them.

Putting It All Together

So, let's recap the main points we've covered:

Procrastination is a serious issue that can impact our health, happiness, and long-term satisfaction with life.
At its core, procrastination is an emotional issue, often rooted in fear.
We don't need to feel motivated to take action - we can choose to act like professionals.
Strengthening our goal intentions can help us resist the urge to procrastinate.
Implementation intentions are a powerful tool for overcoming procrastination.

Now, here's a challenge for you: Pick one area where you often procrastinate. Try to identify the underlying emotion (probably a fear) that's causing you to put it off. Then, create an implementation intention to help you tackle it. Share your plan in the comments - let's support each other in overcoming procrastination!

Remember, overcoming procrastination is a process. It takes time and practice. But with these insights and tools from Professor Pychyl's research, we're well-equipped to start making positive changes. Let's get to work on building the lives we want - without letting procrastination hold us back!

5 comments