Procrastination

“Procrastination is the thief of time”

Procrastination holds us back. It stems from many sources: fear (of making a mistake) embarrassing ourselves, feeling incompetent, feeling unsure, lack of motivation and sometimes laziness.

Procrastination is a delaying tactic but inevitably, if you delay doing something, it will take longer to do later on.

There have been times when I’ve procrastinated so long that the situation about making a decision has sorted itself out in the end. But other times when I’ve not been sure whether to take an action or not, that decision has been taken out of my hands, then I’ve “missed the boat” and regretted my inaction.

I’ve missed the opportunity to learn something or experience something that could have enriched my life or opened doors for me. Then I’m left with regret.

Especially if I haven’t contacted or visited a person for a long time, who deserves my time or attention and in worse case scenarios; its too late. They have either moved on metaphorically or literally and then I’m left with guilt.

Procrastination prevents us from progressing and moving on as well, ironically. We stay stuck in our situation because if we don’t make a decision, we can’t make the wrong one, so we stay in our comfort zone. Making decisions and taking action can be very overwhelming for some people, especially those who are neurodivergent.

Chronic procrastination can have negative consequences which can lead to increased stress, missed deadlines and a build up of work. It can be linked to low self confidence, fear of failure, anxiety and perfectionism.

We avoid tasks or put them off because we don’t think we will enjoy them, or we fear that we will not do them well, hence many procrastinators are  perfectionists.

The complexity of a task may seem too confusing or overwhelming to attempt (like filling in a tax return) so it’s ignored until the negative consequences of getting in trouble with the tax office causes stress, anxiety and sometimes depression.

In these cases, its obviously best not to ignore your fears and reach out for help before you spiral into hopelessness and self sabotage.

Talking through the reasons why you procrastinate and finding ways to cope with the anxiety and fear of what prevents you attempting tasks that can’t be avoided, can be the first step to helping you take control.

Support from friends or family can help, or alternatively, talking therapy or CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy)