Why do you procrastinate?

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What are you really trying to avoid? Why do you put off one task but not another?

There can be various reasons for procrastinating.

What are you really trying to avoid?

Procrastination may seem like a lack of discipline, but it is actually often an automatic response by your brain to discomfort. When you dread a task, your brain wants to avoid those unpleasant feelings in the short term.

After all, studying or completing a task can trigger negative feelings, such as:

  • the feeling of not understanding something
  • boredom
  • uncertainty
  • frustration
  • fear of failure

By procrastinating, those feelings disappear temporarily. So, in the short term, you are ‘rewarded’ for it.

Find out why procrastination is more than just poor time management (video, 5’)
The role of emotions in procrastination (video, 6’)

Why do you put off one task but not another?

You feel more motivated to do some tasks than others.

4 factors together determine how motivated you are to do a particular task at a particular moment. They work together in ‘The Procrastination Equation’:

Expectancy

= your belief that you can understand the subject matter or complete the task successfully

  • Lack of self-confidence - you don’t believe you’ll succeed or you set the bar too high for yourself. Out of fear of making mistakes, you’d rather not start at all.
  • Too much self-confidence -  you think everything will turn out fine and that you’ve still got plenty of time. You underestimate the time and effort a task requires. As a result, you start too late.

Find out more about the procrastinator who fears failure and check out the tips (website)
Read more about the oblivious optimist here and take a look at the tips (website)

Value

= how important or enjoyable you find the task or the subject matter.

An interesting subject is naturally motivating. Do you find the task boring or can’t see the point of it? Then its ‘value’ drops and you’ll quickly opt for a more enjoyable alternative.

Impulsiveness

= How sensitive you are to distractions

There are two voices constantly at odds in your head:

  • emotion - wants to have fun right now and doesn’t like boring work
  • reason - looks to the future and makes plans

The more impulsive you are, the harder it is to say ‘no’ to distractions or things you enjoy more, such as a notification on your phone. Your natural disposition plays a major role here.

  • Some people are naturally more impulsive or tend to avoid things.
  • With a concentration disorder such as AD(H)D, it is particularly challenging to resist immediate rewards. Procrastination is not a lack of willpower, but a result of how your brain processes stimuli.

Delay

= time until the deadline

The further away the deadline for the task or your exam is, the less motivated you feel right now. A good mark in three months' time is easily overshadowed by the pleasure of the moment. The reward simply feels too far away.

Want to know more?

Try to work out where your procrastination comes from. Understanding the cause can help you get it under control.

Would you like to know what sort of procrastinator you are?

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