Part II: The 3 Main Causes of Procrastination
If you have not yet read Part I, please click here. In it you will learn exactly why it is so important to tackle procrastination and see a real-life example of how to overcome it.
The reasons for procrastination are virtually countless, but all of them fall into one or more of the following three categories:
- The task itself is boring, hard, or in some other way unpleasant, but it serves a certain goal. These sorts of tasks are just a means to an end and typical examples are preparing your tax return or exercising.
- There is an expectation, realistic or not, that the task will create negative results in the future. Sometimes a negative outcome is just a possibility or may even exist only in your imagination. Here are a few examples:
- Economising in some areas of your life can be helpful if you are wanting to save for your retirement. At the same time, spending less may mean compromising on the quality of product or service you would like, making you feel constricted and less free, as if you are wearing a tight jacket.
- You might postpone pursuing a goal if you feel uncertain as to whether you are capable of achieving success, thereby avoiding possible failure. Here the potential negative outcome might be feeling disappointed or embarrassed.
- A task might remind you of a previous experience that was in some way uncomfortable or distressing, which creates a stumbling block that may not even be conscious. For example:
- In fourth grade your classmates ridiculed you for making a mistake when doing this kind of task.
- Or when you won a prize at school your best friend was so jealous that the friendship was never the same again.
But why is it essential to identify the cause of the procrastination you are struggling with? This step is crucial because it provides you with a clue to the best method for dealing effectively with your procrastination.
Using a solution that works for tasks that are simply boring will produce mediocre or no results if you postpone doing them because you fear adverse side effects. The same applies if you avoid a task that reminds you of an event that upset you in the past. In such cases it may even be detrimental to force yourself to follow through without first resolving the underlying emotional issues.
Seeking to stop postponing activities that belong to the first category (tasks that are boring or unpleasant in themselves) by working on the expected outcomes will often be equally ineffective.
You can identify what kind of procrastination you are dealing with by exploring the following questions
- Do you like the activity itself or are you neutral about it? Imagine doing the task and notice what comes up for you.
- What are the short- and long-term consequences of choosing to do this? What if you fail? What if you succeed? And what would failing or succeeding mean about you?
- Does this activity or a potential outcome remind you of a painful or unpleasant event in your life?
Next, simply match every discomfort that arises to one of the three categories above, bearing in mind that more than one cause can be at play
Now you are all set to move forward to Part III and IV on how to overcome procrastination in your specific circumstances.
Sounds a little complicated? In this case I invite you to book a free initial consultation. We will identify the three main reasons why you procrastinate and the first step you can take to overcome it. Interested?
Book your free initial consultation
© Ursula Beste 2021
