Procrastination - is there a way to overcome it?

Procrastination, which has been described as “the intentional delay in starting or completing important tasks to the point of discomfort” (Solomon & Rothblum, 1984), is so common that it hardly seems problematic or like a significant reason for concern. However, this behavior has been shown to potentially have harmful effects on our relationships, our mental well-being, and our work (Ellis & Knaus, 1977; Ferrari, Johnson & McCown, 1995; Stöber & Joormann, 2001).

It appears in many different forms and, in practice, often serves multiple deep motives:

• Difficulty starting an action
• Difficulty completing an action
• Fear of failure
• Fear of success
• Fear of rejection
• Boredom
• Perfectionism - and the list could go on forever

In this way, it’s easy to see that procrastination often involves an internal emotional conflict (Sapadin & Maguire, 1996, p. 10) that either activates feelings of fear, rejection, and insecurity, or simply triggers boredom - pushing the person to ignore an action they find irritating, boring, or uninteresting in order to do something else that offers immediate satisfaction or pleasure (Hauck, 1982, p. 18).

The six main types of procrastination

1. The perfectionist procrastinator: Reluctant to start or complete a task if it might turn out to be less than perfect and therefore make them feel like a failure in their own eyes and/or in the eyes of others.
2. The dreamer procrastinator: Wants life to move calmly and smoothly, so they avoid difficult challenges. Grand ideas don’t translate into achievable goals. Addicted to ease, their goals fail to materialize and remain wishes.
3. The worried procrastinator: Fears things will go wrong and feels overwhelmed by “what if…” thoughts. Risk or change is avoided, and there is little trust in their ability to make decisions or tolerate discomfort.
4. The defier procrastinator: Resistant and argumentative toward others’ instructions or suggestions because it feels like “they’re telling me what to do” or “trying to control me.” This may appear as an indirect form of contempt - passive aggression - such as saying “yes” to someone’s request when the person really means “no,” because they’re not willing to take responsibility for doing it within the assigned timeframe.
5. The last-minute performer: Works best at the last moment and may say they can’t get going before 11 a.m., or claim that this is when they do their “best work.” Living life on the edge, they constantly seek the intense adrenaline rush this lifestyle provides. They have low tolerance for boredom, and leaving things until the last minute often causes them to lose opportunities or time.
6. The overcommitted procrastinator: Takes on many different tasks without defining priorities. As a result, time is managed inefficiently, leading to tasks that aren’t completed, are inadequate, or are delayed beyond the deadline.

At this point, however, we shouldn’t ignore that there are cases where procrastination can have positive outcomes, especially when it is structured (e.g., reduced impulsivity, better decision-making, etc.). Over time though, if left uncontrolled, excessive procrastination - as we saw in the examples above - will most likely lead to delayed and inadequate outcomes, missed opportunities and deadlines, a damaged reputation, and extreme frustration - both for the person who procrastinates and for those who have to deal with or manage them.

How relieving would it be to identify the patterns of our procrastination? The why, when, and how of our procrastination - and, most importantly, what we can gain in our personal and/or professional life by learning to manage it effectively.