An Antidote to Procrastination
Writer’s block? Avoiding a painful or tedious task? So overwhelmed that you don’t know where to start? Can’t get yourself motivated? I got you, boo.
Is procrastination really that bad?
Well, it’s not great!
In studies, researchers found that the costs of procrastination far outweighed any temporary benefits.
True procrastinators didn’t just finish their work later — the quality of it suffered, as did their well-being.
Why do we do it?
“It really has nothing to do with time management. As I tell people, to tell the chronic procrastinator to ‘just do it’ would be like saying to a clinically depressed person, ‘cheer up.’” —Joseph Ferrari, DePaul University professor of Psychology
Psychologists have found that while everybody may procrastinate, not everyone is a procrastinator.
The chronic procrastinator, the person who does this as a lifestyle, would rather have other people think that they lack effort than lacking ability,” says Ferrari. “It’s a maladaptive lifestyle.”
The causes of procrastination can be lots of things: fear of failure, perfectionism, the joy of temptation). These qualities have led researchers to call procrastination the “quintessential” breakdown of self-control.
Ultimately, they found that the loop of procrastination continues because procrastinators focus on how to make themselves feel better at the expense of drawing insight from what made them feel bad.
What do we do about it?
“You’ve got to dig a little deeper and find some personal meaning in that task.” —Fuschia Sirois, Bishop’s University.
The researchers’ data led them to conclude that the best way to eliminate the need for short-term mood fixes (which lead to procrastination) is to find something positive or worthwhile about the task itself.
Avoid punishing lateness and instead reward the early bird.
Self-forgiveness is a critical component of beating procrastination. One procrastination study found that students who forgave themselves after procrastinating on the first exam were less likely to delay studying for the second one.
Resources to help you find meaning and motivation:
Challenge your mind with Jason Silva’s Shots of Awe.
Take a gander at ZenPencil’s comics.
Watch the ultimate motivational speech every human should hear: Good by Jocko Willink.
Check out Patreon’s Creator Mindset Map, which captures the core feelings every creator experiences. You will see you’re not alone!