Why you procrastinate?
You know you procrastinate. You put off things. You think you will finish everything tomorrow, but you very well know that day is not going to come. You are also tired of this habit of yours, but have you ever tried to understand why you procrastinate?
What are the reasons for procrastination?
To remedy procrastination, it is important first to understand why you procrastinate to being with. Some reasons that lead to this condition include:
Low drive
Having a low drive is one of the reasons why you might be procrastinating. It does not mean that you are being lazy, but your drive can be low for several reasons, like exhaustion, burnout, mental health issues, etc.
Urge to control
An interesting aspect of procrastination is that it allows people to control the task. They then turn to procrastination to regain control of their circumstances and then control the outcome.
Emotional issues
Some people tend to delay things because the chore leads to an emotional reaction in them. So, rather than pursuing the chore, they then tend to delay it to avoid emotional burnout.
Poor self-control
At times, procrastination is a result of poor self-control and self-discipline. They lack the will to do things at a time, rather than always letting their mind lead them where it wants.
Lack of organization
At times, procrastination is also a result of a lack of organization. If things are all over the place, it is more likely that some tasks will slip through, or you might have to delay things out of necessity then.
One of the most common emotional problems that can lead to procrastination is anxiety. When a task makes you go into a frenzy of worry, naturally you then turn to stop the task to protect yourself.
Similarly, things that cause you to stress, you then also tend to procrastinate about them, indefinitely delaying them at times even.
Overwhelm
You are more likely to delay the task if you are feeling overwhelmed just thinking about it as your body tries to protect itself from negative emotions.
Perfectionism
Perfectionism is unfortunately seen as a great trait to have. It is seen in a positive light, but only perfectionists know how destructive and the disruptive trait it is.
Not only is perfectionism taxing, but it can also then lead to procrastination. Since the outcome cannot be anything short of perfect, which is not always possible to achieve, so enters the urge to procrastinate.
Moreover, perfectionism is also exhausting. Some then procrastinate because they do not have the energy to do the task with perfectionism.
Fear of failure
Another common reason for procrastination is the fear of failure. It does not matter if the stakes are high or not, but if you are apprehensive about the outcome, it can make you procrastinate.
Moreover, procrastination might also attempt to protect oneself; if you do not try, then you will also not fail then.
Positive procrastination
Some people have positive procrastination, which is a condition in which a person turns to postpone things because they work better under pressure. They believe that they can get better outcomes when they do things at the absolute end.