Why you procrastinate

Aug 30

Okay, Scarlett O’Hara. If you’re reading this, it’s probably because you’re always thinking you’ll “do it tomorrow.” Which, no judgment. I’ve been there.

If they handed out crowns for procrastination, I would have been the Queen.

I used to put things off until the last possible moment and then I’d rush to get it done, sometimes pulling all-nighters. I told myself I was not only good under pressure, that I did my best work when I was under pressure.

The truth is, I’m good under pressure.

But did I do my best work that way? Not even close.

Long-term goals vs. short-term actions

What are you trying to accomplish? Maybe you want to lose weight. Maybe you want to take up running. Maybe you have a project you’re trying to get done.

And you think to yourself, “I really should get it done.”

But you don’t want to.

So you don’t.

Instead, you go do something else.

Meanwhile, your task sits there, waiting patiently for you to show up and take care of it.

You were designed to procrastinate

Here’s the thing: If you procrastinate, it’s not because there’s something wrong with you. Just the opposite, in fact. If you procrastinate, it’s probably because you have a human brain (Congrats!). And you’re just a few tweaks away from getting more done.

It all comes down to evolution.

Your brain is wired to keep you alive (thanks great, great, great x 1000000000 grandma and grandpa!). And it does this by doing three things:

Seeking pleasure
Avoiding pain
Doing as little as possible

So if you think about doing The Thing and you feel stressed and overwhelmed, your brain interprets this as pain. It sees a threat. And so it goes straight into avoidance-mode.

The brain’s favorite way to avoid? By SEEKING PLEASURE BABY.

And that might look like eating cookies, binge-watching Netflix, scrolling social, or doing something that feels productive but is not The Thing you should be doing. Your brain gets to avoid doing The Thing that feels stress- and anxiety-producing and it gets a nice little dopamine hit from some temporary pleasure.

Why you stop procrastinating and do The Thing

So your thoughts about The Thing you’re putting off create stress and anxiety for you.

But why do you eventually do it?

Why did I always become a productivity machine the night before a paper was due? Why did I suddenly start training for a half-marathon a month before the race? Why did I rush to finish that presentation at the last minute?

The answer is The Deadline.

The Thing initially creates stress and anxiety, so you go into avoidance mode to avoid that emotional pain.

But as The Deadline approaches, the thought of failing creates more stress and anxiety than The Thing. So you’re motivated to try to avoid the emotional pain of looking like a slacker idiot who couldn’t get it together.

Missing The Deadline becomes the threat. And you want to avoid that enough that you’re driven into action.

Why eating frogs and other systems haven’t worked

I work with a lot of clients who’ve tried to overcome their procrastination. You know what they all have in common?

They’ve all tried different systems. And none of the systems have worked.

Why?

Well, as we’ve established, procrastination isn’t caused by a lack of organization. It’s caused by anxiety and stress and overwhelm. And anxiety and stress and overwhelm are caused by your thoughts.

Systems are great. But you need a brain that will follow them.

So what is the key to overcoming procrastination? Three things:

Manage your thoughts about The Things
Learn to feel without turning to avoidance or short-term pleasure
Take action from there

If you master these three things, your life will be totally transformed. I know that sounds like a massive oversell, but trust me - It’s not.

Imagine being able to feel any feeling. Imagine choosing your long-term goals over short-term comfort. Imagine thinking about yourself in a whole new light. Imagine what’s possible.

If you want to stop procrastinating and get sh*t done, I want to help. Click below to connect with me.

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