Beating procrastination

I've recently been editing some booklets on anxiety for an NGO, and was somewhat dismayed to observe how skilled a procrastinator I am. So I thought I'd write a blog post on a strategy I read about in Too Perfect by Mallinger and DeWyze, outlining what to do when the urge to procrastinate appears (which is most of the time when we're doing written work, let's face it). 

Step 1) When you find yourself delaying, look for those thoughts that float around in your mind and which demand perfection. These thoughts might also sound like "I can't do it well enough" or "I'm not going to do a good job". When you notice these thoughts, push back, telling yourself, "No, it's got to be completed!".

Step 2) Focus how good it feels to make progress on this task. Avoid judging whether you're doing a good piece of work. Remember that finishing on time means you can go back and review it.

Step 3) Make your time scheduling for the task realistic. Often perfectionists/procrastinators underestimate how much time they'll need, putting more pressure on themselves to get it perfect first go.

Step 4) When you find yourself getting side-tracked, slam your hand down on the desk or your thigh and say "Move!". Take a deep breath, refocus on the goal, and continue. (I particularly like this strategy - it sounds so "left-field" it just might work. But try it for yourself!)

Reference: Too Perfect: When being in control gets out of control. A. E. Mallinger & J. DeWyze. (1992), pp. 56-7

Procrastination: The universal habit

Fear of failure is often touted as the main cause of procrastination. And this may be true for people with high anxiety and perfectionistic tendencies. However, for the average punter, the main cause of procrastination is much more likely to stem from a failure to control impulses: the impulse to watch TV, eat, sleep, play computer games, check emails, read the online news (my personal favourite).

Procrastination is so common because humans are wired for immediate pleasure over long-term pay-offs: the impulse to watch that new Youtube clip is much more compelling than the drive to work on your English paper that's due in 2 weeks. We procrastinate because the potential rewards of working on that English paper are just so far away relative to the fun of watching a funny cat video on Youtube. And the potential costs of procrastination (being disappointed with your mark, for example) are even more remote.

One way to tackle procrastination is to spend some time vividly imagining the negative outcomes that could occur as a result of procrastination: looking stupid in front of colleagues, letting down team mates, or missing out on an opportunity because you weren't prepared. In addition, try to delay acting on an impulse for 5 seconds, which gives your rational brain time to decide whether giving in to that impulse, and procrastinating, is really in your best interests.