We all put off things: taxes, dishes, dentist appointments. But recent studies show that for a surprisingly high portion of the population—20 percent—procrastination is a serious problem.
Procrastinating is defined as purposefully delaying the start or finishing of something you intend to do and feeling anxious about it, says Joseph Ferrari, author of Still Procrastinating: The No Regrets Guide to Getting It Done.
“It’s a maladaptive lifestyle,” says Ferrari, who has studied procrastination for 23 years. It’s someone who doesn’t RSVP for a party, who waits till the car gas gauge gets to empty, who misses the concert because they waited to get tickets, who is always late for events. It’s someone who consistently starts and finishes things late.
Chronic procrastinators are great excuse makers, always ready with a reason why it’s not their fault. Ferrari calls it the But, However Syndrome. “I could have done it, but…” for example. Overly concerned with their image, the chronic procrastinator would prefer others think that they lacked effort, rather than lacked ability. Lacking effort means “I could have done this, but I just didn’t this time.”
Commonly you’ll hear procrastinators say they work better under pressure. But Ferrari says his studies have shown that people are not more efficient when under time constraints. What they perceive as adrenaline is actually anxiety.
If the characteristics for a procrastination problem describe someone you know, you can help. Ferrari recommends a tough-love approach. “We need to hold people accountable,” he says. “We need people to know there are consequences.”
Let’s say it’s your procrastinating spouse’s turn to do the dishes. It’s 7:30, 8:30. Finally at 11 p.m. the non-procrastinator will do the dishes. “Stop!” advises Ferrari. “Let the dishes sit.” If you, as the nonprocrastinator keep bailing out the procrastinator, there is no reason or motivation for them to change. Only when the chronic procrastinator suffers the consequences of their (lack of) action will they decide to change.
If you’re the procrastinator, here are three tips to help you overcome postponing the inevitable.
1.Set realistic goals for tasks.
Make the goals concrete, and view them as something you want to do and achieve—not as something to avoid. Nothing happens overnight. Exercising your self-regulation muscle strengthens your will power.
2. Journal your thoughts.
Write down any thoughts you have that prevent you from acting. Then challenge the irrational and unproductive thoughts. So what if you fail? At least you tried.
3. Use your social support systems.
Make an agreement with a friend or a family member to ensure that you don’t skip out of the task at hand.
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