I’ll Tell You Why I Procrastinate . . . Just Give Me a Minute

It’s not going to turn out better just because you take longer to do it.

We all know “What” It Is — Fewer know “Why” it is. Everyone knows about procrastination and most of us will readily admit to being guilty of it at one time or another. Procrastination is that annoying behavior of delaying action where action is needed or intentionally putting off doing what needs to be done, usually because we are waiting for the “perfect” time to do it. For the most part, we tend to view procrastination as a personal flaw of sorts. Every strong-minded person thinks they should be expected to overcome this perceived weakness. Still, the practice persists. Many people have seemingly valid reasons for kicking the can down the road when it comes to taking action on a goal. I, personally, have a wonderful list of justifications for “putting off for tomorrow that which I can’t bring myself to do today.”

The list (My List) of excuses is long and mighty My most commonly expressed excuse for procrastinating is that this precise moment is not the “perfect” time to take action. I like to think this excuse contains an element of validity. After all, it’s entirely plausible that my knowledge of the subject will be greater tomorrow than it is today. Lame excuses, such as this, come in handy in moments of indecision. I may, in fact, be able to gain more skill or knowledge by delaying any action and the end result — when I finally get around to committing to it — will be spectacular!

I didn’t mean to get delayed There are times when my procrastination is accidental. I admit I will occasionally lack a true focus on the important task at hand. An entire list of inane and trivial busy work activities will seem so much more important than my goal activity.

Something as inconsequential as having a second cup of coffee may provide a temporary distraction and may even lead to several other inconsequential activities — do laundry, take out the garbage, take out the dog, drive to the grocery store — the morning can go by so quickly.

I’m just the girl who can’t say “No” The inability to just say “no” to people and activities may be a big part of my procrastination cycle. It hurts my feelings to think I’ve let someone down when they may have been depending on me, so I make myself a second class citizen and succumb to the desires of others at my own expense. I know I should be a little more concerned about letting myself down by procrastinating — but it doesn’t always work out that way.

Not only is it not the perfect time, the result will not be perfect, so why bother? Perfectionists tend to view the trait of perfectionism in themselves as favorable. I know better. Perfectionism is more of a psychological disorder than a strong personal characteristic. Actually, at times I think it is little more than a convenient excuse for low self-esteem. Knowing that doesn’t always stop me from using it as an excuse. The idea that I will not undertake a task unless and until I can perform it perfectly is a form of paralysis in and of itself. The idea that being second best is not good enough can be debilitating. When you think about it — nothing is ever perfect the first time around. Who among us ever went from being a baby crawling on the floor to flawlessly walking a mile without falling down a few times? That same logic should be applied to every task and goal.

I may only get one shot at getting it right Being unable to make a firm decision can haunt procrastinators like me a lot. The idea that once a decision has been made it is carved in stone can keep me from making any decision at all. Yet, not making a decision is a passive aggressive way of making a decision.

But what if I succeed? As hard as it may be to believe, I may be procrastinating because, consciously or subconsciously, I fear that taking action may result in a level of success I am not able to appreciate or enjoy. It may be more comfortable to dream of success than to actually realize that success. I don’t procrastinate out of fear of failure — I procrastinate out of fear of success.

I really don’t want to It’s easy to procrastinate over doing something I view as unpleasant or uncomfortable. The flip side of this reasoning is that the task never goes away until you tackle it and sometimes it grows more unwieldy and ugly in the process of putting it off. Procrastination of this sort only makes matters worse and the task that much more annoying.

Being under the gun brings out the best in me If you define yourself as a person who works best under pressure (and sometimes I see myself this way) you might actually embrace procrastination. Last minute deadlines give a sense of urgency that can bring out the best in a person. This may be fine if you are the only one being affected by your delayed action. I know this can become a problem when others feel the stress of my procrastination in their life and can’t do anything about it.

In the long run, procrastination probably brings more stress to me than simply tackling the job right from the start and getting it over with. I know that, but I can’t always pull it all together and tackle every project and every task with instant will and determination. From time to time I fall back on the very “logical” reasons I make up to justify my lack of immediate action.

I really intend to do something about that . . . soon.

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