You Are Not Lazy; You Are Distracted

I always thought starting something is the most difficult thing to do, but I was wrong.

Being a writer for the past two years has taught me showing up each day is even more challenging. I have my bouts of procrastination every month. Some days are easy, and some others not so much.

Last weekend, I scheduled four hours for writing. I had the perfect setting, had no distractions around me, there were no unresolved problems at the office or any pending household chores.

Ideal, right?

But was it productive?

Unfortunately, the answer is no.

I spent over five hours writing barely 500 words, and I am not proud of it. I must have read a dozen articles, got lost in thoughts several times, and ticked a few tasks off my to-do list. But, I didn’t finish writing that article.

A Psychology professor says,

“People engage in this irrational cycle of chronic procrastination because of an inability to manage negative moods around a task.”

I was procrastinating. Moreso, I was guilty of procrastinating.

Research suggests procrastination has nothing to do with time management or self-control. It is about how we inflict self-harm.

We are ready to endure the known struggles than to undertake unknown resolutions.

Let’s look at the top three reasons we procrastinate and how we can overcome the guilt associated with it.

1. Putting Off Tasks That Are Too Big or Uncertain

When I have tasks that seem simple on the surface but have a ring of uncertainty attached to them, I delay them as much as possible.

Just this morning, I had to set a program mode on my panel heater — it’s a frivolously small task, but because it required me to read the manual, I kept pushing it forward.

When I finally fixed it this afternoon, I realized it took me less than 5 minutes, but it saved me a lot of effort in manually changing the setting every few hours.

We are ready to endure the known struggles than to undertake unknown resolutions.

Uncertainty is scary until you have taken that first step.

Do what you know to take that first step. Facing uncertain situations is better than dealing with procrastination.

Don’t keep snoozing the ‘To-do’ list — managing your investments, buying health insurance for parents, or enrolling in the e-learning course you are after. Break them into smaller tasks and complete the first step today.

If you do not know where to begin, use mind-mapping to dump all your ideas into one place and pick one that aligns with your interest. You can use apps like Miro or simply use a pen and paper to get started.

You must have heard of a thousand tactics on productivity — wake up early morning, plan your time, take breaks, avoid multi-tasking, amongst many others. They are all good strategies, but they won’t work unless you are in the right frame of mind.

According to a renowned researcher and psychology professor,

Procrastination is an emotion regulation problem, not a time management problem.

Not that you are lazy. You associate certain tasks with negative emotions, such as boredom, insecurity, failure, anger, and self-doubt. These emotions overpower your thought, making it difficult for you to undertake them.

Identify these emotions. Chasing productivity would only make it worse.

Don’t chase productivity. Pursue mindfulness instead.

Mindfulness teaches you to observe yourself. Observe the sensations that arise in your mind.

How do you feel about avoiding the task?

Are you temporarily relieved, stressed, or guilty?

When you observe these emotions, do they disappear or give rise to other emotions — a sense of calm and ease, perhaps?

Practice meditation regularly to master the art of mindfulness.

2. Setting Unrealistic Expectations of Oneself

This may sound simple, but it isn’t. Most times, when we are guilty of procrastination, we feel we haven’t done enough or we aren’t good enough.

I could not figure out how I procrastinated writing when I love writing stories.

I was too judgemental of myself for my own good.

This led me into a spiral of demotivation. I would try to avoid writing as much as possible — I would keep it until the end. I would prioritize everything else but writing.

Negative associations with certain tasks compound over time. And there’s increased stress and anxiety when we come back to it. This also has a scientific term now — “procrastinatory cognitions.”

“Thoughts about procrastination leads to more procrastination” — Dr. Sirois

Be kind to yourself.

Demotivation is a sign that you are not kind to yourself. Procrastination is directly linked to low self-compassion, causing more stress.

Cut yourself some slack. It is okay if you are not up to it. Take care of your mental health — that’s the most important of all.

A 2010 study found that students who are not guilty of procrastinating when preparing for a first exam ended up procrastinating less while studying for their final exam.

Do what makes you happy. When you are happy, you will be motivated. You will get things done effortlessly.

3. Not Enjoying the Task on Hand

Sometimes, when you realize the work, you have undertaken doesn’t interest you any longer, it is okay to let go.

This may sound counter-intuitive at first. But it makes sense.

You don’t have to let go of your passion entirely. But leave out the tasks that don’t spark joy.

The Sunk Cost Fallacy

It’s the tendency to follow through with something, even if it won’t reap any benefits simply because of the time, effort, and money you have already put into it.

Sometimes, I have these brilliant topics in mind where the first 100 words would come out quickly. But finishing that article is a difficult challenge, which dissuades me from opening my laptop the next time.

That’s where procrastination lies.

One such article took me ten days before I realized it’s not worth continuing. It is eating into the precious time that otherwise, I could have spent writing something I love.

Don’t continue a task simply because you started with much eagerness. It’s okay to course-correct at times.

Go back to the drawing board and start again. Allow enough room to make mistakes. It is okay if you didn’t decide what’s right at the outset.

In Summary

Procrastination is a vicious cycle. We delay something because we don’t like the negative emotions associated with it. But we end feeling even worse.

The key to solving the problem of procrastination doesn’t lie in productivity hacks. It lies in understanding your emotions and managing the expectations.

It is difficult to overcome procrastination when you focus more on the guilt of not doing the task rather than the task itself.

Be kind to yourself. Do one tiny little task off your list. Let go of things that don’t interest you, even if you have already started it or progressed on it.

“If you put off everything till you’re sure of it, you’ll never get anything done.” — Peale