Procrastination

Mar 3, 2011 by Holly Ralston-Oyler

When you procrastinate, do you feel a low sense of self-esteem, not worthy and distressed that you’re not meeting others expectations?  Do you over estimate the size of a task until the thought of doing it overwhelms you?  It’s said that procrastinators expect too much from themselves and become out of touch with reality and their goals are in reality only wishes and dreams.

Let’s start with a basic definition from any dictionary.  Procrastination is the act of putting off, postponing or delaying intentionally and habitually something that should be done. This act may make you feel guilty for not being productive and responsible.  You become stressed and this becomes an excuse to delay what should be done even further.

Procrastinators are often times perfectionists.  They spend an inordinate amount of time trying to perfect one small task while the larger, needed task goes unfinished or not begun.

Perfectionists and procrastinators often continue to work on a tiny part of a project to avoid the evaluation of others, thus becoming a workaholic.  The underlying problem for some perfectionists is that they are egocentric and will settle for nothing but the ultimate.

Psychologists classify procrastinators as two types:  relaxed and tense or anxious. The relaxed type directs their energy into tangent tasks, thus avoiding what needs to be done.  They view the whole elephant and are unable to take a bite at a time.  They see the task as not pleasurable and enjoyable and demand instant gratification.  Procrastinators gain the gratification by doing a more menial chore.

My husband says affectionately(?), “you are never more productive than when you are on a publishing deadline”.  Well, I’m sorry but that closet downstairs with all the extra boxes of stuff we stored when we moved from California in 1980, really needed to be straightened up!

The anxious type is usually unrealistic about time it will take to finish the project. Fear of being judged is also a huge factor.  Lacking the  ability to focus and set simple goals enables the procrastinator to tell themselves they will start later.  They rationalize reasons for delaying a beginning.  As time runs out, guilt and anxiousness increase leading to depression and even withdrawal.  Failure, delay and unmet goals become a cycle with an unending loop that continues to repeat.

I must be a real procrastination mess. The second type also applies to me. When I was on the speaking circuit several (okay, a lot of years ago years – overheads?) ago I had no clue that one could actually present a program with “dry” overheads. The Kinko’s 24-hour stores were indeed, my “branch offices” during those days.

Procrastination is common in the writing and internet marketing worlds when a marketer waits until the last minute to start an project.  Some  say they work better under pressure but this usually results in inferior work.  They know the work must be completed in order to complete the obligation or task, but other more pleasurable distractions get in the way. Now I have it figured out. I would be thin if I didn’t procrastinate.

There is a serious and dark side to procrastination, one everyone should be aware of. If you totally avoid time and obligation reality you could be a procrastinator on the road to a mental health disorder.

The compulsion to surf the net, play online games, watch movies constantly, having the television on 24/7 to distract you, or even using sleep as an escape could require professional help.  These things are not bad in moderation.  When they start interfering in your life by jeopardizing your income, your business, your reputation and/or your relationships with friends and family, it is time to start being honest with yourself and seek professional help.