Procrastination
Or, why do I look at TikTok when I know I have things to do?
This month I want to do my tax return.
It was also on my ‘things to do’ list in April. And May. Then June was over, so here we are in July and the return still isn’t started. To be fair, I just haven’t found the right time. I’m not being defensive. Honest. There was a holiday and the sun started to shine and there was Succession to finish and Industry to re-watch. The Ashes. Pride. In other words, there was a lot going on, so don’t @me.
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I know three things about completing my tax return.
I have plenty of time.
Leaving it to the last minute usually ends badly, with me owing them money, payable in full, immediately. Too late to roll onto next years code.
It’s pretty simple. But boring.
All of my brain says do the simple thing (complete the return) in a timely manner (July seems a good bet) and avoid the unnecessary stress of a last minute submissions and possible penalties. Simples. So why do I keep pushing it back? Not doing it? Getting distracted by other things?
Welcome to the ancient art of procrastination, or as we all know it, the act of delaying or postponing a task, or set of tasks.
And please don’t confuse this with laziness - thats a whole different thing that involves an unwillingness to work or use energy. I can be me mad busy, but rather than doing the big complicated report, I’m filling my time with ‘busy work’- the low impact but usually ‘urgent’ stuff that makes me feel like I’m ‘doing something.’ I’m not being lazy, far from it, but I am delaying the task I need to do.
I’m pretty sure we all procrastinate to a lesser or greater extent. Getting a feel for the numbers looks a bit like this: research suggests that 20–25% of adults are considered chronic procrastinators, and about 50% of adults admit they procrastinate from time to time.
In the workplace survey of 2,219 people, 80% of employees admitted to procrastinating between 1-4 hours daily, compared to 76% of entrepreneurs. 88% of those polled admitted to procrastinating at least one hour per day. That’s pretty much everyone on your team. Including yourself…….
What does that add up to in time? A survey in 2015 found that, on average, a person wastes around 218 minutes (three hours and a half) every day procrastinating. This is about 55 days per year. I’m not sure if that is bad or OK. But either way it’s a lot of time if you don’t want to be procrastinating, or its having an effect on your work or life or both.
Why do we procrastinate? The reasons are as diverse as the people who experience it. We tend to delay difficult tasks because they are unpleasant. Factors such as a lack of confidence, impostor syndrome, fear of failure or perfectionism, can see us not wanting to complete tasks which are difficult and might make us feel inadequate or exposed. I’ve tried to cover some of this in the links below, such as the James Clear’s A Scientific Guide on How to Stop Procrastinating article that states:
Behavioural psychology research has revealed a phenomenon called “time inconsistency,” which helps explain why procrastination seems to pull us in despite our good intentions. Time inconsistency refers to the tendency of the human brain to value immediate rewards more highly than future rewards.
The best way to understand this is by imagining that you have two selves: your Present Self and your Future Self. When you set goals for yourself — like losing weight or writing a book or learning a language — you are actually making plans for your Future Self. You are envisioning what you want your life to be like in the future. The Future Self values long-term rewards.
However, while the Future Self can set goals, only the Present Self can take action.
So, the Present Self and the Future Self are often at odds with one another. The Future Self wants to be trim and fit, but the Present Self wants a donut. Sure, everyone knows you should eat healthy today to avoid being overweight in 10 years. But consequences like an increased risk for diabetes or heart failure are years away.
He goes onto say:
This is one reason why you might go to bed feeling motivated to make a change in your life, but when you wake up you find yourself falling back into old patterns. Your brain values long-term benefits when they are in the future (tomorrow), but it values immediate gratification when it comes to the present moment (today).
The bad news: it can be a complex, multi-layered thing that increases stress and anxiety levels and gets in the way of achieving everything you want to.
The good news? I believe we can all procrastinate less. I’ve even managed it, tax return notwithstanding. You just need to find what works for you. To help with that, I’ve aggregated a bunch of theory and research and advice and tools in the links below. As with all these things, find your own path, or work with someone to help you if it’s really getting in the way.
However, I do think there is one thing we call do.
We can all ‘Get Started.’
Ask yourself:
“what is the smallest step I can take to make some progress on this?
And start.
As always, if you want to discuss any of this further with me then mail me at steve@stevewing.co.uk or take a look at stevewing.co.uk.
Read: Procrastination: A Scientific Guide How to Stop Procrastinating | James Clear
Behavioural psychology research has revealed a phenomenon called “time inconsistency,” which helps explain why procrastination seems to pull us in despite our good intentions. Time inconsistency refers to the tendency of the human brain to value immediate rewards more highly than future rewards.
James Clear | 7 minutes
Listen: Diary of a CEO: Nir Eyal on how to stop procrastinating | Steve Bartlett
“The opposite of distraction is not focus. The opposite of distraction is traction. Traction is any action that pulls you towards what you plan to do with intent. Distraction anything that pulls you away form what you planned to do.”
The Diary of a CEO | 7 minutes
This is an excerpt - the whole conversation is here and is 90 minutes long.
Watch: Here's the real reason you procrastinate | Fuschia Sirois
So if we want to find sustainable solutions to reduce our own and others procrastination, we need to stop buying into the myths of laziness and other character flaws that only serve to make us feel worse.
TED Talks| 15 minutes
Resources: 5 Research-Based Strategies for Overcoming Procrastination | Chris Bailey
There are proven ways to combat procrastination so that it doesn’t get in the way of accomplishing your most important tasks. The next time you resist a task, consider whether it sets off any of the procrastination triggers, work within your resistance level, force yourself to get started on it, list the costs of putting the task off, or disconnect from the internet.
Forbes | 5 minutes
Bonus Resource: How to stop procrastinating | MindValley
Procrastination can restrict your potential and undermine your career. It can also disrupt teamwork, reduce morale, and even lead to depression and job loss. So, it's crucial to take proactive steps to prevent it.
Bonus Resource: Understanding and overcoming procrastination | Princeton University (yes it’s for students but some good stuff here)
First, to overcome procrastination you need to have an understanding of the REASONS WHY you procrastinate and the function procrastination serves in your life. You can't come up with an effective solution if you don't really understand the root of the problem. As with most problems, awareness and self-knowledge are the keys to figuring out how to stop procrastinating
If you’re interested in finding out more, or how coaching might help you address any of these topics, please contact me on steve@stevewing.co.uk or find me at stevewing.co.uk