Why do we procrastinate? Despite knowing its consequence, why do we tend to take things in stride and delay our tasks? Is it self-sabotage? Maybe. In this article, I explore the top seven causes of procrastination. Hopefully, we’d be able to understand ourselves more, our WHY’s, find solutions, and avoid procrastination.
In the previous blog, we investigated the reasons people waste time and dally. In this blog, we’ll look deeper into this issue. You need to be able to recognize the reason you procrastinate to be able to overcome this habit. Below are some of the common reasons for the inaction of individuals.
Ambiguity
In the academic world, one of the reasons students fail is that they struggle to understand the question. Meanwhile, once you misinterpret the question, you cannot provide the right answer to it. Anyone will struggle to make tangible progress when he or she isn’t clear about what to do. In order to avoid ambiguity, your goals should be specific. If someone has given you a task, don’t accept it unless you know how to go about it. Don’t be too proud to ask questions where necessary. You should also be willing to check online for relevant materials that can guide you.
There are more than enough resources that can give you tips that can help you solve a problem. Leverage them to make life easier for yourself. You need to redefine an ambiguous task before you can have the motivation to get it done. Whenever you feel lost while trying to do something, it’s a sign that you need to know more about that task. Every problem has a solution. Begin by asking yourself if you actually know what you need to do.
Boredom
Another reason some individuals waste time when required to act is that they feel that the task is boring. This is one of the greatest challenges students face when learning mathematics and some related subjects. Solving mathematical equations feel boring to them. So, they end up not doing their assignments on time because they don’t like doing them. Writers also face this challenge when writing on topics that don’t sound fun to them. Knowing your niche helps you to solve this problem.
Always play to your strength. You cannot be an expert at everything. When choosing a career path, choose the one that you like. If you don’t have passion for architecture and houses, you’ll be making a mistake if you want to be a real estate investor. You’ll not be interested in some crucial details about the business, which will limit your success. Sometimes, the reason you aren’t interested in doing something is that you don’t understand it. If that is the case, look for someone that can help you have a better insight into how to solve the problem.
Frustration
There are times that you aren’t able to handle an issue because you don’t have the skills to deal with it. Passion, motivation, and commitment aren’t always enough to help you reach the pinnacle of your career. You need to have the skills required to succeed. For example, you cannot fly a helicopter if you haven’t been trained, regardless of how passionate you are about doing it. When you don’t have the skills needed to carry out a task, you’ll be frustrated when doing it.
Eventually, you will stop trying to make any attempt to do it again. Frustrations are products of inabilities to achieve a goal. They can cripple your motivation and make you lose interest in the long run. Therefore, avoid starting something when you have not been trained to do it. Before you start a business, do your homework about it. Read books on it and other relevant articles online. You should also seek the advice of people that are in the business.
Irrelevance
When you cannot understand the importance of a task, it’s not likely that you will be eager to do something about it. For example, if you don’t feel that there is a direct correlation between cleaning your home and your health, you might be comfortable with delaying making it tidy. However, when you feel that you are very likely to fall sick when your home is not clean, you’ll be more galvanized to do something about it on time.
Therefore, if you cannot understand why it’s essential for you to do something, it can lead to procrastination. If you find yourself in this situation, endeavor to discover why you need to act on time on the task. To get a better insight into the activity, ask questions when you need to from people that know better. As an individual, you shouldn’t embark on a project that is meaningless to you. If you don’t have a good reason for starting, you will stop or procrastinate somewhere along the line.
Difficulty
A mere thought about a task that you feel is too challenging for you can make you feel sad. No one wants to take any step to do something he or she is not happy to do. So, when you find yourself vacillating and dallying when you ought to be working on something, ask yourself whether you feel it is too tedious. There are many ways you can solve a problem if the issue is its difficulty.
You can ask someone who is more knowledgeable to give you hints that can help you solve the problem in a faster and easier way. You can also break the task into smaller bits so that you can do them little by little. This approach is called chunking. Yet, this technique might not be applicable when you have limited time. It can be relevant if you want to clean your home. You can break the bigger task into different days so that it can be easier for you to handle.
Lack of Instant Gratification
Why do you prefer playing games to reading a book, especially academic material? The answer is simple: playing games is fun. Why is it fun? It gives you instant gratification. On the other hand, you might not enjoy the benefits of the knowledge you are gaining from the book until later times. If you are studying for a course, you might not find preparation for your exams interesting. Still, when you excel and get accolades for your performance, it feels sensational.
In the same way, working a job isn’t easy. You wake up in the morning and have to go to your office even when you would have preferred to sleep all day. You might not find it interesting. Even when you’re doing a job that is your passion, there are days you’ll feel bored and won’t feel like working. However, whenever you get paid or appreciated for your efforts, all the days of pain and struggle fade away. Always remember the reward when you are doing a task that doesn’t offer instant gratification.
Disorganization
Another reason people find it difficult to motivate themselves to action is that the task they want to do lacks structure. If you cannot tell where to start or where to stop, it reduces your drive to set to work. Some people thrive in chaotic systems, but some people cannot function without order. It is always easier for such people when they are told exactly what they need to do. They hate to have to figure out what they need to do by themselves.