Laura Stack says putting off until tomorrow what should be done today is counter-productive because, as we all know, tomorrow never comes.
We all procrastinate sometimes, despite its negative impact on our productivity.
The word ‘procrastinate’ comes from the Latin roots pro (forward) and crastinus (belonging to tomorrow), which developed into procrastinate in English, meaning ‘deferred until tomorrow’.
So why do we knowingly put important things off that we know we need to do?
Many of us believe procrastination arises from laziness, and maybe that’s true sometimes.
Maybe it’s mostly true for some people, but I believe the chief cause of procrastination is subconscious fear.
So let’s take a look at the five fears I believe contribute most to procrastination.
If you see yours here, that might explain your procrastination — not laziness.
Fear of failure is a huge factor in procrastination, because it includes so many related fears.
Fear you’ll do the job badly; fear you didn’t prepare enough; fear because you don’t know where to start; fear you don’t know enough, and so on.
Ultimately, you fear you’ll mess up the task and look foolish.
Well, maybe you will; but if you let procrastination weigh you down, the prophecy becomes self-fulfilling, and you will fail — spectacularly.
If you at least try, no one can blame you for not making the effort.
Nobody does everything right the first time.
Do the best you can and learn from the experience, so you can move forward with those lessons in mind.
You probably won’t lose your job for failing your first time out, as long as you’re willing to keep trying.
Prepare carefully, do the best you can, and deal with the details as they emerge.
Fear of success is also surprisingly common.
We all know the best ditch-digger’s reward: A bigger shovel and more work.
Are you the ‘reliable’ one in the office — the one your manager counts on to come in on your days off and fix the mistakes others make?
If so, you understand the fear of success and the stress that can result.
Doing a good job can result in promotions and more money, and it might also result in too much work.
So, subconsciously, some people let themselves fail through procrastination.
Fear of running out of work is a constant fear in workplaces where headcount is shrinking through attrition.
If you finish all the work on your plate, will you get more — or will your role be eliminated?
Even in a good economy, if people are twiddling their thumbs because they’re run out of work, the common reaction is to reduce the team’s size and then go through the trouble of rehiring when the work does come.
If this fear powers your procrastination, you can’t allow it to continue.
Just assume your supervisor will have work for you and ask for projects and increased responsibilities.
Otherwise you’ll eventually lose standing, because you’re stretching the work you do have too far.
Fear of the unknown results when you’re presented with work that’s new to you, or is unclear, or you don’t know where to start.
You may feel reluctant to put your shoulder to the wheel and get to work.
You can overcome this fear by consulting with someone experienced in that type of work.
Ask a colleague or co-worker to introduce you to someone in the field, so you don’t end up reinventing the wheel.
Or ask your manager for the training required to do the job right.
Fear of the task arises when you’re given something you don’t like to do, possibly because it’s difficult, unpleasant, you’re sick of it, or you feel unqualified for it.
Maybe you don’t agree with the project and how it’s run or find the task of questionable value or taste.
So instead, you do other things first, “deferring until tomorrow”.
At least you’re procrastinating somewhat productively… but you’re still procrastinating.
How do these five fears stack up against your procrastination reality?
I’m willing to bet at least one resonates with you, and all are understandable.
You have a choice: You can let your fears control you, or you can square your shoulders and do the work you’re paid to do.
Obviously living in fear isn’t the answer, so find ways to answer or work around the fears you have control over, and stop worrying about the ones you don’t.
Otherwise, you’ll never stop procrastinating.
*Laura Stack is a keynote speaker and author on productivity and performance. She has written seven books, including her newest work, Doing the Right Things Right: How the Effective Executive Spends Time. She can be contacted at theproductivitypro.com.
This article first appeared on Laura’s blogsite.
