Procrastination is a major problem. We make jokes about it, but it's way more serious than we think. It's not just about finishing those essays on time, but about our health, our happiness, and our overall well-being.
This book, Solving the Procrastination Puzzle by Professor Tim Pychyl, is like a user manual for our brains when it comes to this whole procrastination thing. Professor Pychyl is a world-leading expert on procrastination, and he breaks down four decades worth of research into a super-accessible book.
Procrastination isn’t just about being lazy or disorganized; it’s an emotional issue, not a logical one.
We procrastinate because we're trying to feel good. We want to avoid the negative emotions that certain tasks trigger, such as fear, anxiety, being overwhelmed, and boredom. We convince ourselves we’ll “feel more like it” tomorrow, but that’s just our brains tricking us into avoiding discomfort.
The key is to understand those emotional triggers, to look under the hood of our minds and figure out what’s really going on when we’re tempted to procrastinate.
Here’s how Professor Pychyl breaks it down:
Procrastination’s Toll on Our Lives
Think procrastination is no big deal? Here's why it’s way worse than we think:
Procrastination & Health: It's proven to impact both our physical and mental well-being. The stress we experience when putting things off weakens our immune systems, increases our risk of heart disease, and just generally makes us feel like crap!
Regret & Missed Opportunities: When we look back on our lives, we often regret the things we didn’t do, those opportunities we missed because we were too scared, overwhelmed, or just plain lazy to take action.
Sabotaging Our Happiness: Happiness and fulfillment come from pursuing our goals, from facing those challenges and experiencing that sense of achievement. Procrastination robs us of that joy!
It's Not About Willpower (But About How We Feel)
This is where Solving the Procrastination Puzzle gets truly mind-blowing. It's not about willpower. It’s about those emotional blockers that get in our way. It’s about that little voice in our head that says:
"I’m not good enough."
"I’m going to fail."
"This is too hard."
"This is too boring."
"People are going to judge me."
The key takeaway:
“Procrastination is fundamentally an emotional issue. We often think of procrastination as a time management problem or a lack of willpower, but that’s not the whole story. Usually, when we procrastinate, it's because there’s some kind of emotional blocker getting in our way. There’s an internal resistance to the idea of doing the task, and underneath that resistance, there’s almost always a negative emotion. In most cases, this negative emotion is some form of fear: fear of failure, fear of not being good enough, fear of what others will think, fear of success (yes, that’s a thing!), fear of boredom.”
The Vicious Cycle of Procrastination:
Here’s how it works:
We feel bad about starting a task.
We procrastinate to feel good in the short term.
This temporary relief reinforces the procrastination habit.
We procrastinate even more the next time we feel bad!
This is a trap we all fall into! Those short-term rewards like the Netflix binges, the social media scrolls, the comfort food keep us stuck in a cycle of avoidance and instant gratification, preventing us from achieving our goals and becoming the best versions of ourselves!
You Don’t Need to “Feel Like It” to Take Action
Here’s the most liberating idea from the book. We don't need to wait to “feel like” doing something before we can get started!
Think about it, do you always “feel like” doing your chores? Probably not! But you do them anyway because you know they need to be done. It's about discipline and responsibility, not just about those fleeting feelings.
“You don't need to feel motivated to take action. We often fall into the trap of thinking we need to “feel like” doing something before we can start. But that’s not true at all!”
This is a game changer! It means we can choose to act regardless of how we feel. We can stop being slaves to those ever-changing emotions and take control of our actions.
Here’s a powerful strategy that I find super helpful. Instead of thinking, “I’m a procrastinator” try this: “I’m a professional student.”
Professionals don’t act based on their feelings. They show up and do what needs to be done, even when it’s hard, even when they’re not in the mood, because they’re committed to their craft!
So, next time you’re feeling the urge to procrastinate, ask yourself, “What would a professional student do?”
Strengthen Your Why: Supercharge Your Goal Intentions
Another powerful tactic is to strengthen your “goal intentions” – the reasons why you want to achieve a specific goal. The more connected you are to your “why,” the less likely you are to procrastinate.
Here’s what Professor Pychyl says about this:
"If we want to reduce our tendency to procrastinate, one effective strategy is to strengthen our goal intentions. This means having a strong, clear reason for why we're doing a particular task. When a goal is self-directed—something we personally and intrinsically want and value—we’re less likely to procrastinate on it."
Here are some tips:
Connect Your Goals to Your Values: Ask yourself, “Why is this goal truly important to me?” How does it align with my values, beliefs, and aspirations?
Visualize Your Success: Imagine yourself achieving that goal and experiencing those awesome benefits!
Surround Yourself with Reminders: This could be a vision board, inspiring quotes, or even just changing your phone wallpaper to something that represents your goal.
Share your goals with supportive people (but be careful about broadcasting it to the world – that can backfire!)
Unlock the Power of “If-Then” Plans
Implementation intentions! It sounds complex, but it’s really simple. You’re creating an “if-then” plan for those moments when you’re most tempted to procrastinate. You're basically telling your brain in advance what to do, so there’s no need to deliberate or argue with yourself when those procrastination demons come knocking.
Examples:
“When I get home from school, I’ll put my phone on “Do Not Disturb” and study for one hour. Then I’ll give myself a break to check messages and relax.”
“If I feel tempted to skip my workout, then I’ll put on my gym clothes and do at least 5 minutes of exercise. If I still don’t feel like it after that, I can stop.”
“When I sit down to write an essay and feel stuck, I'll set a timer for 15 minutes and just free write, whatever comes to mind. No editing allowed! Then, I'll take a 5-minute break and come back with a fresh perspective.”
These "if-then" plans are incredibly powerful because:
They remove the decision-making out of the equation, making it easier to follow through.
They make our good habits more automatic over time.
They help us avoid those instant-gratification temptations that lead to procrastination.
Stop Waiting, Start Living: It's Time to Take Control!
Procrastination isn’t something we’re stuck with! By understanding the psychology behind it, we can rewire our brains for success.
Here are some questions to help you create your anti-procrastination system:
What are your biggest procrastination triggers? What tasks or situations do you most often avoid?
What negative emotions are those triggers causing you to feel?
How can you strengthen your goal intentions for the things you really want to achieve?
What are your “if-then” plans for those moments when you’re most tempted to procrastinate?
Who can you ask for support and accountability?
Remember, it’s not about achieving perfection – we’re all going to procrastinate sometimes. It’s about learning to manage those feelings, developing strategies for dealing with those difficult moments, and then getting back on track as quickly as possible!
Now, it's your turn. What’s your biggest takeaway from this post? What are you going to do today to stop procrastinating and start building the life you want? Let me know in the comments!
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