photo courtesy of Elsie esq.
Time for a confession: I am a procrastinator.
I’ve always known this – I also know that I’m a very creative procrastinator. I don’t sit on the couch watching reruns of American Idol – I keep busy all the time. I’m working, cleaning my house, doing laundry, spending time with my boys, cooking, gardening, working out… So what’s wrong? When I can get so much done every day, why is it so hard to get to the changes that I want to make in my life?
One reason is, that there’s ALWAYS something I can do INSTEAD of the troublesome task that I’m procrastinating about. I can tell myself (and almost believe) that I haven’t done the task because I’m too busy. I just can’t find the time. Unfortunately that’s an excuse, and it’s time I ‘fessed up. Yes, I do have a million things to do, but I could just as easily choose, for example setting up my budget over killing weeds or folding laundry.
Why do I procrastinate?
I decided to learn more about the problem of procrastination, and I did some reading. In my search for answers I found an amazing blog called “Don’t Delay” by Dr. Timothy A. Pychyl. It’s on Psychology Today’s web site (there’s a link at the bottom of this post). Dr. Pychyl blogs about procrastination and achieving goals, and it really fits with my thoughts on the changes I’m trying to make in my life.
So what is procrastination, and how is it different from simply having too much to do? Dr. Pychyl says “Procrastination is not a delay based on priorities. Procrastination is delaying an important task in favor of some alternative task that we really know is not as important, needn’t be done right now, but seems more attractive, more rewarding.” That pretty much sums me up.
In a study he did, Dr. Pychyl found that the tasks his subjects were avoiding were rated as being stressful or difficult. That fits for me too! The task I tend to avoid like the plague is getting my financial house in order. Setting up the budget, trying to figure out how I get from where I am now to where I want to be. And yes, I find this incredibly stressful! (Why I stress about money is the subject for another conversation.)
So now, what do I do?
Well, the same study indicated that once the subjects actually got started on the dreaded task, they viewed the stress level or difficulty as less than they expected, and “…the task was actually interesting, and they thought they could do a better job with a little more time.” Hmmm. Maybe we need to follow the advice of a certain shoe company, and Just Do It. But how do you give yourself the necessary kick in the pants to get started?
According to Dr. Pychyl, our willpower is like a muscle; it can be fatigued by overuse but it can also be strengthened by focus. In order to make better choices in our lives and to progress towards our goals we need to “focus on our overall goals and values” and think about why we set these goals in the first place. He says, “It’s exactly when we say to ourselves ‘I’ll feel more like it tomorrow,’ that we have to stop, take a breath and think about why we intended to do the task today. Why is it important to us? What benefit is there in making the effort now? How will this help us achieve our goal?” And then, basically, just get started using the motivation that you’ve gained from this reflective process.
No quick fix
So, it seems to me that there is no quick and easy path to changing habits and patterns, just like there’s no quick and easy way to weight loss, or fitness or many other good things in life. It takes focus, mindfulness, effort and intention practiced on a regular basis to get there. It takes changing your attitude along with your actions. I would add support to that as well. Find someone to talk to, who will positively reinforce your intentions and hold you accountable for your progress while you try to create change in your life.
So what do you think? What are some ways that you’ve motivated yourself toward change and overcome procrastination?
If you’d like to read the entire text of Dr. Pychyl’s blogs, start here: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/dont-delay. The insights that I shared come from a few different blog entries, all be found here. There’s enough here to keep you reading for days, and I intend to study carefully. In fact, I can’t wait to get back to it, but ONLY if I’m not using it to procrastinate!!
