Why You Procrastinate on Things You Actually Want to Do

According to empirical research synthesized by Groundwork, procrastination is a complex psychological phenomenon that affects people who genuinely want to achieve their goals. Dr. Itamar Shatz, an Affiliated Lecturer at Cambridge University, shares five key insights from his new book, Solving Procrastination: The Science of Why We Put Things Off and How to (Finally!) Stop.

What’s the Big Idea?

Procrastination isn’t a failure of time management or a sign that we don’t care. It’s a psychological tug-of-war between what we intend to do and what feels easier or better right now. To stop procrastinating, we need to understand what’s driving our particular pattern of delay and use strategies that address the real cause, rather than relying on willpower.

1. Procrastinators care more, not less.

Procrastination involves an intention-action gap between the beneficial things we mean to do and the problematic things we actually do. According to Dr. Shatz, procrastination is an issue not only for unpleasant tasks but also on activities we’re genuinely excited about. And it’s why we procrastinate not only on stuff that doesn’t matter, but also on activities that can have serious consequences.

Our analysis on why people procrastinate on activities they love reveals that perfectionism is a significant contributor to procrastination. When we care too much about the outcome, we become paralyzed by fear of failure. To avoid this pitfall, it’s essential to replace perfectionism with good enough, which can actually be quite good. Then, remind yourself that the right number of mistakes in your work isn’t zero, and focus on your own standards (rather than those set by others).

2. We procrastinate to pursue immediate pleasure and avoid immediate pain.

The misconception that procrastination is just about time management or motivation leads us to try solving it with the wrong tools, which guarantees we’ll fail. Time-management is usually a symptom of procrastination, rather than its cause. We can have excellent time-management skills and still end up procrastinating because we’re not addressing the real cause.

To stop procrastinating, we need to take back control of our mind and find ways to strengthen our drive to act, or weaken our drive to delay. Fortunately, several techniques can help, like ditching big goals in favor of attainable ones, taking extra breaks when we need to rest, and riding the waves of our productivity rhythms. According to research on how to boost productivity, taking regular breaks can help us recharge and come back to our tasks with renewed energy and focus.

3. Our brain is great at tricking us into thinking that next time will be different.

The biggest issue is the self-control fallacy: our mistaken belief that if we just try harder, we’ll manage to do what we need to through sheer willpower, even though this exact approach has failed us many times before. To overcome this fallacy, we need to develop strategies that address the real cause of our procrastination, rather than relying on willpower.

Strategies to Overcome Procrastination

To overcome procrastination, we need to understand what’s driving our particular pattern of delay and use strategies that address the real cause. Here are some strategies to help you get started:

1. Identify your motivations: Reflect on why you want to achieve your goals. What are your motivations? What are you afraid of? What are you hoping to gain?
2. Break down big goals into smaller ones: Divide your big goals into smaller, manageable tasks. This will help you build momentum and make progress towards your goals.
3. Create a schedule: Plan out your day, week, or month. Set specific times for work, rest, and play. Use time-management tools like calendars, to-do lists, or apps to help you stay on track.
4. Use the Pomodoro Technique: Work in focused 25-minute increments, followed by a 5-minute break. This technique can help you stay focused and avoid burnout.
5. Seek accountability: Share your goals and progress with a friend or mentor. This can provide an added motivation to stay on track.

Procrastination is a complex psychological phenomenon that affects people who genuinely want to achieve their goals. By understanding what’s driving our particular pattern of delay and using strategies that address the real cause, we can overcome procrastination and achieve our goals.