Procrastination, as you may know, is the action of delaying or postponing a task we set for ourselves in the past, and we all have those days when we find the resistance to get something done. We plan and plan, but we make excuses, and we leave it all the work for our future self; they’ll figure it out, right?
There may be many reasons why we procrastinate, but our productivity usually suffers because of some type of fear. Procrastination becomes a way of protecting our self-esteem.
Here are the main fears that can hinder our productivity:
1. Fear of Failure
It is the fear that we will fail so badly that we will get criticized, so we end up self-sabotaging our efforts and not finishing what we start. These feelings of shame and worthlessness are often triggered by an expectation of judgement from ourselves or others when we mess up. This fear shows up as perfectionism when we create unreachable standards when pursuing a task.
2. Fear of Success
It is the concern that doing a good job can result in promotions and more money, and it might also result in too much work, and subconsciously, we let ourselves fail through procrastination because we think we won’t be able to handle that success. But it could also be an issue of worthlessness as well, believing we don’t deserve it, so end up playing small and working on the little things that don’t bring enough impact.
3. Fear of Loss
It is the fear that we will lose something, and we do absolutely anything to avoid it, which leads to making poor decisions. We may fear losing control, and if we don’t have it, something terrible will happen. Not being able to control makes one feel low in self-worth. This fear is also tied in with perfectionism to regain a better sense of control.
4. Fear of the Unknown
It is the fear of not having enough information to act upon our tasks. The future is uncertain, so it’s better not to act. This mental obstacle stops us from making decisions. We need to find the courage actually to step into the unknown in order to grow. To do that, we need to set clear goals.
The common thread between all these fears it’s in our worth and the belief that we won’t be able to handle the consequences of our actions, so instead, we decide to avoid working.
Four ways to stop living in fear
Set Approach Goals
Set approach goals, not avoidance goals. According to Psychologist Bridget Grenville-Cleave, “Approach goals are those with positive outcomes that we work towards. Avoidance goals are those with negative outcomes that we work to avoid.”
Instead of thinking, “I will avoid procrastinating,” it’s better to say, “I will be more efficient,” or instead of saying, “I will avoid spending money” it’s better to reframe it as “I will find ways to make more money.”
Make a crisis plan
Make a list of the worst-case scenarios for completing a task or project and think of things you could do to prevent the failure, and in the event you fail, make a list of what could you do to get back on your feet.
Similarly, if you find yourself worrying about the unknown, make a list of all the fantastic things that this situation could make possible.
The cost of procrastination
Make a list of the benefits of making an effort and the cost of inaction. This exercise could help you realize that walking away from work would be more harmful to you in the long run.
Focus on what you can control
Please take a moment to figure out what are the things you have control over, sooner or later you will figure out, all we can control is our effort and our attitude.
Even though we can’t force things to go our way, acknowledging that we will be able to handle the worst-case scenario will help us use our energy for productive things.
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Comment below, how does your fears mess up with your productivity and how do you deal with them and get it done anyway?
