I began this blog post on procrastination back in March of this year and here I am, nine months later and still not finished. What does that tell you about my procrastination habit? I would like to think that it simply means I am human. To feel better about this, here are some of the “excuses” I told myself; I was moving back to my house and had to start all over again (i.e. buy everything again), had guests and family functions, and completed a short online course. Not too bad, if I say so myself. However, truth be told, writing blog posts was not even on my list of things to do. Have you ever spent a whole day thinking about a task instead of actually doing it? I know I have, and I have discovered that procrastination can be more exhausting than the work itself. It’s draining to dwell on something without taking action. Can you relate?
Even when it comes to writing my blog posts—something I genuinely enjoy—I find myself procrastinating. I often ask myself, “Why am I putting this off?” I started this blog to share my experiences overcoming daily challenges, both physical and mental. Through my self-reflection, I’ve realized that procrastination often isn’t about the tasks themselves, but about what lies behind them.
So, why do we procrastinate? Here’s what I’ve found:
Complexity: If a task feels overwhelming due to its many layers, I might avoid it altogether. This leads to stress and anxiety, especially when deadlines loom, resulting in rushed work and even more stress.
Self-Doubt: When I lack confidence in my ability to complete a task, I tend to postpone it, hoping to avoid failure.
Distractions: It’s all too easy to get sidetracked by other things. Now we have many distractions such as our cell phones, and social media.
To combat this, I am learning to keep things simple, which can be challenging at times. By breaking tasks down into manageable steps, I can tackle them with greater ease and less mental burden. When I complete tasks, it gives a sense of accomplishment and boosts my confidence. How do you handle procrastination? I do not believe procrastination is simply being lazy, it can be a deeper health issue. I remember feeling extremely tired and “lazy” during my student days. A blood test eventually revealed anemia, iron deficiency, which explained my lack of energy. For a long time, I thought I was just procrastinating, but it turned out there was a deeper issue. While occasional procrastination is normal, if it becomes persistent, it might be worth seeing a doctor to rule out any underlying health conditions. This was my personal experience, and I hope it helps you avoid taking months to complete tasks like I did while writing this blog post!
To end this short blog post on a light note, I came across this quote recently: “Procrastination taught me how to do 30 minutes of work in 8 hours and 8 hours of work in 30 minutes.” – Unknown source
