Here it is: the truth about procrastination!
Everyone I have ever asked has admitted procrastinating at some point in their life, most of them on a regular basis. If you ask people about their experience of procrastination, almost everyone will say it causes them stress, makes them nervous or fearful, or interferes with their ability to be effective, or to enjoy life.
If this is true, why is it that almost everyone still procrastinates? Why don’t we just stop? If we’re aware of the consequences, why is it so hard to correct the behavior?
The truth about procrastination is that it serves a purpose. The reason why people struggle to stop procrastinating is because they fail to see procrastination from the appropriate context. The truth is that the consequences of procrastination are hardly consequences at all, but perceiving them that way ensures that the real purpose of procrastination remains hidden deep within our subconscious minds.
The truth is that procrastination provides something that people really, really value. In a word, procrastination provides DRAMA! Who doesn’t love having drama and excitement in their life? Sure, we may say that procrastination is stressful and exhausting, but who can deny that it adds a degree of excitement and adventure to what might otherwise be a mundane affair?
Don’t believe me? Fine. You’re entitled to your own perspective, but I ask you this: Where’s the excitement in knowing that everything will be done on time? Where’s the adventure in working within your known limits? Where’s the fun in never testing your true ability to perform?
The truth is that people derive satisfaction from testing themselves, and passing the test. Procrastination gives people the opportunity perform exceptionally (at the last minute), and to experience themselves as being more powerful than normal circumstances will allow.
Procrastination makes life more thrilling and more satisfying (at least in short bursts that are both preceded by and followed by experiences of guilt and powerlessness).
Procrastination serves a purpose, although not very consistently, and not very well. If you want, as many people do, to have power over procrastination, you have to be willing to see the payoff first. You have to be able to identify the part of the experience that’s superficially positive or desirable, because that’s what compels you to keep procrastinating!
The next time you find yourself procrastinating, stop and ask yourself these questions:
- Where in my life or work do I feel bored, or long for drama and excitement?
- What does procrastinating allow me to experience that’s positive and desirable?
- How can I recreate that experience without using procrastination?
