Procrastination

It's easy to keep putting off the chores we find unpleasant. It's typical to put off beginning or finishing tasks we don't really want to complete, even when we know they will cause us more stress in the future.

Delaying or postponing tasks till the very last minute or after their due date is known as procrastination. It goes beyond simple time management issues. Researchers propose that our irrational behavior arise from a breakdown in self-regulation. We procrastinate while knowing that doing so will have disadvantageous effects.

What causes procrastination?

When a project was actually due the next day, but you believed you had a week to do it, do you recall that moment? What about the time you "didn't feel like doing it right now" and decided not to clean your apartment?

We frequently underestimate how long a project will take to complete, which might give us a false sense of security when we think we still have plenty of time to perform these tasks.

The idea that we need to be inspired or motivated to work on a task at a specific time is one of the main causes of procrastination.

Why do you procrastinate?

Not knowing what needs to be done;
Not knowing how to do something;
Not wanting to do something;
Not caring if it gets done or not;
Not caring when something gets done;
Not feeling in the mood to do it;
Having the habit of waiting until the last minute;
Believing that you work better under pressure;
Thinking that you can finish it at the last minute;
Lacking the initiative to get started;
Forgetting about it;
Blaming sickness or poor health;
Waiting for the right moment;
Needing time to think about the task;
Delaying one task in favor of working on another.

Types of Procrastinators

Procrastinators can be divided into two categories by some researchers: passive and active.

Passive procrastinator: Postpone the assignment since they struggle to decide and follow through on their decisions.
Active procrastinators: purposely put off the assignment because they "feel challenged and motivated" when working under duress.

Others categorize procrastinators according to their distinct procrastinating behaviors, such as:

Perfectionist: Postpones assignments because they worry they won't be able to finish them perfectly.

Dreamer: Postpones activities because they struggle with thinking they are not good with details.

Defier: Doesn't think someone should set their timetable for them.

Worrier: Postpones tasks because they are afraid of being uncomfortable in "the known" or of change.

Crisis-maker: Postpones assignments because they enjoy working under pressure.