Why Do We Procrastinate?

As excited as I am, as post topics race through my head, I still sit here with a blank page. So sits the question, does procrastination have a purpose? I will conquer my purpose for procrastination today with this very post!

Surely our brain has a purpose for procrastinating.  The word “Purpose” is defined as the reason for which something is done or created.  So in simple terms, what is the reason we procrastinate?  There are numerous reasons but these three I believe the vast majority of people can find some truth in.

• Fear of Rejection:  We put things off whether that is a physical project or a decision on an important matter for fear of what others will think or say.  In my case simply the fear that no one will care about what I have to say.
• Fear of Failure: It is that lingering question in our head, what if what I am trying to do flops?  And in turn, the fear of what that would feel like. We let this hold us back from jumping in.  I find that these two reasons or purposes if you will, are what cause my procrastination ninety-nine percent of the time.
• The Pressure Producer: This would have to be by far the most glamorous of the purposes.  For some, procrastination is a tool they use because they feel they are at their best when under pressure.  They wait until the last moment to tackle to-do items because they feel it yields them their best result.

Procrastination does, in fact, have a purpose.  When we procrastinate our hope is to postpone rejection, failure, or even elevate our abilities for a better outcome.  While there are certainly other purposes for procrastinating for most individuals these points ring true.  I know they do for me!  We have all procrastinated at one time or another.  This is something that I am actively working on improving.  It is a slow process as in my case, to push those fears aside and find confidence instead, but after years of being a chronic procrastinator, if I know anything to be true, it is when I jump in and start swimming, I never sink!

To help with procrastination check out these other posts! ↓

Choose Progress Over Perfection

Let Go of Perfection