Lock Out “The Silent Killer”… And Get Your Life Back

By: Betsy Buckley

Posted on 08/16/2011 - 1:15pm | From the Growth Strategy Blog

There’s something bad, lurking out there in our lives, and, it’s getting worse every year. I call it the disease the doctors never talk about--- and, because it’s increasing at an alarming rate and invading the lives of my clients, I feel as though I need to talk about it.

Its name is procrastination.

According to Psychology Today, 20% of people identify themselves as procrastinators (read the full article here) and I wonder--- how many more are out there, avoiding naming themselves? How many more are suffering all the miseries that go along with not doing something they think is boring, stupid, hard, risky, emotionally painful or some combination of those factors?

I’m asking because I observe procrastination in the workplace and the things that happen in its wake--- RFP’s getting out the door via the absolutely last FedEx truck, holiday cards that arrive the second week of January, commitments made but not honored, staff reviews avoided for years, causing great people to leave an organization,  to-do lists with no deadlines (and as a result, work on those lists that never gets done).

Why do people procrastinate? Is it just poor time management or lack of a daily planning tool?  Actually, researchers who have made studying procrastination their life work, like Laura Vanderkam, author of 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think , offer a variety of reasons. I boil these reasons down to FAIR, because I believe procrastination itself needs to be understood before it can be changed. My summary reasons include: 

• FEAR. Some people avoid doing things because they are afraid they’ll succeed; others because they fear they’ll fail.  They worry, and usually, a big piece of that worry is “What if they find out I’m not capable(or overly so)?” The concern about what others might think holds them back from moving forward.
• Adrenaline rush. For some, waiting until the very last minute offers the same euphoria as skydiving or mountain climbing. The mundane same-old, same-old tasks offer no high… and therefore, they think, should be avoided at all costs.
• INDECISION. When my son Felix was just four and my southern belle mother was coming to visit, we headed off to the grocery store before picking her up. To my surprise, Felix did an amazing imitation of her while riding in the cart, wringing his hands. In an excellent imitation of her darling southern drawl, he demonstrated indecision perfectly: “I don’t know--- should we get the peas or the corn? I can’t decide… I’m so worried.” Not making a decision lets the procrastinator absolve themselves of any responsibility for the outcome.
• REBELLION: Particularly in families where there were tight, authoritarian rules, procrastination is more prevalent because there was little or no room for developing the ability to self-regulate, identify realities and take timely action.

Do any of these ring true for you, or someone you care about? Each of them in their own way highlights the real curse of procrastination--- it limits satisfaction of a well-managed, well-led life. Are there answers? Three big tips:

1. JDI. Just do it. Realize there’s more pain in procrastinating than there is in doing the task itself. Get some flow going, whether it’s cleaning up your in-box or taking the garbage out. See the satisfaction of action.
2. Don’t allow being overwhelmed to overtake your resolve. Break large tasks into smaller ones, and smaller again. Take it a step at a time and don’t think too hard about what comes next. Keep moving things forward.
3. Change your thinking. Replace fear and worry with excitement about trying something different; replace the procrastinator’s high with a new sport (ever try mountain biking? Or paddle boarding? Or canoeing down the rapids?). Commit to making at least one decision every day for a week--- then bump it to 2 the next week, then three. And finally, realize who you are today is no longer the child you were some years ago--- and that whatever rebellious behaviors made you feel better then aren’t making you feel better now.

None of us would willingly let a killer into our workplace or our homes. Do what you can--- for yourself and those you care about. Lock out the silent killer, procrastination. Voila! When all the pains associated with procrastination make an exit, we’ve just created space for the pleasures associated with authentic living.