Procrastination is one of the common negative behavior we have as human beings. Even though we
definitely want to be productive and reach our ultimate potential, this vice results into unnecessary
delays.
We procrastinate waking up by snoozing our alarms, we procrastinate eating healthy by choosing
a plate of food we want to let go of, etc.
If you ask an average person if they would want to achieve
greatness, the most obvious answer is a definite YES! The challenge is we are slow in TAKING ACTION!
Why do we take longer than we would love to when it comes to taking action?
The Pain- Pleasure Principle
Every human being, whether consciously or unconsciously, is driven by the desire to either avoid pain or
pursue pleasure. Before we take any action, we analyze the possible outcome to see how it makes us
feel.
Avoidance of pain
– Tasks that are perceived as difficult, boring or anxiety-inducing can create a sense
of discomfort or pain.
For example, most individuals desire to be physically fit and have a healthy body
but associate working out with pain and exhaustion. They also derive pleasure from eating unhealthy
foods! To avoid pain, they give up on the possible pleasure of having their desired bodies. This results
into procrastination of their health and fitness goals.
On the other hand, individuals who decide to embrace the pain of working out and slashing out their
food portions make pain their friend in pursuit of the pleasure they foresee in having a muscular, well-
built and healthy body.
Pursuit of pleasure
– Individuals tend to procrastinate by engaging in activities that provide instant
gratification such as browsing on social media, watching TV or chatting with friends. These activities
offer instant pleasure making them more attractive than the tasks at hand.
On the other hand, individuals can also choose to defer instant gratification as they envision future
pleasure.
For example, one can choose to save money instead of spending it on fun and leisure as they
pursue a future pleasure like owning a house, car, etc.
At the end of the day, the question on our minds is, “will this result into PAIN or PLEASURE?”
What triggers PROCRASTINATION?
Fear of failure –
The pain associated with potentially failing can lead to procrastination. For
example, one will fear starting a business to avoid the pain of it not picking up and losing
money.
Perfectionism-
‘Perfect is the enemy of good’. The desire for perfection and fear of making
mistakes can create overwhelming pressure causing individuals to delay in taking action.
Lack of interest –
If individuals perceive that tasks are not going to be instantly rewarding, they
will tend to procrastinate and turn to more enjoyable activities.
Negative self-belief –
Self-doubt causes people to second guess themselves and give up. This
stems from past experiences and failures. They become their reference points making them fear
that the past will repeat itself. The perception one has of themselves really matters. Remember,
greatness sits on us, we just need to awaken it.
“The life you are currently living is the life you think you are worth”,
Ed Mylet
Negative patterns built over time –
It is said that, ‘the way you do one thing is the way you do
everything’. Some individuals have patterns of procrastination in everything they do.
It is possible to beat procrastination by working towards it daily and consistently. Remember, ‘if you
want to change your life, change something -one thing- in what you do daily’. Be a pleasure driven
person. You do not have to wait for pain to take action. Find pleasure in achieving your goals.
In our next blog, we will look into practical steps on overcoming procrastination.
If you need help in breaking procrastination patterns and boosting your belief in self, come let us
explore your inner coding. You may need to smash some negative codes and install new empowering
codes!
Drop every excuse and let’s get things done because YES WE CAN!
