CL #10: Six Lies You Have Believed About Procrastination
Common myths about procrastination
Today’s article is a guest post from Lenny Wachira, Life and Leadership Coach at Northpoint Coaching and Training.
Procrastination, the silent thief of productivity, often lurks in the shadows of our daily lives. As professionals, understanding its nuances is crucial for unlocking our true potential at work and life.
Your perspective shapes how you navigate the world.
In the realm of psychology, naming emotions to tame them is a powerful concept.
Today, let's apply this principle to our professional lives and explore six common misconceptions about procrastination that might be hindering your productivity.
1. Procrastination is purely a time management issue:
While time management plays a role, procrastination is often linked to deeper psychological factors such as fear of failure, perfectionism, or lack of motivation.
Simply advising someone to manage their time better may not address the underlying issues.
2. Procrastination is a sign of laziness:
Procrastination is not necessarily a sign of laziness.
Many procrastinators are capable and hardworking individuals who may struggle with specific tasks due to anxiety, fear, or other emotional factors.
3. Pressure always improves performance:
Some people believe that procrastinators work better under pressure.
While it's true that some individuals may feel more focused or motivated when a deadline is looming, chronic procrastination can lead to increased stress, compromised quality of work, and negative effects on mental well-being.
4. Procrastination is a habit that can be easily broken:
Overcoming procrastination is often more complex than simply deciding to stop.
It may involve addressing underlying emotional issues, changing thought patterns, and developing new strategies for approaching tasks.
5. Procrastination is a character flaw:
Procrastination is a behaviour, not a fundamental character trait.
Labelling someone as lazy or undisciplined oversimplifies the issue and ignores the potential psychological factors at play.
Understanding and addressing the root causes can be more productive than assigning blame.
6. Procrastination is the same for everyone:
Procrastination manifests differently for different people.
Some may procrastinate due to anxiety, while others do it as a way of rebelling against external expectations.
Recognizing the unique reasons behind an individual's procrastination is crucial for developing effective strategies to overcome it.
Conclusion
Understanding that procrastination is a complex behaviour influenced by various factors can help individuals address the root causes and develop effective strategies for managing it.
Beating procrastination will help you get things done, which happens to be President Obama’s No: 1 Career Advice for Young People
Which of the 6 myths have you believed?
That’s it for today!
Lenny will be holding a Webinar on Procrastination early next year. Sign up using this link.
The article is really informative and I look forward to the webinar
I have struggled with procrastination a lot and its due to the ambiguity of the task that makes me experience anxiety. I have always believed that it is a time management issue untill I had all time magement tools but it never worked. I now believe in the power of starting and how acelerated it makes me feel.