I really should stop procrastinating, but I keep putting it off.

Big presentation coming up that you need to write, but you end up scrolling and watching golf instead?

Maybe you’re setting up your own business, but have spent months perfecting your website rather than actually getting out and getting clients.

Most of us procrastinate in some shape or form. We're conscious that we have things to do, but we divert onto something else which leads to the original task taking a lot longer than it needed to, or worse, not getting it done at all.

But why do we do it? 

THE USUAL CULPITS

FEAR

The part of our brain that tries to keep us safe, sees any threat of emotional vulnerability - be that rejection, humiliation or failure - as much as a risk to our survival as cave men saw a beast coming towards them. We run as fast as we can from the thing that poses risk to our safety.

What does that look like? You've been made redundant, but rather than sitting down, writing your CV and sending it out to your network, you end up scrolling, or going for a run, or spending hours researching ‘how to write a great cv’.

Why? Maybe there’s internalised fear about what being out of work looks like to others. Maybe you fear that you simply aren't good enough. 

Or - in an out of work context - you’re really attracted to someone you met recently, and even though you think they might be your person, you don't ask them out. You carry on watching re-runs of Succession because the risk of them saying no to you (which = rejection / humiliation / failure), is too high.

OVERWHELM 

You’ve got 4 big projects racing towards their deadlines. You can’t physically get through everything on time - it’s impossible. When we feel overwhelm a) it’s horrible b) it paralyses us. Our brain is full of open tabs, half done to do’s, and anxious thoughts about the impact of not fulfilling of what we’re meant to (part of this as a result of the Attention Economy we live in). And so we freeze. Or at least our attention span and focus can be disrupted. 

LAZINESS

I know! Imagine a coach calling someone lazy. What a nerve. BUT, sometimes, we just can’t be bothered. But the problem with this is that the task that needs done still sits there, looming over us and it can quickly feel heavy, anxiety provoking and become more of a stress than it needs to.

EXTRINSIC MOTIVATION

For some of us, we put things off because we don’t actually care enough. Perhaps the task doesn't interest you, or it’s mundane. The dreaded tax return, or doing your expenses for example. Or maybe you’re avoiding visiting your elderly parents because you find it a chore.

With these examples, the motivation and desire to do the thing is not intrinsic - it doesnt come from within. They’re things that extrinsic motivations - you’re doing them because you should or have to, not because of a deep want or desire. 

It’s no surprise you then avoid doing them. 

HOW DO WE STOP PROCRASTINATING?

You probably won't, not completely. But if you want to start to focus in on tasks/ things you need to do (and complete them), and use your time effectively in the process, you can make changes. 

As James Clear suggests in Atomic Habits, for any behvioural change to be effective, we need to make new habits that are easy to do (so we’ll actually do them) and do them often.

With that in mind, here’s a short plan for you to work with if you want to get more focused.

FOCUS-IT PLAN

1. First step - we need to become conscious of when we’re procrastinating to start to unpick the why.

Keep a check on yourself for one week. Each night, write down a couple of sentences / notes on when you procrastinated and when you were really productive and focused.

Look at the patterns. When is it you end up loosing time doing nothing or, as some would say ‘faffing’? What is it about the thing you’re putting off doing that makes you do something else?

2. Set aside blocks of time where you allow yourself time to be unfocused, and equally, set periods in the day where you are not allowed to take focus away from the task in hand.

So, say 9-10:30 you fully focus. 

Then 11-1 you do the same.

10:30-11 - go bananas; scroll, do push ups in the garden, take the dog out around the block, go chat to colleagues in the office. Eat.

3. For focus time, it’s about creating small changes that set you up for success:

• Put your personal phone onto airplane and no wifi mode. 

• Have all the snacks / drinks you need for the time block within arms length

• Set a timer with an alarm that tells you when focus time is up.

• If you’re working from home, create boundaries with your kids / partner around when you can and cannot be disturbed (easier said than done i realise).

If​ you catch yourself not following your F - IT Plan, a good way to get back on track is to ask yourself -  by doing this (scrolling / turning on the tv / cutting my nails), what am I not doing? What’s the impact of that?

Finally

Think of your end goal -  whether that be to get a job, to have enough money to retire early, or to complete a Masters. Each time you start to dither dather (said your grandma), ask yourself, "is this pushing me towards my goal or away from it?"

If it’s pulling you away from what you want / need/ dream of, then is it worth it? Is it serving you (the answer’s no). Then bring out your F-It plan.

In short, once we become aware of when and why we procrastinate, we can take control and make a conscious choice to hold ourselves accountable and get the job done.

Good luck.