Most of us associate the term “procrastination” with something negative. This is something that prevents us from being active, successful, productive, worsens the status of employees in the team, and prevents a successful career. It’s something that needs to be fought and put effort into getting rid of. Loading the concept of “procrastination” with negative meanings does not make it possible to understand this phenomenon more fully.
A psychotherapist and lecturer at the Department of Psychology and Psychotherapy talks about how procrastination works:
A person constantly postpones the completion of this or that task: on the one hand, he does not want to do it, on the other hand, he feels irritation, fear, shame, guilt and inferiority due to his failure to complete it. These experiences cause an internal conflict that further interferes with the performance of the task. This is a vicious circle from which sometimes it becomes very difficult to get out.
So what to do?
First of all, stop fighting with yourself, allow yourself to admit: “I don’t want to do this! I have the right not to want to do this! And even if I don’t do it, it’s not a disaster!” Then you can ask yourself the following question: “Why do I really not want to do this?”
There can be many reasons, and they can be different in each individual case.
Perfectionism
A person believes that he must complete the task perfectly, and when it does not work out (and it is impossible to do something perfectly in principle), he is completely demotivated. It is not enough for her to do the job just “well enough”.
Also, the basis of this perfectionism may be the desire to be perfect in order to meet some “fantasy” expectations of the environment. At the same time, a person cannot accept his own positive and negative qualities, he is afraid of the evaluation of the environment and the possibility of being ashamed in front of him. In most cases, this happens in a person’s “head” and does not apply to reality. These “pictures” make it very difficult to simply do the work.
Unconscious fear of success
A person deep down is afraid to be successful and happy. Perhaps she has a deep image of herself as a “loser”, and she unconsciously seeks to support it.
Alongside this, there may be an unconscious ban on enjoying life, a ban on being a self-sufficient and capable person.
External circumstances
Perhaps not everything is so good in your team, negative emotions and unresolved disputes have accumulated in the team? Perhaps you are dissatisfied with your status or feel that you have exhausted yourself in this job? Maybe work has turned into a routine that no longer brings pleasure?
Then procrastination is unconscious “sabotage” and a way to show dissatisfaction!
In any case, procrastination is a signal. This can be a signal that you are not living your life. Execute other people’s scripts. You meet not your own, but other people’s expectations.
Maybe you are doing this job only because it is fashionable and prestigious? Maybe you’re conforming to social stereotypes? Perhaps you are following the script laid down by your parents, and in this way unconsciously strive to achieve their acceptance?
Then procrastination is the voice of your true self. This is a signal that you are not living the way you want. But you really want something completely different.
But unconscious prohibitions and fears do not give you the opportunity to change your life, and procrastination is born from this.
Listen to yourself! Perhaps, thanks to procrastination, you will learn something new about yourself. And it will help you improve your own life.
