What is it?

Lacking motivation or avoiding tasks can come from a variety of sources. Sometimes it means that we are simply overextended and cannot get to everything. Or we don’t find it interesting and don’t have the motivation to do it. But there can be other sources for procrastination.

Faulty assumptions

Sometimes we can over-estimate the difficulty of the task or the amount of time it will take to get done. This can make it seem more intimidating than it is. It can be helpful to break it down into steps and focus on completing one step at a time.

Perfectionism

Many of us want to do our absolute best in everything. However, this is not always possible and trying to achieve perfection can leave us overextended. Instead of aiming for perfect, decide what level of performance you want to achieve on each task and work toward those goals.

Fear of evaluation

Concerns about responses to our work can increase stress and anxiety. It is important to keep other people’s responses in perspective. No one performs highly all the time and in every area. Focus on doing your best with your workload and don’t let other people’s reactions impact you more than they should.

What can help?

In order to address procrastination, there are several strategies you might try. Creating a work space for yourself that minimizes distractions can give you a place to focus and complete your work. You can also try scheduling specific blocks of time to only focus on completing work to keep yourself accountable. It may also be helpful to break tasks down into smaller steps so you can focus on completing one goal at a time.

Resources

Learn more about our services, including individual therapy, consultation, and Let's Talk here.

We also offer a variety of group sessions and workshops to help people who want to learn more about coping strategies and managing time and procrastination. You can find more information here.