Procrastination Paralysis: What’s holding you back?

How do we use our time? Each of us has a different internal metronome that ticks a little faster or slower than other people’s does. For procrastinators, getting a read on time has never been easy. 

Some get right on a project or make a quick decision and move on. Some debate a little, and then there are the procrastinators who chew on their thoughts, then wait until the last minute to complete a project or make a decision. This reasoning can be paralyzing, and there are consequences.  

But many keep doing so because they almost always get whatever they need to finish, done. Often right under the wire. 

Yet, they pay a price in stress as these two scenarios indicate:

“I’ll brush my teeth tomorrow. I’m too tired to do it now.”
Consequences: Ignore today and possibly tomorrow and your dentist bill will rival the national debt when you need caps and root canal or even more expensive, your teeth fall out and you need an implant and caps.

“Your snoring outdoes the decibel level of a heavy metal band. Perhaps you should tell your doctor. You might have sleep apnea.”
“I’ll call and make an appointment.” 
A month later: “Have you called the doctor?”
“I’ll do it this week.”
A week later: “Did you make that doctor’s appointment?”  
“Oh, I’ll do it this week.” And this dance and debate and internal fight goes on and on.

Consequences:  If sleep apnea, it could be disastrous… as in fatal.
Procrastinators are creative. They can make up so many excuses to avoid doing something: “My back aches so I can’t vacuum right now. I was up all night and am too tired to exercise. My eyes hurt so I can’t read that tax document right now. I’ll do it tomorrow.” But the taxman cometh. 

We procrastinate for a variety of reasons: poor time management which can be a learned trait, a need for perfection so we delay having to do anything at all for fear of failure, hyperactivity and inability to focus and flitting from one activity to another and completing nothing, feeling overwhelmed, experiencing anxiety and depression which seem to be epidemic these days, poor physical health and inability to prioritize and make lists.  

Procrastinators will frequently say, “I’ll exercise later and then they don’t. I’ll clean my room tomorrow and then they don’t.” The tasks mount up like unpaid bills.

Procrastinators often don’t do what they say they’ll do unless they are pushed into it. And the pusher is often called a nag, nag, nag. “When I do clean out the garage, after many reminders, you tell me what to do and I feel like a 6-year-old. That’s why I avoid doing it.” 

But procrastinators can also drive non-procrastinators crazy. As we said, they nag and most hate doing so; they beg and cajole and dislike what they view as their pushiness. They hope the person will change and most don’t. They want things done on their time clock, but life doesn’t usually work that way.
 
Fortunately, there’s help for the procrastinators to make everyone happy so they can conquer procrastination paralysis. 

They might make lists and number the tasks on it. Instead of trying to do everything at once, break it down into small parts. Spread the parts over a few hours or days. Example: If you’re moving, don’t attack an entire room but go drawer by drawer and closet by closet, rack by rack. 

Make a plan on paper and try to stick to it. Closets first, drawers, beds and accessories last. Then cross off when a task is complete. It feels so good to do so.

Start with easy tasks. Such projects include taking out the trash or making your bed. If it’s exercise, do some of the exercises. You don’t have to them all. If a bathroom needs cleaning, make it more palatable. Maybe only clean the toilet and sink. Ok that’s done. Then the next day do the tub and/or shower. And maybe throw in vacuuming and washing the floor. If it’s a home or apartment to be furnished or finished, they can tackle one room at a time, catch a breath, pay bills and then add in another.  

Let yourself off the hook. If you’re a procrastinator, you might tend to be negative about many things. You have a report to turn in and think you can’t do it; the job is too hard for you. Start with the basics. Do an outline and fill it in slowly. Get the work done to the best of your ability. And don’t hesitate to ask for help. Maybe the task involves a lot of math and it’s not in your wheelhouse or complicated maneuvers on the computer. Call an expert, ask a neighbor, often a teen, or a doorman or your partner. You can get it done if resourceful. 

Imagine the rewards of pursuing tasks. You want to lose weight; you can’t give up all bread, pasta, desserts. Start slowly; give up desserts or at least six days a week. Next try to pare back the bread to meals out rather than everyday in a sandwich or toast. Use pasta once and a while as a reward. And at the same time walk much more or do other exercise. The end reward: you fit better in your clothing, you look better and you are much healthier.

Remember that there is no such thing as perfect. Think through the consequences of not being perfect…what will happen if it’s only good enough? (We did a blog on this titled, Perfection Meh. Good Enough is Now Our Goal (April 2024). 

First, try talking to yourself about this hang up. If that doesn’t work and procrastination is negatively impacting your life, then discuss with a friend or contact a therapist. Try not to procrastinate about doing this. These tools may help you get to the heart of the matter. 

With some hard work, you can conquer, change and get things done in a timely fashion. Doing so can feel oh, so good. And you won’t have to keep making up excuses about why you procrastinated. And those nags in your life will disappear and everyone will be so much happier.