Fear not Procrastination
We’ve all experienced procrastination— and with it comes personal judgement and criticism. Procrastination does not have to be a character flaw. In fact, figuring out why you’re putting off a project can be an empowering source of information to explore and grow from.
“Procrastination is not a character defect; rather, it is an attempt—albeit an unsatisfactory one—at coping with the often incapacitating fear of having our worth held up for judgment.” -Neil Fiore
Below are the three of those fun “incapacitating fears” that procrastination helps us cope with;
Fear of Failure - Having a fear of failure means we believe that even the smallest error could be evidence that we are worthless and awful. Fear of failure causes us to put off or avoid any activity or scenario that has the potential for an unsuccessful outcome. It can keep us from trying new things, taking risks and/or embracing growth (which happens right outside of our comfort zone).
Fear of Being Imperfect (Perfectionism) - It’s difficult to accept ourselves as we are—imperfect and, therefore, perfectly human— and so we interpret any criticism, rejection, or judgment by others as a threat to our very tenuous grasp on perfection. This unrealistic set of demands can create anxiety and delay when starting a project.
Fear of Impossible Expectations (Being Overwhelmed) - The bigger and more overwhelming the project seems, the greater our tendency to procrastinate. Anxiety will replace the natural tendency toward motivation and curiosity as we overwhelm ourself with all the steps involved and the image of all that’s at stake on this one important project.
Want more? Read The Now Habit by Neil Fiore
Question: Think about the last project you procrastinated (or are currently procrastinating on). Ask yourself, which of these underlying fears are at play? Is it a combination?
Action: Write down all the thoughts that are leading you to feel fear. Question whether the thoughts are currently serving you and identify alternate, more empowering thoughts that offer the opportunity to feel different about the project.
💜 a good quote…
“These fears, Dr. Rubin says, keep us from reaching a level of life where we feel compassion and respect ourselves now—for who and where we are now. This compassion for ourselves is essential in overcoming the underlying causes of procrastination. It means understanding that procrastination is not a character defect; rather, it is an attempt—albeit an unsatisfactory one—at coping with the often incapacitating fear of having our worth held up for judgment.” -Neil Fiore
“There are no perfect human beings! Persons can be found who are good, very good indeed, in fact, great. There do in fact exist creators, seers, sages, saints, shakers, and movers...even if they are uncommon and do not come by the dozen. And yet these very same people can at times be boring, irritating, petulant, selfish, angry, or depressed. To avoid disillusionment with human nature, we must first give up our illusions about it.” - Abraham Maslow
