By now, you have learned that what procrastination is and how you can stop it. So, it's time to know the causes of procrastination.
You might have learned the various ways to change this habit. But, before that, it's essential to know why someone procrastinates. So, here in this section, you will learn the reasons why people procrastinate.
1. Fear of Perfectionism
Perfectionism only exists in the world. Except for the word, perfectionism is just a dream. There are no perfect things. But, people see others as the perfect ones. Mostly they incline them.
It can be professionally or personally. So, according to such people, perfectionism does exist. But it does not.
So, even if it doesn't exist, people have the fear that they won't be able to wrap the work perfectly. And thus, they try to avoid doing it.
2. Fear of failure
Failure is a must and is evident. But no one wants to accept it.
Failures are meant to be teaching you lessons that you need to use for your work completion. But, society doesn't allow failure and doesn't give its place in the world. So, the fear of failure arises.
This fear of failure gives birth to procrastination, and people tend towards it.
3. Fear of criticism
Another cause for procrastination would be the feat of criticism by the people.
Society has a lot to do with what the other person is doing. They are always ready to give their opinions about someone. Even if it is not needed, and this arises dear of criticism.
At the same time, it is not essential to hold yourself at that point. But, people stop at that point and procrastinate about their work.
4. Consistent Avoidance
Some people take their work for granted and keep their attitude avoiding towards the work.
It is their personal choice, or you can say the habit to avoid the work. When someone avoids their work, they are indirectly leading to procrastinating.
On the other side, avoidance is one of the evident a cause of procrastinating, and many people have the same reason of procrastinating, i.e., avoidance.
5. Low self-esteem
Low self-esteem can not be the direct influencer not to finish the work, show laziness, or avoid work, but it can lead to many other reasons that lead to procrastinating.
Low self-esteem is a significant problem in many people that they need to work on. And, by the time they keep moving with low self-esteem, their work won't improve.
6. A tendency to self-defeat
In a race, win and lose are evident. It is a saying, participation is important than the result. And, in any of the races, being defeated by the opponent is another form of win.
But, in many cases, people are defeated on their own. They are the reason for their defeat. And they can't help it. Many people have that tendency to self-defeat, and they lose by themselves.
In other words, they don't believe in themselves and try to make excuses for their work.
7. Depression overloaded
Depression can have many reasons. But, depression can alone be one of the reasons for your procrastination.
Whatever the reason is for your depression, it will indeed hamper your work. And it will impact it badly. Before you could realize it, it would already be doing its work.
When you are depressed, you can't focus on anything, you don't want to do anything, neither your mind is ready to work. And, this is the reason you try to make excuses and avoid your work.
8. Trouble focusing
Focus in must. Whatever work you are doing, you need to be focused on it. Otherwise, your work won't come out as the best.
If you are fighting with focusing on your work, you would indeed lead to procrastinating. It is evident. If you can't focus on your profession or anything, you would probably try to avoid it, delay it, and act lazy. Which also means that you are procrastinating.
9. Waiting until the last minute
Well, deadlines are meant to motivate you to do your work in the given time. But, for few people, it is a burden. Or, they just wait till the last minute to submit the job and then make excuses to be safe from it.
Such attitude is so hammering to your work. And, the major drawback is, you learn to procrastinate. Deadlines are reasonable until you genuinely want to work by the date. Otherwise, it's nothing but the tension giver.
10. Resisting challenge
Challenges are meant to make you strong mentally and physically. Those, who learn this, can go ahead only.
Some people have a fear of facing the challenge. They want their life to go smoothly without any difficulty, which is not the wrong wish. But, until you have tough times in your life.
Unfortunately, people resist such challenges to take up and accomplish them. As a result, they find ways to get saved from it.
11. Difficulty defining goals
I have seen many people having many goals or many dreams. Thus they can't decide what their destination is.
So, when the other people ask about the goal, they don't have anything to say, and they procrastinate. They start blaming other things or making excuses. They don't think before denying their doings and extending their deadlines as well.
12. Lack of energy
Lack of energy would be one of the most important causes of procrastination.
Okay, if you have a plan to work. You have set up everything, the tools, the instruments, the goal of action, and so on. Still, something is making you not do your work. And, that is, lack of energy.
I know, if you plan, you automatically feel excited to work. But, if internally you don't feel like having energy, you can't work.
Why do I procrastinate so much?
If, talking about yourself, personally, you are well known to yourself, and what are those factors about yourself that stop you from doing your work.
The reason may be that you don't feel pleased about the work; the work may be cleaning your bathroom, making a spreadsheet, organizing something for a long time, and so on. It can be anything. And you don't feel excited to do it.
To procrastinate may have several reasons, but to motivate, I think one reason is enough. But, the feeling that stops you from doing work can be anything, starting from self-doubt, anxiety, low self-esteem, or insecurity.
The reason can be anything. But the reality is, it is stopping you from doing the work and making you lazy. Another reason is that you have a fear of failure or don't want to accomplish the new challenge. Low self-confidence is so enough to stop you from doing something.
Making excuses and halt your work at a particular place is easy anyway, but to keep going the job, don't matter what the condition is, is essential to stop procrastinating.
However, if you can find even a single reason to motivate yourself to work, you can win the game.
Mark Jackson
Why do people procrastinate?
By now, you have learned that what procrastination is and how you can stop it. So, it's time to know the causes of procrastination.
You might have learned the various ways to change this habit. But, before that, it's essential to know why someone procrastinates. So, here in this section, you will learn the reasons why people procrastinate.
1. Fear of Perfectionism
Perfectionism only exists in the world. Except for the word, perfectionism is just a dream. There are no perfect things. But, people see others as the perfect ones. Mostly they incline them.
It can be professionally or personally. So, according to such people, perfectionism does exist. But it does not.
So, even if it doesn't exist, people have the fear that they won't be able to wrap the work perfectly. And thus, they try to avoid doing it.
2. Fear of failure
Failure is a must and is evident. But no one wants to accept it.
Failures are meant to be teaching you lessons that you need to use for your work completion. But, society doesn't allow failure and doesn't give its place in the world. So, the fear of failure arises.
This fear of failure gives birth to procrastination, and people tend towards it.
3. Fear of criticism
Another cause for procrastination would be the feat of criticism by the people.
Society has a lot to do with what the other person is doing. They are always ready to give their opinions about someone. Even if it is not needed, and this arises dear of criticism.
At the same time, it is not essential to hold yourself at that point. But, people stop at that point and procrastinate about their work.
4. Consistent Avoidance
Some people take their work for granted and keep their attitude avoiding towards the work.
It is their personal choice, or you can say the habit to avoid the work. When someone avoids their work, they are indirectly leading to procrastinating.
On the other side, avoidance is one of the evident a cause of procrastinating, and many people have the same reason of procrastinating, i.e., avoidance.
5. Low self-esteem
Low self-esteem can not be the direct influencer not to finish the work, show laziness, or avoid work, but it can lead to many other reasons that lead to procrastinating.
Low self-esteem is a significant problem in many people that they need to work on. And, by the time they keep moving with low self-esteem, their work won't improve.
6. A tendency to self-defeat
In a race, win and lose are evident. It is a saying, participation is important than the result. And, in any of the races, being defeated by the opponent is another form of win.
But, in many cases, people are defeated on their own. They are the reason for their defeat. And they can't help it. Many people have that tendency to self-defeat, and they lose by themselves.
In other words, they don't believe in themselves and try to make excuses for their work.
7. Depression overloaded
Depression can have many reasons. But, depression can alone be one of the reasons for your procrastination.
Whatever the reason is for your depression, it will indeed hamper your work. And it will impact it badly. Before you could realize it, it would already be doing its work.
When you are depressed, you can't focus on anything, you don't want to do anything, neither your mind is ready to work. And, this is the reason you try to make excuses and avoid your work.
8. Trouble focusing
Focus in must. Whatever work you are doing, you need to be focused on it. Otherwise, your work won't come out as the best.
If you are fighting with focusing on your work, you would indeed lead to procrastinating. It is evident. If you can't focus on your profession or anything, you would probably try to avoid it, delay it, and act lazy. Which also means that you are procrastinating.
9. Waiting until the last minute
Well, deadlines are meant to motivate you to do your work in the given time. But, for few people, it is a burden. Or, they just wait till the last minute to submit the job and then make excuses to be safe from it.
Such attitude is so hammering to your work. And, the major drawback is, you learn to procrastinate. Deadlines are reasonable until you genuinely want to work by the date. Otherwise, it's nothing but the tension giver.
10. Resisting challenge
Challenges are meant to make you strong mentally and physically. Those, who learn this, can go ahead only.
Some people have a fear of facing the challenge. They want their life to go smoothly without any difficulty, which is not the wrong wish. But, until you have tough times in your life.
Unfortunately, people resist such challenges to take up and accomplish them. As a result, they find ways to get saved from it.
11. Difficulty defining goals
I have seen many people having many goals or many dreams. Thus they can't decide what their destination is.
So, when the other people ask about the goal, they don't have anything to say, and they procrastinate. They start blaming other things or making excuses. They don't think before denying their doings and extending their deadlines as well.
12. Lack of energy
Lack of energy would be one of the most important causes of procrastination.
Okay, if you have a plan to work. You have set up everything, the tools, the instruments, the goal of action, and so on. Still, something is making you not do your work. And, that is, lack of energy.
I know, if you plan, you automatically feel excited to work. But, if internally you don't feel like having energy, you can't work.
Why do I procrastinate so much?
If, talking about yourself, personally, you are well known to yourself, and what are those factors about yourself that stop you from doing your work.
The reason may be that you don't feel pleased about the work; the work may be cleaning your bathroom, making a spreadsheet, organizing something for a long time, and so on. It can be anything. And you don't feel excited to do it.
To procrastinate may have several reasons, but to motivate, I think one reason is enough. But, the feeling that stops you from doing work can be anything, starting from self-doubt, anxiety, low self-esteem, or insecurity.
The reason can be anything. But the reality is, it is stopping you from doing the work and making you lazy. Another reason is that you have a fear of failure or don't want to accomplish the new challenge. Low self-confidence is so enough to stop you from doing something.
Making excuses and halt your work at a particular place is easy anyway, but to keep going the job, don't matter what the condition is, is essential to stop procrastinating.
However, if you can find even a single reason to motivate yourself to work, you can win the game.