Why Do We Procrastinate?
“Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task.” ~William James
I have been talking a lot about focus and action lately, because that is what I am currently working on in my own life. Here are some lessons I’ve discovered about why it is so hard for us to focus and to take action. Or specifically, why we delay action.
- Action Means Change. Change is Scary.
I think the biggest thing about starting something new that we find so intimidating is that we are afraid of change. If we start something new, we are exposing ourselves to the possibilities of creating something that people will not like. It hurts when others do not like what we create, and so, we are somewhat conditioned to avoid taking risks of not being liked.
- It’s Easy and Comfortable to Delay
I’m sure you can relate. Taking action or starting something new is hard. It is a lot easier to just come home and sap on the couch with the TV on all night.
So often, people will take the easy way out and take the option with instant gratification. This is not wrong or it is bad, it just means that by taking the instant gratification, we are unable to take action to create a better tomorrow. It’s a trade off.
- We’re Not Motivated
If we procrastinate, it could just be that we’re not motivated enough. Either we have forgotten why we wanted to take action in the first place, or we haven’t thought about the consequences if we don’t take action. And so we relax, and never take action.
I once heard that we are more likely to take action to avoid pain than we are at gaining pleasure. It’s sort of true. We get more mental push from the image that “our families will starve if we don’t make some money” vs. “if we make some money, we will live a better life.”
If you are finding yourself procrastinating, perhaps you just need to frame it in your mind in such a way that you can become motivated. Imagine what will your life be like if you don’t take action. Get clear on the resulting consequences.
- Tina Su
Photo by Helga Birna Jónasdóttir.
focus and action lately, because that is what I am currently working on in my own life. Here are some lessons I’ve discovered about why it is so hard for us to focus and to take action. Or specifically, why we delay action." />
Do you have a comment? We'd love to hear what you think!
Do you have a question that we haven’t answered yet in About SAM-e? If so, please Ask Us a Question.
Comment Policy
We value your comment. Please see our comment policy for more details on our guidelines for commenting.