Six Major Reasons Why People Procrastinate

Do you procrastinate? Are you constantly putting things off such as revising for your tests and exams, even when you know accomplishing them is the best thing to do? If so, you are certainly not alone! Everyone procrastinates at one point or another. The problem is that chronic procrastination can ruin your future and create a ton of mental and emotional problems.

We know what we should be doing but why aren’t we doing them? Sometimes procrastination is intentional, and sometimes it is a by-product of your lifestyle. Listed below are six common reasons why you procrastinate. Understanding the motivation behind your avoidance and putting off of responsibilities is the first step to stopping that behaviour.

A Lack of Motivation

When a task is boring, or you “just don’t feel like doing it”, it is easy to put off. Remind yourself why you are doing any particular task or handling a responsibility. When you understand the important reasons why something is on your to-do list, you can motivate yourself through to its completion. For example, you know you need to revise for your final year exams. Think about your future and just how important revising is to achieving your goal of getting that high grade. If you still cannot seem to get motivated, perhaps you need to take a deeper look into why. Perhaps you may be experiencing anxiety or depression and may need a trip to your GP to deal with these issues.

Time Issues

“I just don’t have the time!” Have you ever used this excuse in order to procrastinate or put something off? Most people nowadays with their hectic schedules have a lot on their plates. There are a lot of tasks and responsibilities to handle. But the truth is, we waste so many hours every day and every week because we do not properly prioritise or plan our actions. A daily, weekly and monthly activity planner may solve this problem.

Fear of Criticism

A perfectionist attitude can easily lead to procrastination. You want something to be “just right” before you cross it off your to-do list. This really stems from a deep-seated fear of criticism, either from yourself or others. Understand that nothing is ever perfect, make it acceptable, and move on.

Fear of Rejection or Disappointment

Have you ever put off making a telephone call or speaking with someone? Communication is important and you know it, but you still keep finding reasons to put it off. This could be based on a fear of disappointment or rejection. You don’t want the other person to tell you something you don’t want to hear.

Avoidance of Failure

Sometimes your “I’ll do it later” attitude comes from being afraid of failure. No one likes to fail. However, all of the great achievements in human history were made on the back of repetitive failures. If you are afraid to fail, you may never achieve anything truly important in your life, mentally, physically, emotionally or spiritually.

Poor Diet

This last one probably surprised you, didn’t it? It really shouldn’t. Many people living in modern civilizations eat too much processed food. They are consuming sugar, salt, MSG, trans-fats, fast foods and other unhealthy foods. This has led to the highest incidence rate of obesity and overweight individuals in human history. When you are tired, lethargic and your body does not get the nutrients it needs, you have little energy and your brain does not function properly. Procrastination is bound to happen! The solution? Get more organic foods, fresh fruits and vegetables into your diet. Start reading food labels, and avoid sugar, salt, MSG and trans-fats. Make more meals at home instead of eating out. You will not only sharpen your mind and stop procrastinating, but you will also become healthier and lose unneeded body fat in the process. Win-win!