Agonizing Reasons Why We Procrastinate

Procrastination is something we’ve all encountered at one point (and for many of us, something we face daily).

Procrastination is the one thing that can bring even the most skilled business owners to their knees, often striking without warning. Fortunately, there are a few main reasons why we procrastinate. If we become aware of these reasons, we can learn to overcome the doldrums and push through to the finish line.

1. We don’t have all the necessary resources.

It’s always easiest to start a project when you can dive right in. If research is involved or you’re waiting on others for some of the information you need, motivating yourself to get started can be challenging. It’s tempting to wait until the timing is correct, but if you put off the entire project until you have your missing piece, you’ll end up in a time crunch to finish it.

The solution: Work on what you can, when you can. A daunting project is more straightforward if you break it into smaller pieces. You can focus on organizing your materials in one sitting, gathering the necessary information, and then putting it all together. Just don’t wait until the last minute to secure the missing data.  “Procrastination is opportunities’ assassin”.  Victor Kiam.

2. We’re short on time.

When you have a million things to do but only 24 hours a day, projects will inevitably fall by the wayside. One of the biggest reasons we procrastinate is that we never get around to doing whatever we need to do.

The solution: Reorganize your priorities and find something to put off or delegate. If your project is essential, please make time for it. You can transfer parts of it to someone else, or you’ll have to delegate other tasks to free up room in your schedule. Regardless, you can’t do it all—focus on what’s important and delegate the rest.  “Procrastination makes easy things hard, and hard things harder.”  Mason Cooley

3. We keep getting interrupted.

One reason why we procrastinate, which is mainly outside our control, is being interrupted. Interruptions kill our focus and drastically slash our productivity. If you’re constantly being interrupted by phone calls, emails, or walk-ins, chances are you won’t make much progress on any of your essential tasks.

The solution: Block off time on your calendar so you remain undisturbed. Please inform your employees that you’re not to be contacted except in the event of an absolute emergency during this time. Turn off your phone, close out your email, and focus on the task.

4. We don’t want to do it.

Sometimes, the real reason we procrastinate is that we don’t want to do the project. Lack of motivation is a giant productivity killer, and you can spend hours staring at a blank page before you finally force yourself to get started.

The solution: Make the task more appealing. While some things will always be tedious, compromising with yourself can make it more exciting. You could agree to work on your project for 15 to 30 minutes, then do something more fun. You could take the work to a pleasant location, such as your favorite coffee shop.

Procrastination strikes even the savviest business leader, but the best among us know how to overcome the urge and get our work done. You can say goodbye to being stranded on Procrastination Island forever with some discipline.  “You may delay, but time will not.”  Benjamin Franklin.

Learning why we procrastinate is just one of the challenges we face as business owners. Sign up for my newsletter (click on the orange subscribe button) to get access to all my newest blog posts that will teach you how to overcome your business roadblocks.

Coach Dave