Procrastinating versus Procrastinator

No. 104: Don't solve the wrong problem.

My dear reader friend,

If you procrastinate — as we all do from time to time — I’ll save you a step and say don’t bother trying to fix it with a new time management tool. Actually, maybe forget fixing it at all.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. First, let’s look at some good news.

Made this with DALL-E

“Everybody procrastinates, but not everyone is a procrastinator,” says Dr. Joseph Ferrari, a renowned expert on procrastination and author of Still Procrastinating?

While most of us procrastinate at times, only some are chronic about it. (Thank goodness!) And by chronic, he means people who drag their feet in all aspects of their lives. It's more or less their modus operandi.

There's a huge difference between the run-of-the-mill staller and the dyed-in-the-wool procrastinator.

If you’re not entirely sure about where you are on the scale (and if you’re not already one of the 24M who’ve seen it), this hilarious TED Talk by Tim Urban is worth your 14 minutes: Inside the Mind of A Master Procrastinator.

Solving the wrong problem

The internet likes to suggest productivity tools and time management techniques as solutions for procrastination. But Ferrari says these won’t actually fix the issue — except for the few whose problems truly are about poor organization.

More often than not, our urge to procrastinate has nothing to do with time management.

Why we do what we do

In this lively episode of the Ologies podcast, Ferrari explained that people who procrastinate are often concerned about social acceptance or social esteem (though they may not know it). Fears of failure and success are often at the root of their procrastination.

Others procrastinate because they are adrenalin junkies. They believe they're at their best under pressure. So they put off things until the very last minute to induce the feeling.

But something Ferrari said struck a chord for me — this idea of lack of effort versus lack of ability. Some of us procrastinate because it’s like… if it doesn't work out, blaming it on a lack of effort is way more palatable than a lack of ability. “This [output] would have been much better had I not procrastinated and ran out of time!” Ooof! This one hit the bullseye for me.

And, of course, a general lack of interest in whatever’s on our plate would be a perfect reason for kicking the can down the road.

Clearly, if we are delaying action due to these reasons, the best time management technique will not help!

What actually helps procrastinators

For chronic procrastinators (20% of us, according to Ferrari), it’s best to get professional help in cognitive behavior therapy — not productivity or time management. ¹

For the 80% of us who procrastinate in the normal way, 😉 here are some suggestions Ferrari discussed in the Ologies episode:

• Surrounding ourselves with doers, not with other procrastinators.²

• Sharing our plans with friends (or sharing publicly). Studies show that things have a higher chance of happening when announced publicly.

• Not letting others let us off the hook. Asking to be held accountable.

• Procrastinators see the forest but never the trees. So, let’s focus on the trees. Break down huge projects into parts/pieces.

And sure, if time management is really the issue, then check out the productivity tools, pick one that suits, and have fun!

Sometimes, procrastination is helpful!

Trust Adam Grant to throw a wrench in this whole thing. Grant posits there’s a sweet spot where procrastination fosters creativity and original thinking.

Grant says procrastination may be a vice in terms of productivity but it can be a virtue for creativity.³

“Procrastination gives you time to consider divergent ideas, think of non-linear ways, and make unexpected leaps.” — Adam Grant

Bottom Line

As with most things in life, self-awareness is the magic key. Let’s not waste time on tactics that won’t solve the real problem — although that may actually be a delaying tactic. 😉

As soon as Ferrari brought up the “lack of ability vs. lack of effort” idea, I knew that no BuJo, Pomodoro, or timeboxing could ever address my procrastination urge. I now know where to look when I feel myself slipping.

How do you deal with procrastination? Are you more of a “get it done now” person or do you thrive under the pressure of a last-minute rush?

💭 muse

“Some things cost way more when we keep them.” — Neeraj Agnihotri

👤 a midlifer in profile

Meet Gen Jones’er Diamond-Michael Scott, a former healthcare executive who has “somehow morphed into an independent journalist and writer.”

Diamond-Michael’s love for books is one thing that has remained true for him since childhood. “I have an insatiable thirst for Great Books,” he says. “They are my raison d'être.”

Read his profile here.

🍹 reader shout-out

Big cheers to WAGO reader Yvonne Marchese who wrote and published In Full Bloom: A Guide to Aging Playfully. It’s a perfect little book to flip through every day for a daily dose of reflection, reminder, inspiration, and kick-in-the-pants.

💬 last word

I so enjoyed reading the comments and email replies from last week’s edition on stress relief. Cheers to Matthew Long for the book recommendation: The Body Keeps The Score. Also to Yi Xue who clued me in that it’s impossible to think when we’re humming! This is going to be my little trick when my brain goes on over-drive. And to Fabienne Mannherz who pointed me toward Beats + Breath.

Here’s to an easeful week ahead — whether or not you plan to procrastinate. 😉

Cool Beans,
Lou Blaser

1. Also, the last five minutes of Tim Urban’s TED Talk, which I mentioned earlier, may just give you the proverbial kick-in-the-butt.

2. Interestingly, procrastinator bosses don't give procrastinator team members a break! In fact, they are harder on them.

3. Grant just gave us a legit way out, creatives!