We all do it, sometimes more, sometimes less: procrastinating on important tasks until the last minute and then completing them in a rush. Losing a lot of nerves and developing more grey hair in the process.

But does it have to be that way? Edition 7 of the Happier People in Tech blog series looks at the research to find an answer to the question of why we procrastinate. And as usual, you can also pick up a positive strategy to help you stop procrastinating..

What procrastination looks like

Procrastination comes in many forms. You might be leaving tasks till the last minute while you stare blankly at your screen. Or you do not-so-important tasks instead - ever cleaned the whole house before finishing that dreaded work task?

When we procrastinate, we also often experience a range of negative emotions. Procrastinating is stressful, people experience anxiety and self-doubt. The additional stress it causes can lead to overwhelm or a feeling of panic.

Liz & Mollie summarise this so well:

The reason why you procrastinate

The procrastination culprit is your fear of failure according to research. Fear of failure is connected with both low self-esteem and low self-efficacy. Self-efficacy is your level of confidence in your own skills. People who procrastinate might have irrational doubts about their own ability to do well and therefore push the task out as long as they can.

Equally, low self-esteem, or the belief that "any failure to perform to standard suggests inadequacy as a person" (Steel, 2007), can often lead to procrastinating behaviours.

The connection between low confidence and procrastination is very plausible. If you don't believe in yourself it is harder to get started. It gets more tricky when I tell you that perfectionists tend to be the biggest procrastinators. Perfectionism is also linked to fear of failure. As perfectionists set unrealistic standards for themselves, the task can look so big that it seems impossible to master it. The perfectionist falls into a self-made trap: if perfection seems impossible to achieve, procrastination begins.

Do you recognise yourself? Procrastination often requires tailored strategies that work for you and your circumstances. If you want to get to the bottom of your procrastination habit, consider getting a coach in your corner for that extra support. Feel free to book a chat with me to make that first step.

In the meantime, try this recipe to beat that procrastinator in you:

4 steps to stop procrastinating

This easy-to-follow four-step strategy to stop your procrastination habit is based on research in the field of positive psychology. It combines promoting self-awareness with goal setting and taking positive action. So let’s dive in!

Make a list with your current goals. Pull your strength of honesty and make a list with current priorities and goals that you need to complete. Look at the next 7 days and narrow it down to seven tasks that you want to complete this week.

Classify your goals. It really helps to classify your goals to understand potential patterns in your procrastination. Different types of goals carry different motivations for us. Here are some examples of types of goals:

You will notice that the first type of goal in each pair is likely to motivate you more. It's crucial to understand what types of goals you have on your list. Map each task or goal on your list against this typology. Can you find any patterns?

Evaluate each goal. Once you have identified the type of goal you have set, evaluate each goal by asking yourself:

What are the benefits?

What are potential drawbacks?

How effective is this goal?

How helpful is it? For me? For others?

Based on your answers you will start to get a better feel for the effectiveness of your goals. Goals that are not effective lend themselves to procrastination. What patterns can you identify? Maybe your procrastination is connected to a type of goal? Or you procrastinate when you don't find the task helpful? Understand your patterns for procrastinating before taking action.

Rephrase your goals. With your analysis complete, you probably already have some ideas of how to rephrase your goals to make them more realistic and effective. Ask yourself:

Which goals could be improved and how?

What would make them more motivating for you?

Remember to start small and treat this as an experiment. Pick one goal, rephrase it and observe how your inner procrastinator reacts to it. Practice regularly and review your todo list every week.

What is one positive small step you are taking away to tackle your procrastinator?

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