From a fellow master procrastinator, let me tell you about two ways to approach procrastination that can really help you get started on something.
First of all, procrastination is an ironic common symptom of perfectionism. We view each activity as significant because we want to make sure it is done perfectly. We subconsciously overestimate how much time and effort things are going to take because we must do them to a very high standard. This then seems too large to approach in an average day. We find ourselves thinking “if I don’t have two hours for this, I might as well wait to get started.” Or “I had better wait until I’ve researched and purchased everything I may need for this project.” Or "I'll just wait until Saturday when I have the entire day to work on it without interruptions." We keep thinking this until the deadline looms, and then we put our butts to work and get it done in record time. The procrastinator who puts in a heroic effort at the last minute often gets the job done, perpetuating the cycle. This doesn’t always work, however. All of us procrastinators can tell stories about skidding in right under the deadline with a masterpiece; however we can also tell many stories about missing deadlines or doing subpar work we're not proud of. Even if the deadline is always but just barely met, the amount of time and anxiety that is spent on chronically thinking of doing something, rather than just doing something, comes with personal costs.
The trick is to circumvent the perfectionist tendency. Think to yourself “I’m just going to do B-minus work for this task.” Just do an average job. Break a project down into the tiniest possible tasks, and just get a little bit done. Have low expectations. Just do five minutes, or complete five charts, or pick up five items from around the house. Make one quick phone call while waiting for something. The results of this will be profound, I assure you. You will find that once you get started, a couple things happen. You will get way more done in a short amount of time than you expected. Also, as I’ve borrowed from “How to Keep House While Drowning” in former blog posts, momentum is better than motivation. Once we do a couple tiny things, we psychologically get a boost to keep going. This beats waiting for the rare mighty wind of motivation to strike.
The second way that we can approach procrastination is to recognize it as one of our means of buffering. Please refer to previous posts for more complete descriptions of buffering. When we anticipate a task or project, we may be thinking of the collossal amount of time, energy, and effort we assume will be required. When we decide to wait until later and indulge in sudden found time, we get an immediate boost of dopamine. It feels good in that initial moment to make the decision to hold off on doing something we are dreading. But much like the dopamine hit of sugar, alcohol, or spending, the high is short lived. It is then followed by guilt and shame compounding the feelings of fear, anxiety, and self-doubt associated with the initial thoughts of the project. The short-term high is outweighed by the longterm suffering of both the magnified negative emotions, and the tangible negative results of missing deadlines or doing unacceptable work.
In all forms of buffering, the pleasures experienced from the indulgence of choice does not add up to life satisfaction. Satisfaction comes from achieving the things on your to-do list, from feeling a sense of productivity and purpose. It comes from free time after the work rather than free time bargained for by our anxiety-prone, procrastinating brain. It comes from keeping your promises to yourself, from knowing you can trust yourself to take care of yourself.
The next time you find yourself putting something off and spinning in negative emotion surrounding it, find a way to make the task approachable and manageable rather than overwhelming and intimidating. Think "let’s just get a little bit done, let's do B-minus work." And recognize that you are indulging in time as a means of buffering, and just like any buffering means of choice, this always leads to a net negative result in our lives.
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