План урока Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator

1. perplex (v)

1. anxiety (n)

1. self-hatred (n)

1. mayhem (n)

1. cram (v)

1. epiphany (n)

1. sneaky (adj)

1. stay civil (v)

a) If you describe someone as … , you disapprove of them because they do things secretly rather than openly.

b) you use THIS to refer to a situation that is not controlled or ordered, when people are behaving in a disorganized, confused, and often violent way.

с) If you V things or people into a container or place, you put them into it, although there is hardly enough room for them.

d) THIS is a feeling of nervousness or worry.

e) THIS is an extremely strong feeling of self-dislike

f) if you V this, your matters don't make any progress

g) If something Vs you, it confuses and worries you because you do not understand it or because it causes you difficulty.

h) THIS is a moment of sudden and great revelation or realization

1. A Fear of Failure

In my experience one of the most common causes of procrastination is a deep-rooted fear of failure. If you fear the consequences of failing, then a logical extension of this is a disinclination to take action.

This is because you are guaranteed not to fail if you don’t attempt something (although the argument can easily be made that not attempting is the same as failing in the first place – which is an important point to consider).

Procrastination is comforting when you fear failure. It serves as a protection mechanism, shielding you from the possibility of real failure – as opposed to the more subjective failure that accompanies not attempting something in the first place.

Cure A:

Work on developing a healthier lifestyle. Experiment with sleep, diet, and exercise to find a balance that works for you. There is a wealth of useful information online about making positive lifestyle choices – and you’ve probably already got a fairly decent idea already of what changes you could make.

If you cannot get any positive results (in terms of raising your energy levels), then consider consulting a healthcare professional in case there are underlying causes of low energy that require comprehensive medical treatment.

2. Excessive Perfectionism

Another common cause of procrastination is excessive perfectionism. If you are a self-confessed perfectionist, then you might find it difficult to take action unless you know you can do a job with which you will be totally satisfied.

This becomes a problem when you have to try something new, or different to what you are used to. Because of an ingrained perfectionist mindset, you will either consciously or subconsciously worry about being able to reach an end-state that will be to your liking.

It’s a great thing to be proud of the work that you do, and to want to do your best. However, when your mental picture of something you want to complete is actually beyond what you can reasonably expect to do, then you have a problem. Basically, you know that you won’t be able to do as well as you want … so it’s easier to do nothing at all.

This excessive perfectionism causes procrastination by encouraging you to put off attempting a task until you think you can do it perfectly. In many ways, this is similar to the “fear of failure” concept I outlined above; except that instead of believing you cannot succeed at all, you worry that you cannot meet your own high standards.

Cure B:

Set yourself some inspirational-yet-attainable goals. It’s important to set the bar high enough to encourage you to take action, but not so high that you are likely to fail (which isn’t good for your motivation and drive).

A good goal encourages you to take action, because you do not want to disappoint yourself by failing to achieve what you set out to do.

3. Low Energy Levels

Another frequent reason for procrastination is experiencing low energy levels. If you are lacking energy, then it stands to reason that you will not feel like doing much at all.

This is a common cause for those of us with relatively unhealthy lifestyles. Whether you get insufficient sleep to “recharge your batteries”, or your diet causes you to feel sluggish and tired, lifestyle factors can play a huge factor in how inclined you are to get up off the couch and take action.

You should be able to easily identify this problem in your life: If you want to be active and productive, but simply lack the physical energy to do so (i.e. the mind is willing but the flesh isn’t) then you are probably suffering from low energy levels.

Cure C:

Understand and accept that failure is not fatal. Most mistakes can be fixed, and you will get a second chance to right any wrongs. Obviously don’t go into a task with a mindset of failure … but realize that mistakes do happen.

Furthermore, train yourself to understand that failure to take action and give something a go is actually worse than being unsuccessful in its execution. If you try and fail, you at least have the opportunity to learn from your mistakes. If you never tried in the first place, then you’ve got nothing to show at all.

4. A Lack of Focus

A lack of focus in life is another frequent cause of procrastination. Although some people like to claim that “the person who does not know where they are going to always travels further”, this idiom does not mesh well with those of us who are predisposed to procrastination.

You probably have a lack of focus if you frequently feel directionless, or that you do not really have a purpose in life. If you do not have any goals set, then it is almost certain that you will be lacking focus – as you have no target to work towards. You may simply feel as if you are just drifting through life.

This lack of focus causes procrastination by preventing you from homing-in on an “end point”. Instead, you will wind up expending all your energy in the here and now, with nothing to guide you towards productivity.

Cure D: Aim to do your best, and be happy with the output. Accept that there is no such thing as a perfect job (especially if someone else will be critiquing your work – their idea of perfection will differ from yours).