Types of Procrastinators
This article follows on in our line of articles on Procrastination. If you are interested the previous articles are:
If you scored highly on the procrastination test, you’re not alone. In their 1994 survey of procrastination, social researchers McCown and Roberts found that forty percent of people experienced procrastination and just over twenty five percent of people experienced chronic debilitating procrastination.
Whilst it’s clearly a problem that affects a large number of people, we can divide procrastinators into a few broad categories:
Behavioral Procrastinators
Some procrastinators have simply adopted and reinforced a bad habit. Many people avoid tasks that they find unpleasant or difficult and instead engage in activities that are more rewarding in the short-term.
If you can identify that your procrastination is the result of bad habits or poor time management, then implementing some new techniques can help markedly (Our coaches cover these techniques as part of your coaching). Avoiding distractions, breaking big jobs down into manageable tasks and training yourself into “getting started” will all help.
It is more likely, however, that you know how to manage your time but don’t make use of those skills; you know what you should do, but don’t seem to get around to doing it. If that’s the case, read on…
Emotional Procrastinators
Procrastination is unrelated to ability or intelligence. Instead, psychologists have discovered procrastination to be the result of one of two things:
1. Anxiety (most obviously, fear of failure); or
2. A lack of conscientiousness or impulsiveness.
Anxious Procrastinators
Anxious procrastinators often feel both an intense pressure to succeed and a fear of failure. These people feel overwhelmed by pressures, unrealistic about time, uncertain about goals, dissatisfied with accomplishments, indecisive, are blaming of others or circumstances for failures, lacking in confidence and, often have perfectionistic expectations.
The underlying fear of an anxious procrastinator is of failing. They fear a lack of ability, of being imperfect, and of falling short of overly demanding goals.
These people think that their worth is determined by what they do. They are often afraid of being judged and found wanting. Thus, this kind of procrastinator will get over-stressed and over-worked until he or she escapes the pressure temporarily by trying to relax. But any enjoyment gives rise to guilt and more apprehension.
According to Neil Fiore in his 1989 book Conquering Procrastination, if the work pressure is already too great, exhorting the anxious procrastinator to “try harder,” “get yourself organised,” “this is a tough job, so don’t put it off,” or “no friends and no fun ‘til the work is done” is counterproductive. Such typical advice only increases the pressure and unpleasant feelings about the task to be done. This kind of procrastinator has to reduce the unpleasantness of the task and then he or she will get it done.
Relaxed Procrastinators
Relaxed procrastinators are often dismissive of their work. They live in constant denial, avoiding challenging tasks by concentrating on other distracting activities. They tend to live in the moment, “going with the flow”, chasing a happy life, rather than chasing their dreams.
These procrastinators are impulsive, are often unable to delay gratification of pleasure and lack of self-control. They may be antiauthoritarian and therefore avoid meeting external demands (from the boss, the university lecturer or a parent). Relaxed procrastinators may lack motivation, energy or organisation.
This work-avoiding, pleasure-seeking procrastinator will not feel much pressure to change, unless he or she is confronted with a crisis. This may be failing a course, a serious reprimand from the boss, or a fractured relationship. As with the smoker who needs a cancer scare or the obese person who needs a heart attack, unless a pleasure-seeking procrastinator can change of his or her own volition, it will take a crisis to bring him or her to attention.
If you identify with what was written above a Coach will really help you to resolve your procrastination and start moving forward. How good would that feel? If you’re interested then take action today and Contact Us about getting started with a Coach.
