Understanding the Connection between Fear and Procrastination
Kevin Shirley, Associate Broker (DC), GRI, e-PRO, ASP
Do you find it challenging to get certain tasks or projects started or completed? Do you keep on telling yourself that you’ll do it later? Procrastination is one of the most common human tendencies. A wide range of people fails to execute their daily tasks because of procrastination, which can naturally impact your overall productivity.
Psychologists believe that procrastination is not about time management; instead, it is basically about coping mechanisms. When people procrastinate, they simply avoid unpleasant tasks and keep on doing other unimportant things to temporarily boost their mood.
It is essential to understand that procrastination doesn’t enter into a person’s life by force. In many cases, it is invited by fear. Therefore, to deal with procrastination, you must also deal with the anxiety that’s causing it.
It is common to see people making excuses for not getting things done on time. But they rarely talk about the real reason they postpone things. In many, if not most cases, they may not even realize it themselves. For many people, the real reason for continuing to postpone tasks is fear, and precisely, the fear of failure.
The relationship between fear and procrastination
Fear is the most significant contributor to the tendency to procrastinate. There are so many things that may make you afraid in day-to-day life. You may have a fear of doing a particular job badly or the fear of not being ready to handle a new project. Others may not be sure about how to start the new work, or you may feel afraid due to a lack of knowledge about the assigned task. This fear may not allow you to get things done, which may cause you to miss set deadlines.
Experts advise that you learn new strategies to deal with this deadly combo of fear and procrastination. When you make even small efforts, you will begin to feel motivated to complete tasks. Do your best to learn the technique; even if you are a beginner, you will find a way to get things done with continuous efforts.
Surprisingly, many people also deal with the fear of success and fear of running out of work. And these feelings also do not let them do things on time. People often do not complete their tasks on time because they want to avoid new workloads. Subconsciously (and ironically), they keep on procrastinating, creating even more piles of pending work.
Bottom line
No matter how fear is causing you to procrastinate, it is vital to control these negative feelings and emotions by following the right strategies. Practice a positive attitude to get things done on time without worrying about the negatives associated with it. Start monitoring your productivity and performance regularly so that you can achieve desired returns.
