June 2, 2024

5 Signs You Are A Procrastinator

Can you make a list of ten things that you often avoid doing? Is your first instinct to respond to that request by first going and doing something else? Yes? No? Don't care to admit it? 

People who procrastinate are not lazy. That’s not what it’s about. Ultimately, people who procrastinate do so because they feel pressured by deadlines. Or, they get too caught up in the details before they can get started. Or, there is something else that takes precedence over other tasks. You definitely need to color coordinate your work clothing before you even think about starting that big DIY project, right? It really doesn’t matter how you look at it. A procrastinator will procrastinate. 

Are you a procrastinator? Here are five signs that may indicate you are. 

1. You Struggle With Change

Do you feel anxious and aimless when you conclude a project? Do you need time and space before you can face another project? This is a sign that you’re a procrastinator. What this is doing is creating a performance gap. It’s preventing you from performing at optimal efficiency. You’re holding yourself back. 

2. You’re Overwhelmed

You struggle to start a task or project because it seems so large it’s overwhelming. You don’t know where to start, you find it difficult to separate the trees from the forest. For this reason you say, 'I'll just ignore it.' Avoidance doesn’t mean the task will go away. You can create a plan and tackle it head-on. 

3. Perpetually Late 

Have you been on time for anything at any point in your life? If you're a procrastinator, there’s a good chance your answer is no; if you’re a procrastinator, then there’s a very good chance that you’re known for your lack of punctuality. You underestimate how long tasks take, turn up late for meetings, you miss deadlines. If this describes you then you’re a procrastinator. 

4. Ridiculous To-Do Lists

You take great care as you craft your to-do lists. You have even gone to the trouble of creating boxes to tick off once you complete each task. The problem is you don’t ever tick anything off because all you ever do is add to its length. You felt great about how organized you are as you created your list. You just need to do the next part, which is putting in the work necessary to complete tasks on the list. 

5. Non-Essentials Monopolize Your Time

Do you feel like you have accomplished a lot? Yet, you realize deep down you have been doing busy work. You allow non-essential tasks to monopolize your time. Meanwhile, you have high-priority projects looking you right in the face. You don’t feel as though you’re procrastinating because you’re accomplishing a lot. The problem is you’re accomplishing the wrong things.

If you display the signs listed above, then you’re a procrastinator. You may be bored, you may not understand the task at hand or perhaps you aren’t challenged enough. Regardless, you can conquer your procrastination problem. If you feel overwhelmed by tasks, break them down into component pieces. It will always seem more achievable when it’s broken down into non-threatening steps. 

If it isn’t an issue of feeling overwhelmed, but you’re disinterested, then just act. Choose a task and tackle it. Only work on one task at any one time. It’s easy to distract yourself by buying into the lie of multitasking. It’s a rare person who is capable of effectively multi-tasking and it’s unlikely you are that person. Don’t try, just focus on one thing at a time and work through your to-do list in order of priority. It’s as simple as that. Shut out distractions and go for it.

dhf

If you like this content, check out my substack at:

https://theunreliablemind.substack.com/