For most of my life, I’ve been a procrastinator. As far back as second grade, I remember my mom yelling at me because the school bus was almost at 604 Cairns Street and I was still in my room in my jammies. It was a regular battle for her every school day–little Renee nearly missing the bus.
I remember Mom telling me years later how she lamented over my last-minute nature with my second grade teacher at Tecumseh Acres–Mrs. Renfro–and Mrs. Renfro telling her not to worry too much about it. As my mom recalled, Mrs. Renfro had a son who started his life in much the same way and later had a successful career as an attorney.
In fact, being a procrastinator actually is well suited to my particular line of work–the best journalists excel when their backs are up against a tight deadline. I, too, do some of my best work with the deadline looming.
Still, I’ve always considered it a character flaw–I always wait until the very last minute to finish a project or a story. I’m often late to events, appointments, and activities–even when I’m trying to get an early start.
The word “procrastination” evokes both guilt and resignation. My husband constantly asks me why I’m always waiting until the last minute to send Jim Lincoln a story or my column. I’m sure Jim asks himself that same question! And maybe it’s laziness or just a matter of not getting around to it because I’m busy with something else. Not to make excuses, but sometimes I procrastinate on one project because I cannot say “no” to someone else who has something that needs to be completed sooner than my deadline.
But as I’m discovering, procrastination really is less about laziness and more about behavior driven by deeper psychological factors, according to some recent research studies published in “Psychology Today.”
At its core, procrastination is a way of coping with emotions like anxiety, fear of failure, or even perfectionism. Apparently part of my problem stems from my brain seeking to avoid a challenging project by turning to activities that provide immediate gratification. In fact, as I’m writing this, I have been distracted by YouTube videos of Saturday Night Live episodes from the 1970s, which I stumbled upon when looking for something else. I’ve also been on Amazon at least twice while writing this column to check the status of my recent order.
Research conducted by psychologists suggests procrastination is tied to how we perceive our future selves. When we delay a task, we shift the burden onto our future self, almost as if that version of us is a different person who will magically be more capable or motivated. I find this interesting. I often follow this path because I’m just not ready to do a project and think I will be in a better frame of mind to tackle it if I wait. Additionally, research suggests that the more I procrastinate, the more stress and anxiety I place on myself, eroding my confidence in my ability and fostering a belief I really am incapable of effective time management.
I’m sure my propensity for procrastination is somehow related to my childhood and I can think of a number of things that happened when I was growing up that may have pushed me in that direction. Every year on our birthdays, Mom shared our “birth day” stories with us and mine always began, “You were two weeks overdue.” I usually go back to that when someone complains that I’m late.
Charles Dickens once said, “Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.”
I prefer Mark Twain.
“Never put off till tomorrow what may be done day after tomorrow just as well.”
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