Procrastination: definition
Larousse defines procrastination as “ tendency to postpone, to systematically postpone until the next day. » Concretely, it is the habit that we all have of always finding a good reason not to carry out a task considered boring. Who has never postponed the moment of shopping or eating, sometimes even giving in to home delivery of meals, to avoid confronting this moment that many see as boring?
This practice of daily life is increasingly becoming part of our work. Every day, we spend time devoted to our professional activity on other less important tasks, or even on Facebook or Instagram. The act of procrastinating does not consist of freeing oneself from a task, but really of postponing its deadline, the moment when one will tackle it, which does not prevent the fact of continually moving one’s deadline. However, procrastination should not be confused with the various 15-20 minute breaks that are necessary for employees to allow them to get back on track.
What type of procrastinator are you?
Knowing your type of procrastinator is important to combat the problem at its source. There are three types:
- The perfectionist procrastinator: If you are part of this type of perfectionist person, you will tend to procrastinate for fear of being judged by others on the quality of your work. You then spend more time on details, rather than moving forward on the overall project. You then find yourself making many mistakes, which plunges you into a vicious cycle of fear and external judgment.
- The lucky procrastinator: In this case, the profile corresponds to people who work effectively only when under pressure. This is why they constantly postpone their tasks until the last minute. Working against the clock therefore becomes their passion.
- The fearful procrastinator: This type of procratinator constantly postpones his obligations to the extent that he perceives his work as discouraging and unpleasant. This is closely linked to the lack of motivation inherent in tasks that become repetitive and meaningless. Line managers also do not provide constructive feedback to motivate employees.
The sources of procrastination
Failure of emotional self-regulation
Procrastination results from the inability to manage one’s emotions and constantly wanting to prioritize immediate pleasure over the accomplishment of restrictive and hassle-producing tasks. Man’s animal instinct takes over and drives the mind to seek means of escape.
Xavier Cornette, coach and trainer in Relational Intelligence, warns on the question of momentary pleasure: “ Pleasure must be a consequence, not a driving force.” Progress on your tasks must be seen as a source of satisfaction and pride. Between two missions, you can take a moment of relaxation to congratulate yourself on your good work.
Timothy Pychyl, procrastination specialist explains: “ Procrastinators know what they need to do but are unable to get started: they are in the gap between action and intention. » Emotional control is therefore directly linked to the tendency to procrastinate. Fear of failure or frustration, perfectionism or even low self-esteem can be psychological reasons that promote procrastination.
The times we live in don’t help the situation either and encourage us to constantly postpone action.
The era of new technologies
New technologies have revolutionized the way we operate and act. They had an effect on accelerating time by making everything immediate and within reach.
Psychotherapist Brigitte Prot conducted an analysis on the reasons for procrastination and stated in an article in Le Monde: “In recent years, new technologies have had the effect of accelerating time and establishing the hegemony of the immediate. »
According to his analysis, work has become a source of boredom and stress for most employees. Browsing the internet, video games and social networks are, on the contrary, synonymous with escape and freedom.
Procrastination is a temporary solution to escape an unpleasant situation, but which is still a source of dissatisfaction and lack of self-esteem in the long term.
Fight against procrastination in three steps
1- Set achievable deadlines
The deadlines you impose on yourself must be long enough to complete your mission and short enough that you are obliged to take action immediately.
Deadlines that are too tight should be avoided as they risk stressing you out and harming your productivity. The goal is not to present shoddy work, but to do things properly. It is therefore crucial to define achievable and reasonable deadlines from the start.
The story of Victor Hugo:
April 1829 was to be the release date of Notre Dame de Paris. However, Victor Hugo had not yet written a single word of the book. The publisher therefore threatened him with legal action. After long negotiations and pleadings, Victor Hugo succeeded in extending the deadline until December 1830. But once again, the deadline was not met and the publisher had no other choice but to ask an ultimatum to the writer: if the book does not come out in five monthsV. Hugo would pay a fine of 1,000 francs for each week of delay (or $13,000 today).
The five-month deadline forced Victor Hugo to get to work. Soon after, he bought a new bottle of ink and locked all his clothes in the wardrobe to prevent himself from going out. He only left his office to eat or sleep. He self-imposed house arrest.
2- Impose constraints on yourself
Constraints are often linked to a deprivation of freedom of choice and action. However, you must perceive them as a framework that guides you and within which you evolve. These rules are there to help you stay disciplined and dedicated to your task.
Impose rules on yourself like:
- disconnect from the networks for at least two hours a day to optimize your concentration;
- do physical exercise to boost your energy;
- tidy your desk;
- meditate at least ten minutes a day to manage your stress and combat anxiety;
- etc.
Also think about the negative consequences that can result from non-compliance with deadlines and the cumulative workload that you will have to catch up in less time.
3- Set up a “commitment system”
The last step consists of setting up a commitment system that locks you into following a very specific action plan. These devices have two main characteristics: they are adopted voluntarily and they have direct consequences on the rest of your work.
Victor Hugo’s commitment device was to lock his clothes in his closet, buy a bottle of ink to start writing and prevent himself from going out in order to stay focused and not give in to temptation.
On January 14, 1831, Victor Hugo finally finished writing his book which he named Notre-Dame de Paris. The book sold three thousand copies and is still considered one of the greatest successes in history. The French writer would never have finished his bestseller if he had not rigorously followed his special strategy called “house arrest”.
You can use it as inspiration to fight procrastination and finish whatever you start today.
Procrastination: Motivation is not everything in life
If you often tend to rely solely on your motivation to take action, you will find yourself in the same situation as Victor Hugo before writing his book, when he drastically lacked inspiration. Expectation of motivation leads to failure and failure to meet deadlines.
The best way to combat procrastination is to use the strategy of “house arrest” in three simple steps: set achievable deadlines, impose constraints, and finally put in place a commitment system.
