We all know that procrastination, in simple terms, means deferment; postponement; stalling. It is clear from the meaning itself that it has little to do with one’s ability to deliver. It is more about a mindset, an attitude.
Such a phenomenon can happen to any of us, even to the best of professionals who are always proactive, leading from the front. It depends on the mindset we are in at that particular time of our career; it can happen when we go to solve an issue, address a problem or start a new assignment or project.
Work is the stage
In the corporate world, we are always at the centre stage, like an actor or a singer. And when the performer gets onstage, we expect him/her to act or sing to the best of his/her capability. Do you think they have an option to mix their mood with performance? Can they come and say, “Not today, can I perform next time?” No way! If they do that, it will probably be the last time people would attend the programme.
I know I am being a bit dramatic in my example, but for all of us in the corporate world, everyday is a stage to perform, and this we need to do to the best of our ability. In the current world of competition, procrastination may not be a best friend to embrace.
I studied my colleagues and even myself for last few years, and to me, there are four main reasons for procrastination, which we adapt, knowingly or unknowingly.
Reason 1: The fear of unknown
Sometimes, many of us are careful for no reason. Ever wondered why? Over time, being part of a system or process and doing things in one way, puts us in a comfort zone. We tend to get used to certain ways of working. So, when a start of a new process or initiative is announced, it is often a change within itself and this leads us to fear the unknown. Our mind seems to prefer known zones to unknown ones, and hence, we defer exploring a new arena. The question that often holds us back from taking the next steps are ‘Should I or should I not?’ or ‘What if I fail? Let life go on the way it is going, why dare change?’ This fear of unknown often makes us hold on to monotonous actions, leading to procrastination, when there’s a hint of change.
Reason 2: Not my kind of work
Sometime, we label a job as ‘my kind’ or ‘not my kind’. That’s human nature and we all fall prey to such labels. For reasons unknown to us, we don’t like getting involved in certain activities and these to-dos end up as the last item on the priority list. But we often forget that’s the way life is. It is not always easy to find everything that interests us, and hence, labelling a task as ‘not my kind of work’ and delaying it does not help anyone. It affects our productivity and obviously, the company’s performance as a whole.
We must remember that we need to accept all kind of tasks, since there will be a mixed bag of work you will like and dislike. We can’t always have the luxury to cherry pick the ones we like.
Reason 3: What’s in it for me
Many a times, we are asked to do something without being explained why we need to do that. As human beings, we do not like to be directed; we want to be explained. And many a times, we delay starting a basic process simply because we don’t know why we need to do that; its benefits, for us as individuals and for the organisation, weren’t explained. This, consequently, leads to delay of work. If we are not clear in what is being asked and why it is being asked, even a simple task can appear daunting. A feeling of purposelessness delays our decision.
Reason 4: Lack of planning and prioritisation
If we fail to plan, we plan to fail — this phrase is an eternal truth. Many times, even the best talents fail to plan their day-to-day activities, and over time, due to lack of planning, the number of tasks in hand, be it personal or official, seems like a Herculean task. And we fail to prioritise, which becomes the start of procrastination, since any additional task would mean adding it to the already existing list of tasks, which we are struggling to complete.
In the end, I would like to state that everyone is bound to go through these phases in their career. Take it easy. Just remember that at the end of the day, we need to solve these issues for ourselves. So why delay?
Please do share your comments/ experience, for us to learn about other common reasons that you may believe to be the cause of postponement.