Why Do We Procrastinate?
Everyone knows what procrastination is.
It could be:
Zoning out in front of the TV or getting sucked into hours of video games because you feel so overwhelmed by responsibilities
Taking numerous breaks instead of focusing and being productive at work because of constant interruptions and the lack of systems and strategies that makes your job feel impossible to do
Resigning yourself to ugly interpersonal interactions because "tomorrow" is always more attractive than today for confronting coworkers about their behavior that makes the work environment so toxic
Tasks we put off doing tend to be boring, hard, or ambiguous; or we don’t see them as valuable or rewarding.
But here’s the question: Is that all it takes to make us procrastinate? What’s the underlying mechanism that makes procrastination the preferred option even when faced with something that seems so important to do?
The answer is contained in a simple equation developed by Piers Steel, PhD, a world-renowned authority on the science of motivation and productivity:
Motivation to act (or procrastinate) is a function of four variables:
Expectancy
Expectancy is the anticipation of your desired outcomes based on your belief in three things, your ability to:
Take action
Choose the right action to take at the right time
And apply the necessary effort to produce the outcomes you value and want
Your belief in your abilities are based on both your past experiences and the confidence you have in being able to carry out tasks in the future that will produce the outcomes you want.
High expectancy enables you to answer a big “yes” to the question, “Can I do it and will I get the outcome I want?”
But when expectancy is low, the likelihood of procrastination rises. Low expectancy means that you:
Lack the confidence in your ability to succeed
You fear that you’ll fail, fear that you’ll be harshly judged
You don’t expect to receive any recognition for completing the task
You think that the task is too difficult—requires too much effort or too many things to do
You focus on previous failures, and don’t believe that success is possible
Value
Value is how much you enjoy doing the task, how important it is for you to achieve the result, and how much you’ll enjoy the reward from completing the task and experiencing the outcome. Value answers the “Why do it?” or “How meaningful is this to me?” question.
When you value doing the task, even when you find it hard or distasteful, it can offset the temptation to procrastinate.
On the other hand, you're more likely to procrastinate when the value of doing the task is lower. Low value includes:
Not knowing what you want
Unclear priorities
Not valuing the goals and outcome of the project or task
Goals that are things you want to avoid rather than accomplish
Perceiving the task as too difficult, boring, annoying, or tedious
Tasks and goals that are defined by external forces. They’re what you think you SHOULD do, but they don’t reflect your own values
The mistaken belief and underlying assumption that if you’re uncomfortable, you should stop doing whatever it is that’s making you uncomfortable and not stress yourself out
Impulsiveness
Impulsiveness refers to your tendency to get distracted and pulled away from the task, and your ability or inability to stay focused.
Impulsivity is activated in the context of:
Strong, intense cravings
Distractions
Interruptions
Indecision
Tasks that require too many things to do
Tasks that aren’t predictable or organized into routines
Ignoring what you have to do, either actively or passively, by doing unimportant tasks
Low physical or mental energy due to a lack of sleep, nutrition, or exercise
And finally, temptations that seem irresistible because they are:
Easily within reach
Intense and
Attractive
Delay
Delay refers to the length of time it takes you to get the reward for completing the task. Delay makes me think of going on a trip with little kids who ask almost from the start, “Are we there yet?”
Delays are the result of:
The task being too big or taking too long to complete
Goals that are too abstract or vague
Goals are are too far away or distant
Denying responsibility so you distance yourself from what you have to do
Rewards that come far into the future
It’s not hard to see how the equation works: The greater your expectancy and the more value the task produces, the more you’re motivated and driven to complete the task. You’re less likely to act impulsively in the interest of quick rewards, so the likelihood of procrastination goes down.
If you want to get more things done on time and crush procrastination, the equation is simple: Increase expectancy and value while decreasing impulsivity and delay.
In practical terms, this means boosting your belief that you have what it takes to succeed, making the outcome more attractive, reducing or eliminating distracting temptations, and reducing the time it takes to get a reward, even a small one.
For example, if you value being healthy, and your expectancy is high in terms of your ability to get enough exercise, eat the right amount of fruits and veggies, and get adequate sleep to produce the health you want, and you reduce distractions while savoring and celebrating even small wins, then doing what it takes to be healthy may not be so hard.
But, if your expectancy and the value of the outcome goes down, then it’s easy to be impulsive, get distracted, and go for quick rewards of procrastination.
For example, if it’s easy to meet up with friends for a drink and dinner right after work at a local restaurant-bar, then it may be harder to get exercise and pound down your broccoli and brown rice.
The point is, procrastination is the result of a single interaction of factors: low expectancy and value coming up against impulsiveness and reward delays.
Simple fixes such as time management apps and SMART goals aren’t enough to address the complexity of this interaction no matter how basic it seems to be.
The lesson: Be on the lookout for how each of the four factors plays into your on-time performance . . . or your procrastination.
Read the other articles in the Be Your Own Best Coach series on getting things done without procrastination:
Getting Things Done Without Procrastinating gives you everything you need to take a big step toward crushing procrastination. Instead of being filled with stress, anxiousness, or nauseating dread, you can face each stressor, regardless of the kind, with a sense of possibility and optimism.