Even if we are not lazy, why do we still procrastinate?
I used to be quite lazy, which led to me procrastinating things a lot.
I procrastinated everything. I only did what felt comfortable, letting life take me wherever it pleased. ‘Go with the flow’ was my attitude back then.
I procrastinated even the simplest household tasks that took less than 5 minutes.
I procrastinated assignments and work, right up to the deadlines.
I procrastinated making significant decisions until the last possible moment.
It wasn’t until I realized the importance of doing what must be done and completing essential tasks that I kicked the habit of laziness and procrastination. And the transformation from a life of procrastination to one of action was truly remarkable.
Yet, recently, I came to the realization that I’m still prone to procrastination. Not in terms of trivial tasks, but when it comes to making substantial decisions or accomplishing what I need to do.
And it’s not an unconscious act of procrastination, because I’m fully aware of what I’m procrastinating and how it’s affecting me. I spent half of my youth learning how to approach everything logically, disregarding emotions.
So, why am I still procrastinating?
That’s when it dawned on me that people don’t procrastinate just because they are lazy. We also procrastinate for another reason: Fear.
Fear of failure.
Fear of inadequacy.
Fear of not being capable.
Fear of the timing not being right.
Fear of change.
Fear of uncertainty.
We procrastinate on significant decisions not because we are lazy, but perhaps because we lack the courage to take those initial steps on a new journey, where nothing is clear or certain. We’re confronted with the fear of failure.
I’ve also realized that procrastinating due to fear is far better than procrastinating out of sheer laziness. Fear is often a sign that you’re not quite ready. However, we, as humans, tend to overthink and fear change. Our exaggerated fears can keep us from stepping out of our comfort zones.
It’s important to understand that overcoming fear and taking action is more likely to lead to success than not starting at all. The comfort of trying and failing is much more bearable than living with regrets.
So, conquering procrastination is not only about overcoming laziness, but also about overcoming fear. Not just when we know what we must do, but also when we dare to do it.
Overcoming laziness was tough, but overcoming fear is even tougher.
