Article - “To be or not to be, that is the question”- The Psychology of Procrastination.

Procrastination is a term we are all well aware of. The attribute itself is not unknown to us. It is a feeling that is mutual but its degree differs in every individual. Procrastination, i.e. putting off one’s work or task to be done later, has always sucked out our time, pushing us to a mad sprint at the nearing of a deadline. Is procrastination a big issue that has to be checked in an early stage? Well, the answer depends on you, whether you want to get things done or not. But, if you really want to finish off things rather than hurrying at the last hour, it is better to chain this attribute before it uproots you entirely. The tragedy of Prince Hamlet penned by the mastermind of Shakespeare still exists before as an excellent example of the ill effects of procrastination. 

Procrastination has proved its existence in us when we failed to submit our projects or assignments or when we have lost golden opportunities putting off work for a later time.  According to Ferrari, Johnson, and McCown, there are some major cognitive distortions that lead to academic procrastination. These reasons (listed below) have at some point of time discouraged every individual from performing a task on time:

1. Overestimating how much time is left to perform tasks
2. Overestimating the result of the action in the future
3. Underestimating how long certain activities will take to complete
4. Mistakenly assuming that we need to be in the right mood to work on a project

Procrastination is not a problem; it is a tendency that is very hard to overcome. It almost becomes a lifestyle, which Dr. Joseph Ferrari refers to as a maladaptive lifestyle. In an interview with the American Psychological Association, Dr Ferrari explains on non-procrastinators that "Non-procrastinators focus on the task that needs to be done. They have a stronger personal identity and are less concerned about what psychologists call "social esteem" - how others like us - as opposed to self-esteem which is how we feel about ourselves,"

Studies have shown that the people who procrastinate mainly belong to the intuitive personality type.  It is almost logical why they tend to procrastinate. Procrastination is simply the integral part of their behavior. They remain submerged in thoughts, deriving pleasure from thinking alone. They experience the continuous and non-stop queuing up of ideas and they fail to take action at the right time, often due to their inability to prioritize. This directly affects their social relationships as well as health.

 The pressure that is experience during the final days of deadline, when we will be racing past time to finish off the task can negatively affect your mental as well as physical health. It has been proved that people who tend to put off their work for later notice experience far more health problems, mental and physical, compared to people who engage in their tasks early on (non-procrastinators). In a group, by putting off a task, a large burden falls on the members of the team which negatively affects the person’s social relationships. Failing to complete tasks, or even failing to at least start one, can seriously affect our social image as well as relations.

According to Tuckman, Abry, and Smith, there are 15 key reasons why people procrastinate:

1. Not knowing what needs to be done
2. Not knowing how to do something
3. Not wanting to do something
4. Not caring if it gets done or not
5. Not caring when something gets done
6. Not feeling in the mood to do it
7. Being in the habit of waiting until the last minute
8. Believing that you work better under pressure
9. Thinking that you can finish it at the last minute
10. Lacking the initiative to get started
11. Forgetting
12. Blaming sickness or poor health
13. Waiting for the right moment
14. Needing time to think about the task
15. Delaying one task in favor of working on another

Procrastination lends us a false sense of security that is sure to crumble sooner or later, which is mostly later. The right time we expect to do a task simply never comes the more we wait for it. But, once we start acting, everything will fall into its place almost magically aiding our efforts.

 The only way to overcome the tendency of procrastination is to start working without wasting time. The best way that can help you in this is to calculate the time required for the task and to prepare a deadline of your own which is at least 5 days ahead of the real deadline and work dedicatedly on it. There is not shortcut or medicines that can save you from procrastination, other than yourself. Don’t forget, hard work (at the right time) is the key to success.