Purposeful Perfectionism Produces Powerful Procrastinators

In the words of Victor Kiam, the man who liked the shaver so much that he bought the company, "Procrastination is opportunities' assassin".

In it's purest form, the word literally means to put something forward for tomorrow. Psychologists often cite such behaviour as a mechanism for coping with the anxiety associated with starting or completing any task or decision. Why is it that we don't put off "procrastinating"? We just go ahead and do it when the feeling comes. Perhaps if we found out what we are getting by procrastinating, (as all behaviour gives us something or we wouldn't do it), we could look for that in other things we are putting off. Just a thought!

Procrastination may result in undue stress, a sense of shame and crisis, severe loss of personal productivity, as well as the social stigma that comes with not meeting responsibilities or commitments. These feelings combined may promote further procrastination, therefore forming a spiraling downwards into an even deeper depth of despair.

Causes of procrastination

Psychological
The psychological causes of procrastination vary greatly, but generally surround issues of anxiety, low sense of self-worth, and a self-sabotage mentality. Procrastinators are also thought to have a lower-than-normal level of conscientiousness, more based on the "dreams and wishes" of perfection or achievement in contrast to a realistic appreciation of their obligations and potential.

Physiological
Research on the physiological roots of procrastination mostly surrounds the role of the prefrontal cortex. This area of the brain is responsible for executive brain functions such as planning, impulse control, attention, and acts as a filter by decreasing distracting stimuli from other brain regions.

Perfectionism gives power to the procrastinator
Traditionally, procrastination has been associated with perfectionism, a tendency to negatively evaluate outcomes and one's own performance, intense fear and avoidance of evaluation of one's abilities by others, heightened social self-consciousness and anxiety, recurrent low mood, and "workaholism".

How do I overcome procrastination and become productive?
Over my many years of working in the arena of human behaviour, I have studied many great psychologists and experts who have given me strategies to utilise. Before any of this would be of any use to you, first you must find out what pain you are avoiding by procrastinating, what you are missing out on by procrastinating, and then way up the balance and see if it is worth the effort.

Over the coming weeks we will journey together in our quest to become someone who embraces imperfection and just has a go, feeling the fear and doing it anyway, taking responsibility for our inaction and moving to a whole new level of self awareness.

Have an amazingly productive week....enjoying imperfection...you deserve it!

Cheers Grant Herbert