Let’s talk about procrastination

Just kidding...couldn’t help myself.

I’m a procrastinator too. I try not to be, but I always end up waiting until the last minute. Things I’ve read over the years link it to depression but I’m not convinced of that. I’ve also read it’s due to liking the drama of possibly not finishing on time.

I am/was also for my whole life. I always just figured I was a combination of lazy/disorganized/worked better under pressure and generally just incapable of doing things in a timely manner.

In January of this year my therapist had noticed I was more times then not late for my appointments and she asked me some questions such as was I normally late for events/appointments/work, did I tend to procrastination starting or finishing projects or tasks, did I suffer from disorganization I general. Based on my affirmation of all these things she said I think there's a strong chance you have ADHD would you be willing to do some investigation of it. I did and after testing sure enough I did have ADHD.

For me it was an emotional moment/diagnosis because for yrs and yrs I'd beat myself up for my inability to get stuff done.i remember crying and realizing I wasn't just a unorganized lazy person.

I took a 8 week course on how to manage my ADHD, take medication and therapy and use the skills I've learned to help me.

My psychiatrist told me that there are many adults walking around undiagnosed.

If you have other issues such as impulsivity, inability to focus or concentrate, disorganized or forgetful or emotional difficulties I'd encourage you to talk to your doctor about it.

No,but DD and I are definitely perfectionists.  Both the kids are super smart and get fabulous grades, but do it in very different ways.  DD will start projects/paper/homework early, but keep working on it until it's perfect and then not turn it in until the very last minute.  DS just waits until the last minute and stays up all night finishing.

Me? Procrastinate? I'll prove you wrong, just you wait and see.

Seriously though, I am a huge procrastinator. I find it worse when I am anxious and overwhelmed. If I'm not, I am slowly getting better. My sister has taught me to think of 'future me' and how happy she'll be if she has no work!

Have you seen the ted talk about procrastinating: www.ted.com/talks/tim_urban_inside_the_mind_of_a_master_procrastinator?language=en

It’s been postponed 😂

I do the exact same thing (not about setting the alarm) but feeling anxious when I have a task looming over me. I put things off, feel this heavy sense of dread, and still can’t get started on the task until the very last minute.

I have been diagnosed with adhd and have taken medication for it through the years.  The meds help me stay focused once I have started, but I don’t think they help with the procrastination part..

It it is so frustrating and I wish I could figure out a way to stop doing it

I don't think it's any of those things. I think this...



thanks AussieMeg for saving me the time to type that out

That is interesting because I tend to be a perfectionist too! I've tried to stop thinking of being a procrastinator as a bad thing. Most view it negatively...but I know that I work better under pressure which I assume is why I tend to leave things to last minute. 

The mundane everyday things like paying bills I always have done ahead and ready to go. I'm rarely late to anything. Just when you give me a project, I wait til the deadline to get it done.

I don’t procrastinate but I will over think things. I wish I could be more spontaneous but I’m such a planner and thinker, my brain won’t allow it.

I had to figure out ways to deal with my procrastination issues over the last few years as I completed a graduate degree. The program is self-paced and 100% online, which compounded the problem. I ultimately had to work out many different tricks to force myself to do the work and complete the program at least a little early (I ended up finishing four months early--I will take the win and be satisfied). Some of the tricks I employed were: Setting a timer to do just 15 minutes' worth of studying or paper writing. Once I was in at the 15 minute point, I generally stayed in there at a good productivity level for at least a few hours. I also bought an app called "Freedom" for less than $20 and set it up so that I could not access my usual favorite internet procrastination haunts. There are lots of free apps as well, but Freedom allowed me to customize and automate it in a way that worked for me so I went ahead and paid for it. When your school is internet-based and the internet represents a huge procrastination playground, that is a problem. I also did one of the procrastination guru's 5-4-3-2-1 thing and still do it. That's where you don't give your brain enough time to talk you out of just doing what you are supposed to be doing. In addition to all that, I bought a lot of cool, fabulous planner and paper/pen studying stuff to make it as appealing as possible. I tried to break things up into chunks and I created a reward system for myself. One reward was that I had all of my assignments for papers for my entire graduate degree printed out, hole-punched, and placed into this cute 3-ring binder with colorful dividers. Every time I started a new project (usually a paper), I would take out the corresponding rubric and instructions and put it on my cute clipboard. I would work from that until the paper was done, and then I tossed the papers. It was ENORMOUSLY motivating to watch that dumb little cute notebook go from stuffed full to just nothing but dividers waiting for something new. The notebook is still upstairs in my study/scrap attic, put away on a counter and every time I look at it I think "Thank God THAT is over with."

Finally, I watched this video probably a dozen times in the last few years.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=arj7oStGLkU&t=2s

I’ve come to realize that much of my procrastination stems from a fear of failure. I would never describe myself as a perfectionist, but I’m someone whose first thought is often “Oh man, I’m gonna screw this up...” So I put it off.

Both of my kids and I are procrastinators. Neither of my parents are, though.

I'm a perfectionist and often taken too long doing things if I don't procrastinate. It is just my process. Other times I just want to do other things instead of what I should be doing.

I could pull an A on an essay that i started the night or 5 hours before (I figured an academic 5 page paper took me about an hour per page). Often I was printing 3 minutes after I should have left for class.

Other things i do immediately or at least early.

Is it genetic? I don't know but I've probably taught or at least modeled for my boys. (I don't think my parents are procrastinators, but my brother and I are.