The Mindful Sprint 6: When, Why, and How do we Procrastinate
Procrastination delays achievement and creates anxiety. Notice cues and rewards for wasting time.
The time I kill is killing me. —Mason Cooley
Here’s the Technique
Each day, reflect to discover causes and conditions for procrastination. Think about why and when you procrastinate. Write down the times you realized you were procrastinating. Try to remember and document as many details as possible: How did it start? How did you procrastinate? How long did you procrastinate for? How long did it take you to realize it? Are there recurring patterns? Each time you practice this skill, you get better at noticing, analyzing causes, finding insight, and planning experiments for change.
Here’s a case study
Tim Ferriss discovered fear of failure motivated his procrastination. He developed the “Fear-Setting” reflection exercise. For each task, he documented the worst-case failure cost, and the long-term procrastination cost. He posed procrastination as a choice: often the procrastination cost was much higher than the worst-case failure cost. He learned to finish small tasks rapidly, and prioritize the rest with Fear Setting. Through these and other techniques, Ferriss has become a best selling author and entrepreneur.
Find out more
https://theconversation.com/procrastination-is-linked-to-poor-health-new-study-197332
https://www.ted.com/talks/tim_ferriss_why_you_should_define_your_fears_instead_of_your_goals
Tim Ferriss et al, Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers, 2017.
Try it yourself
Schedule ten-minutes this evening to reflect. Write down how you procrastinated. Do you notice cues, rewards, or emotions now you didn’t notice then? Choose an insight to investigate. Schedule another reflection tomorrow.
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The Mindful Sprint is a 250 word, 2 minute read to help you find fulfillment and success at home and work, produced weekly by the volunteer Mindful Agility project.
The Mindful Sprint 6: When, Why, and How do we Procrastinate
I found this article to be very helpful! I'm not a big procrastinator, but that's not to say I never anxiously clean instead of working on my writing or school work. I gave these evening reflections a shot and noticed that there are times I habitually find myself doing some other productive activity instead of the one I think I "should" be doing. I also have been practicing the procrastination cost vs worst-case failure cost and have found this second step to be enormously helpful. As a person who tends to be often too tightly wound and not allowing for enough rest, this quick internal check in allows me to make more skillful decisions on how to use my free time now. Thank you for the share!