Procrastination is a common issue many people face, and for a variety of reasons. In fact, some people don’t even realize they’re procrastinating until the last minute, when they’re left scrambling to make up for lost time. In these moments, it helps to understand the signs you’re pushing work off or postponing important tasks.
Rob Phelps, founder of AI Jobs, shared five signs you’re a serial procrastinator—and how to address the issue.
1. You Always Make Excuses
Do you find yourself almost bragging about your ability to get things done quickly—and often at the last minute? This might be a red flag.
“‘I work best under pressure’ and ‘I still have plenty of time’ are some common excuses that serial procrastinators use to justify and rationalize their lack of action—not only to their managers but also to themselves,” Phelps said. “Perhaps you really do work well with a fast-approaching deadline, but these excuses can usually mask bad time management.”
When you catch yourself spewing excuses, pause and reflect on why you feel the need to delay your progress in the first place. What comes up for you?
2. Your Productivity Is an Illusion
Here’s a hard truth: Just because you’re busy doesn’t mean you’re productive.
“Whether it’s a huge project you’ve not been able to make yourself start, or just one scary email you’ve ignored, filling your day with busywork to create the illusion of productivity while putting off something important is only delaying the inevitable,” said Phelps.
To help break this habit of “working” without actually getting anything done, try to set clear goals, and reward yourself when you finish them.
“Celebrate milestones, no matter how small—from clearing your inbox, to ticking everything off your to-do list, or even just getting through the whole day without getting distracted,” Phelps recommended. “Rewarding yourself for completing tasks can help you stay motivated and on track.”
3. You Set Unattainable Goals
Sometimes, to try to make up for our tendencies to procrastinate, we go too far in the opposite direction—which just gets us right back where we started.
“If your to-do list is a mile long and meticulously detailed, you might find you never quite get to the end of it because you’re spending more time and effort creating the list than you are actually completing the tasks that mean you can cross them off,” Phelps explained. “This can make you feel overwhelmed by the amount of work you have to do, and end up avoiding looking at things you actually need to do, and spend time doing other, less important, tasks.”
Instead of becoming an over-achiever, set more realistic and attainable goals for yourself each day. That way, rather than dreading the tasks, you actually feel motivated to complete them.
Phelps recommended prioritizing the most important tasks earlier in the day, leaving the smaller ones for the end of the day.
“Rather than the other way round, [which] sees you spending too much time on admin and less important things, leaving the most urgent things to roll [over to] the next day,” he explained.
4. You Reach Burnout Once a Week
If you’re completely depleted by the end of each week, you’re doing something wrong. No matter how inspired you might feel on Monday morning, if you’re already dragging your feet by mid-week, you’re likely taking on way more than you can handle.
This, of course, can trigger procrastination. In which case, it’s crucial you talk to your mangers or coworkers about outsourcing some of your responsibilities.
“They might be able to offer advice or help lighten your workload, if it’s an overwhelming to-do list that’s making you procrastinate,” Phelps said. “You could also speak to professionals; your procrastination could stem from deeper issues like anxiety, fear of failure, or even undiagnosed ADHD, and speaking to a doctor or therapist could be the best way to get out of the cycle.”
5. You Find Solace in Distractions
If you’re constantly distracting yourself every time you sit down to work, you probably have a procrastination problem.
“From a quick glance at social media, to a chat with a co-worker that starts off work-related but merges into office gossip, or a sudden, desperate need to tidy your home office because you simply cannot concentrate while it’s this messy… it can be hard to escape potential distractions, whether you’re in the office or working from home,” said Phelps. “But finding yourself being the cause of the disruption, and spending more time giving into distractions than working, is a clear sign that you’ve reached serial procrastination.”
If this sounds like you, consider ways you can eliminate distractions and decrease your risk of getting sidetracked.
“In a noisy, busy office, some distractions are out of your control, so just do what you can to minimise disruptions,” Phelps pointed out. “Try earplugs that reduce noise while still allowing you to hear, and turn off notifications from social media. Make sure your work-from-home space is free from distractions, too—for example, making sure the washing up is done if you’d be able to see it from your desk, so you’re not thinking about the piles of plates instead of work.”
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