Most people have, at one point or another, procrastinated on something they absolutely do not want to do. But some of us have developed a habit of procrastinating most things, whether we want to or not. This becomes increasingly difficult when it comes to getting things done, especially when you double the art of procrastination with the terrible need of having things perfect. This need for things to go perfectly is usually what causes all the anxiety that most people might not be aware can cause procrastination. So here are some confessions about being a procrastinating perfectionist that might help everyone understand it a little bit better.
1. It's not that we don't WANT to do it, we're just afraid we won't do it right.
So we procrastinate job searching or finishing a long assignment because there's a massive chance that we won't do an A+ job at it.
2. We're procrastinating because we feel so anxious and stressed about all the work we have to do...
When a lot of work piles up at once, we don't see how we can possibly do it all well by the time they need to be done, so we just put it off for as long as we need so we can talk ourselves down.
3. ...and then become even more anxious and stressed about having to finish it all quickly...
It's a vicious cycle, really.
4. ...and this sometimes leads to not finishing it at all.
This doesn't mean we won't hand in our assignments on time. But it does mean that we might have missed that deadline for a job application.
5. Not being involved with organizations stems from fear of not being able to be perfect at all of them.
"Get more involved!" "It will help you manage your time more!" Yes, we understand. But that doesn't mean it works for everyone. It will most likely result in freaking out about how much we have to do, therefore spiraling into the vicious cycle just mentioned.
6. Phone calls are basically the devil in disguise, which is why we avoid them until the last possible second.
Not being comfortable on the phone sucks. But when it's about something that we have little to no experience in, or even with someone that we just don't really know, it creates a massive pool of anxiety about screwing it up and sounding awkward that we just try to avoid at all costs.
7. When we don't do well on something, it sometimes makes us procrastinate the next time we have to do it.
Getting a bad grade on a test or not performing well at a task really affects our egos. We didn't do perfectly or even remotely well at something, and this doesn't motivate us to do it again. So, of course, we procrastinate because we feel we'll do just as bad as the last time.
8. When people try to get on our case about not doing something, it doesn't help ease the anxiety.
Yes, we know that something needs to get done. And yes, we will do it eventually. Just stop reminding us about it because it makes us more anxious and makes us not want to do it even more.
9. "Why didn't you just get it done right when you knew you needed to do it?"
Just stop.
10. But please just trust us and know that we will get it done when we feel up to it.
And be understanding if we freak out, even over little things. It will help everyone out.
