It's 2 am. Your red-rimmed eyes stare intently at your computer screen. No, you're not diligently working on your research paper due in six hours. Instead, you've been alternating between watching Season 3 of New Girl and stalking your ex's Facebook.
Why is this scenario so relatable? It's not like living in procrastinational purgatory is fun; we know exactly how to relieve our stress, yet we continue to distract ourselves with Netflix, washing the floor, whatever. Why are we so stressed that we can't start projects until the last possible second?
The good news is that if you habitually procrastinate, there's a good chance you're intelligent, dedicated, and proud of your work. The problem lies in caring so much that your perfectionism ultimately paralyzes you.
Pamela Wiegartz Ph.D. writes in Psychology Today that, "Many of my clients have been told, or have told themselves, that they procrastinate because they are disorganized, lazy, or, worse, because they just don't care enough! Most of the time, nothing could be further from the truth. Procrastinators are often smart, capable, hardworking people-they just can't get things done on time and can't seem to figure out why."
Two motivators typically lie behind habitual procrastination: you are paralyzed by the possibility of failure, or you are crippled contemplating your potential success. Though the fear of success may seem counter-intuitive, this fear "protects...from the higher expectations and greater responsibilities that may come with succeeding."
The mantra of this type of procrastinator, "Man, I only studied for that exam for an hour last night" not only excuses failure (I didn't commit to studying or push my true limits), it also gives an ego boost should the procrastinator succeed (I did better than those who did study). In fact, some procrastinators have such faith in their cognitive abilities that they deliberately handicap themselves by not applying effort; if they succeed it's because they are smarter than the people who tried. Weigartz believes this behavior is a defense mechanism: "Like those who procrastinate because they fear failure, you keep yourself safe from facing your true limits by avoiding challenges and putting things off." Even if the procrastinator does manage to succeed without studying, they fail utterly at expanding their limitations.
The flip side of this is debilitating perfectionism: Many procrastinators would rather avoid completing assignments altogether if they believe it will be done imperfectly. Perfectionism, the refusal to accept anything short of the ideal, underlies many procrastinating tendencies.
As this tendency usually points to the true dedication and skill on the part of the perfectionist, it might actually be true that you "work better under pressure" because impending deadlines are the only thing that motivates you to sit down and work. The truth is you probably just work well in general once you stop distracting yourself.
If you are a fellow procrastinator, comfort yourself in the knowledge that you're not lazy or incapable, you may just care so much that you can't see where to begin.
