Procrastination and why we put stuff off...

Procrastination, when it’s severe, is rarely just about getting something done or indeed not done! Of course, many of us put off dreaded daily chores – getting the laundry done, taking out the bins but the most serious type of procrastination is that which stops us getting on with our lives and achieving our goals.

Take for example, someone who wants to change job yet “puts it off”. They know where they are is a dead end, they feel motivated yet are disempowered to update their CV, contact potential new employers. I see this in many of my clients. To many of their friends they are merely ‘procrastinating’ yet often it’s more complicated than that. Often what lies beneath their procrastination is the fear they have of achieving their goals. Sounds counterintuitive but many of us are subconsciously worried about fulfilling our potential.

For some, they may have received messages growing up that people who are successful are full of themselves, arrogant and selfish and that leads them to underperform at work or settle for a job that they don’t love.

Working with a therapist can help to discover what the payoff or benefit to you is in staying where you are and not doing what it is you wish to do. And then weighing that against the payback you might receive in actually pursuing your goals. What’s stopping you?