Neil Fiore believes that procrastination is not innate, but rather something we learn. Children do not procrastinate because they don’t have the skill to do so. He says that it’s taught in schools and at home by parents and teachers. We can unlearn this habit if we just change our mindset and use a few simple tools to help us accomplish tasks on time.

Here are some key points about procrastination. First, you should understand why people procrastinate. Second, it’s better to have two horses work together as a team than fight against each other. Thirdly, setting lofty goals can actually hurt your motivation if the underlying mind-set that causes procrastination isn’t changed. Fourthly, there is an easy way to overcome this problem and finally fifthly you can use simple tools to do so.

Let’s first identify the reasons for procrastination. What causes it?

Big Idea #1: People procrastinate because they fear failure.

Procrastination is a problem most people face. It’s something that affects everyone, but it happens for different reasons in different situations.

We usually procrastinate on work, that is, when there’s a certain task we’re required to perform like writing a report or organizing an event.

These tasks aren’t part of your routine, but they’re important. You don’t put off answering a colleague who wants to take you to lunch or going to the bathroom, but you might delay starting an important presentation.

In fact, the types of tasks we procrastinate on usually have three important characteristics:

First, you want to do a good job when you’re working on something because of the pressure from others and yourself. Second, work is boring for most people. It’s not fun or interesting at all; it takes motivation to start up projects and complete them.

You might be wondering what qualifies as a “good job.” If you’re not sure, you can’t live up to others’ expectations and deliver a great presentation or write an outstanding report. What is considered good? What is good enough? And if you pour your heart and soul into something that completely fails, how will that make you feel about yourself? When faced with these kinds of tasks, the inevitable consequence is a choice between two options:
If you start working on the task, it’s boring plus there’s also risk involved in failing and disappointing both yourself and others.
On the other hand…

If you don’t do something, then you can avoid boredom and the fear of failure. In a way, that works because you learn that procrastination helps to temporarily avoid those things.

Big Idea #2: Failure is a part of the process.

Sources:

Teachers and parents both believe that procrastination is caused by laziness.

Children need discipline, reward, and punishment to overcome their laziness. If a child is not working hard enough, he or she needs to be pushed harder!

This is a common misconception that’s just as wrong as it is simple. In fact, there are many examples of humans being very productive and driven.