Procrastination, an obstacle to achieving goals

A life without goals is like a sailor losing his bearings. We can all imagine that he'll end up steering his ship onto a reef. So having goals is something that gives a reason to live and brings dynamism to life, whether you're a student or a professional... It's important to impose a discipline on your life, but above all, to set achievable deadlines in the time available.

It's all very well to plan ahead to increase productivity, but things get complicated when procrastination comes into the picture. Behind this postponement of tasks lies the fear of failure. One thing's for sure: it limits productivity and slows down the achievement of set objectives.

So why this tendency to put things off until tomorrow? How can you maximize productivity without procrastination? Doesn't the real problem lie in the inability to set achievable goals?

Procrastination in question

For most researchers, procrastination is a complex psychological disorder. This is not a new issue. Studies on this scourge date back to the 1900s.

According to a study by Mr. Steel, contained in his bookThe Procrastination Equation: How to Stop Putting Things Off and Start Getting Things Done, he reveals that around 95% of people admit to procrastinating occasionally. More often than not, people put off important tasks until tomorrow, in order to get on with the ones that give them more pleasure, thus avoiding stepping out of their comfort zone.

This is so verifiable that Tim Pychyl, Associate Professor of Psychology at Carleton University, says of procrastination:

"we put off a task because it generates negative emotions-perhaps it's boring or difficult, or perhaps we're afraid of failing. To feel better in the present moment, we do something else, like watching videos. However, this coping strategy is only effective in the short term, i.e. it doesn't take away the task at hand, with its accompanying negative emotions and the added stress of delay".

This reflection by Professor Pychyl highlights two causes of procrastination: on the one hand, the desire not to inflict on oneself the ordeal of coming into contact with negative emotions and the fear of failing, and on the other, stress as one of the results of this practice.

Not only does procrastination damage your health, it also creates people who are incapable of taking responsibility for themselves, spectators to their own lives, whose frustration is rooted in the fact that they never tried, not that they couldn't make their dreams come true, as Tim Urban points out. It's clear that, at this rate, life stagnates because we can't achieve our goals. So how do you get rid of procrastination?

Closing the door on procrastination, even in the digital age

Whatever we want to achieve in life, we need self-discipline. It's not always easy, but if you put your mind to it and stay the course, it's clear that you'll achieve wonders.

To get started, you need to be motivated. If there's no action, there'll be no results. Motivation is the driving force that motivates you to take action and push your limits. It is strictly linked to goal-setting. This is all the more true since the American psychologist Edwin A. Locke, speaking of goal-setting theory, asserts that clear, measurable objectives are a catalyst for performance.

However, it's how you go about it that counts. In fact, 20% of our actions generate 80% of the results. This statement, inspired by the eponymous law of sociologist and economist Vilfredo Pareto, is intended to demonstrate that the majority of effects are produced by small causes. In other words, to achieve greater things, it's important not to neglect the small actions that can help you get to the bigger enterprise you're aiming for.

To set up these small actions, you need to control your hours of productivity, and plan your hours of distraction. That way, you'll be less tempted to put off tasks until tomorrow.

Since procrastination is about delaying the unveiling of failures, aren't we setting unachievable goals?

Learning to set achievable goals

We have goals, but they have to be achievable. A number of inspiring goal-setting methods exist, such as SMART, SPIRO and others. These methods suggest three steps to setting achievable goals:

• Have a long-term vision of your life;
• Take into account your resources, skills and family constraints;
• Set mini-goals - concrete, viable and beneficial actions - which are forms of training, and which will help you to achieve the longer-term goal over a set period of time;
• Evaluating your progress and celebrating it every time is galvanizing, and gives you the feeling that you're getting closer to your goal. Evaluation also allows you to readjust your objectives, and the way you go about them.

The bottom line is that you have to overcome fear all the time in order to live life to the full, and not live a life full of regrets for never having tried. So it's important to set a course and give yourself the means to get there.

Illustration: Tylijura on Pixabay

References

Anaïs Adélaïde ,2023, "Identifying the obstacles that stand in the way of your productivity", online https://www.learnperfect.fr/les-facteurs-de-procrastination-identifier-les-obstacles-qui-entravent-votre-productivite/

Atlassian, "The theory of goal-setting motivation", online https://www.atlassian.com/fr/work-management/strategic-planning/setting-goals/theory

Banks Kerry, 2020 , "The attraction of procrastination", online https://www.affairesuniversitaires.ca/articles-de-fond-fr/lattraction-de-la-procrastination/

Dev-Perso, "How to find the motivation to achieve your personal goals", online https://dev-perso.com/comment-trouver-la-motivation/

Dev-Perso, "La loi de Pareto, 80% des effets sont le produit de 20% des causes", online https://dev-perso.com/loi-de-pareto-80-effets-20-causes/

Le Laboratoire du web, "How to set achievable goals without SMART techniques", online - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=equHfNIAGVM