Christian Counseling about Causes of Procrastination

By Benjamin Deu, MA, LMHC, Seattle Christian Counseling

Part of a presidential documentary I watched compared President Jimmy Carter’s workload to that of President Ronald Reagan. Carter worked long hours and carried armloads of paperwork and folders to and from his office every day. Reagan was less publicly frazzled, and once quipped he was working six hours a day, but would soon get it down to four. This was obviously before the Internet.

We know we’re supposed to be working, yet we refresh Twitter, or go check our email for the third time in 10 minutes. We work to avoid working. Why? Why is it so hard to knuckle down and do what we are supposed to be doing?

Why do people procrastinate?

Some lay the blame for procrastination on laziness or susceptibility to distraction. However, others claim it is the mind’s system of self-defense against failure, as Neil Fiore writes in his book “The Now Habit.” “Procrastination is not the cause of our problems with accomplishing tasks; it is an attempt to resolve a variety of underlying issues, including low self-esteem, perfectionism, fear of failure and of success, indecisiveness, an imbalance between work and play, ineffective goal-setting, and negative concepts about work and yourself.” (4-5)

People procrastinate because of

1. Resentment (25)

Sometimes procrastination is a tool of passive aggression. For instance, maybe you have been assigned a task you think is beneath you. So, you drag your feet. After all, you shouldn’t have to do this.

• How this hurts you

It makes you look lazy. And dwelling on how ill-used you feel fills you with bitterness. Bitterness is like drinking poison and waiting for your enemy to die. Look at the example of Esau. The reason God accepted Jacob’s sacrifice and not his was because Jacob’s sacrifice was proper. But, rather than acknowledge his responsibility, Esau nurtured his resentment until it became strong enough to cause him to kill his brother. It destroyed them both.

• What to do instead

Stop seeing yourself as a victim. Instead of letting oppression overwhelm you, focus on what you can control. For instance– doing your job well. Don’t do it for your boss. Do it for you. Pride in a job well done is a powerful shield against resentment.

2. Fear of failure (28)

Many procrastinators grew up under the pressure of high expectations, Fiore says.

They are so anxious about not meeting these expectations, they avoid doing their work out of fear it will not be good enough. Procrastination “rewards [them] with a temporary relief from stress.” (22) Their personal identity is based almost entirely on their accomplishments. When they do not succeed, they feel as if their evaluator is rejecting them, rather than just their work. Fear of not meeting expectations, and experiencing this rejection, paralyzes them at the starting line.

• How this hurts you

When you procrastinate, you rush to get everything done at the last minute, and you end up fulfilling your dread of turning in subpar work. And you have spent all your time up until then dreading the task before you.

• What to do instead

Recognize that taking advantage of your entire time allotment means you will be able to do a more thorough job than if you pushed things to the last minute. You can gather more information, take time to avoid/look for mistakes, and ask peers to review your work before submitting it.

3. Fear of success (30)

Success means change and additional responsibility. Both are intimidating. Sometimes it also means jealousy. Rather than admiring the results of hard work and talent, people get tired of being shown up every time they step in the ring with you. They start to resent you. Fiore used the example of a young woman who excelled academically and athletically all through school, but began doing less than her best because her friends got nasty after coming in second so often.

• How this hurts you

You waste your God-given talents. You do not go as far as you could because you hold yourself back. You settle for fair-weather friends.

• What to do instead

Cowardice is not being afraid. Cowardice is letting fear be your excuse not to do something. List the reasons you are afraid of a new opportunity. Assess how realistic these fears are. Make another list of all the benefits this new opportunity will offer you.

Do not settle for friends who will not support or encourage you. There is nothing wrong with occasional competition, but rivalry will snuff affection.

“The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’” (Rom. 8:15 NIV) This verse is one of the most liberating and hopeful in all of Scripture. Our God does not want us to live lives of fear, but lives knowing we are the beloved children of the Almighty. He did not send his son to establish a relationship of bondage, but one of affection and support.

When you find yourself fearful of being judged by your work, or afraid of what success might bring, take your concerns to the Lord. As this verse reminds us, Christ enables us to petition God. “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” (I Peter 5:7 NIV)

4. Laziness and a willingness to be distracted

Yes, research indicates many people have legitimate psychological reasons for resisting beginning a task. But sometimes it’s just plain, old-fashioned sloth. Or it may be a combination of both. Seeing what is new on Facebook is unquestionably more entertaining than catching up on paperwork. But it eventually accumulates as a lot of wasted time.

• How this hurts you

Finishing a task takes longer because you allow yourself to be pulled away by more enjoyable distractions. Your boss might eventually notice how much time you spend socializing in the break room and penalize you.

• What to do instead

Establish a time span for uninterrupted productivity. Tell yourself, “I’m going to sit here for 30 minutes and work.” If you don’t need the Internet to get the task done, turn off the AirPort on your computer that connects to the Wi-Fi, so you can’t waste time online. Consider rewarding yourself afterward by taking a few minutes to stretch your legs. Do not turn it into an opportunity to waste time chatting up your coworkers.

Christian counseling for dealing with procrastination

“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” (Eph. 5:15-17 NIV) In this verse, Paul reminds us we ought to make the best use of the time and talents God has given us. The Lord gives us resources for a reason. Do not squander them.

They can help you adapt new ways of establishing your self-worth. Alternately, a professional Christian counselor can help those fearful of the uncertainties associated with success assess and overcome those worries. Procrastination is not just a waste of time. It also drains the energy and emotion you spend avoiding and worrying about work left undone. Find a professional Christian counselor who can help you establish the healthy balance of work and rest God has in mind.

Photos

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Christian-counseling-procrastination Freedigitalphotos.net user Stuart Miles