Ever Wonder Why You Procrastinate? Revealing the Hidden Reasons and How to Boost Your Productivity
Again, I snoozed my alarm! Yes, again.
When I finally jumped out of bed, it was late as usual. I skipped my early morning run. Yesterday, after all the guilt brewing inside me, I told myself, “Listen, you have to get up early and go for a run. No more excuses.”
In the wee hours of the morning, I looked out the window, saw the soft glow of the sunrise, felt the warmth of my comforter, and the coziness of my room. I closed my eyes tightly, thinking, "Let me get some more of this; I’ll get up in some time." The idea of pulling myself out of that comforting sleep and stepping into the chilly morning air pushed me back to sleep. Once again, I broke my promise to myself to take up early morning running.
When I actually do run, I deeply enjoy it. A few days back, I asked myself how I could make it a daily habit. The fresh air, the morning sunlight—it’s refreshing and energizing. That day, I felt so energetic and accomplished, finishing most of my tasks. I promised myself that I would keep running for sure. So, why don’t I do it regularly?
The answer lies in the mind.
The Lazy Mind:
If you could peek inside my head, it would look something like this: a lazy, comfort-loving character, much like Uncle Scrooge from DuckTales, who sits on a pile of wealth (or in this case, energy).
This brain stores a pile of potential, capable of amazing things no one would believe possible.
Just look around—everything you see is the outcome of the mind’s greatness. But the problem is, it’s damn lazy. It hates to move, hates any change, and hates any discomfort. It chooses comfort over discomfort, the known over the unknown, not doing over doing.
And that’s the basic reason we all struggle in life. Look at you—how many things do you want to do in your life?
Don’t you want a healthy lifestyle?
How do you feel when you pick up that dark, creamy chocolate mousse? It feels yummy, but then comes the guilt—you shouldn’t have eaten two of them. But you did.
What about your gym membership, which is about to expire unused?
Or the idea for your side hustle, the planning for a new venture? You know you should do it, but part of you desperately wants to hold back. When you feel that, you get into this self-talk justifying why you can’t do it.
Here are some common excuses you might give yourself:
Common Excuses We Make:
Excuse #1: "I don’t think I can do it. I don't have what it takes"
Self-doubt creeps in, convincing you that success is out of reach. You want to start a new business, but every time you think about it, you hear a voice in your head saying, "Who are you kidding? You don’t have what it takes." Self-doubt is like that annoying relative at family gatherings who always questions your life choices
Excuse #2: "They have resources, and I don’t."
You believe others are in a better position to succeed because of their resources. You see someone on Instagram with the perfect home gym and think, "If only I had that equipment, I’d be in shape too." Comparing yourself to others is like running a race while constantly checking someone else’s track.
Excuse #3: "I have other responsibilities."
You feel stuck, convinced you don’t have enough time to make changes. Between work, kids, and maintaining a social life, the idea of adding a new habit feels overwhelming. But you know responsibilities are like laundry—they never truly go away. But just like you can always find time to throw in a quick load, you can carve out moments you need.
Excuse #4: "It’s hard, I can’t leave that."
The thought of giving up something you enjoy feels impossible. You know you should cut back on junk food, but the allure of late-night snacks is just too strong.
Excuse #5: "Life is short, I want to enjoy more."
You don’t want to live with restrictions, preferring immediate pleasure. Why spend hours meal prepping when you can order a pizza and binge-watch your favorite series?
Excuse #6: "I’m overloaded, I need a break."
You feel too cramped and busy to take on new challenges. Being busy is like running on a hamster wheel—you’re moving a lot but not getting anywhere.
Excuse #7: "I will do it later."
Procrastination keeps pushing your goals further away. You tell yourself you’ll start working out tomorrow, but tomorrow always seems to turn into next week. Later" is the sneaky sibling of "never." If you wouldn’t trust your sibling with your car keys, don’t trust "later" with your goals.
Excuse #8: "It’s just one time."
You rationalize that slipping up once won’t matter, even if it becomes a habit. You skip one workout, thinking it’s no big deal, but then it turns into a week of skipped workouts. One time can be the gateway to a slippery slope.
Excuse #9: "I can’t do this at my age, time, or situation."
You convince yourself it’s too late to change. Age is just a number, and time is a concept. Colonel Sanders started KFC at 65—your golden years could be finger-lickin’ good too.
Excuse #10: "I don’t have enough support."
You feel your environment is unfavorable and that others aren’t supportive. your partner share the load so you can't focus on anything else than what your presently do. Support is great, but self-motivation is even better. Think of yourself as a lone wolf on a mission—you’re strong enough to go it alone, and soon, others might follow your lead.
Why Do We Make These Excuses?
The credit goes to our lazy, fearful, comfort-loving mind. One of the crucial jobs of our mind is to keep us safe. Safety is a top priority. Any unknown or new situation activates the fear-arousing part of the brain. It worries, "What if something goes wrong? What if change doesn’t go well?"
I’ve seen you scrolling on your phone, eating a tub of popcorn, watching Netflix. You feel so comfortable. “I guess that’s what makes you happy,” your mind says. “Let’s stay that way.”
Sure, you know that you need to eat healthy, exercise, count your breaths, finish your to-do list, fill out that annoying form, call your tax accountant, and talk to your new neighbor. It's not that you don't know these things; it's just that you don't feel like doing them.
So you procrastinate and push them away. You know it’s all good for you, but your brain thinks you look happier just lying on the couch. Your brain craves comfort and is afraid of discomfort, pressure, and change. Anytime we try to stretch our comfort zone too far for too long, the mind desperately tries to get back to ground zero at any cost—including sacrificing our long-term health, happiness, and success.
What should you do?
Here's what worked for me, and you can try it too:
Make a List: Write down all the things you have to do but hate doing. You might hear a little voice saying, "Nah, do it later." The moment you hear that voice, decide that this is exactly what you need to do. That task goes straight to the top of your list.
Do It First: Tackle the task you don't want to do first, before you have a chance to procrastinate.
Take Ownership: When we don't do what we should, we look for excuses to blame someone or something else. But when you keep the onus on yourself, you feel responsible and motivated to take action.
In short, take responsibility and act anyway, no matter how much you hate it.
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