Procrastination doesn’t make you a terrible person.
Does this make you exhale a small sigh of relief?
You’re not alone. We commonly (mistakenly) assume procrastination is a personal weakness and a clear sign of laziness and lack of grit.
In reality, the procrastination bug comes to bite most of us. We’ve all had those days where we just can’t find the motivation to get going, even when we know we should. Suddenly, a whole range of different activities become more inviting (Going down YouTube rabbit holes, cleaning your home, or even scrolling through LinkedIn). Anything besides getting started!
In the office, especially with respect to health and safety, procrastinating can be a dangerous mental spiral. If workers put off tasks too often, they risk rushing the task to meet deadlines or team goals - and potentially increase the risk to their health and safety as a result (notably for workers in physical, hands-on workplaces). Procrastination itself may also be a warning sign of mental burnout. As a manager, learning about procrastination will help you better understand and care for your team. As a worker, knowing why you behave in a certain way can help you make necessary adjustments to procrastinate less.