Hi, Anindya, why do I really like to delay things? I constantly working on anything in last minutes. I’ve been making plan but there’s always a reason to delay. Sometimes it bothers me so much that I have to stay up late or the results of my work in a hurry often dissatisfactory in the end. Would you help me understand this problem?
(Randy, 23 years old, just graduated from college)

Hi Randy, this condition you are experiencing is called Procrastination. The culprit is called Procrastinator. Perhaps the simplest thing for Procrastinators is “let’s do it, work it now”. Don’t spend any more time making various work plans or giving time to think about when a task will be done by you. This often makes someone feel that they have started to do it, even though they haven’t. When we actually start working on our task, our perception of the task actually changes. Whereas when we start working on it we can often enjoy the task, starting it which is often a problem.

There are also time when we have to do tasks that are unpleasant and not liking it, then we postpone our work, eventually we end up getting upset or regret ourselves. To deal with a task like this, my suggestion is just swallow it, accept it and do it. This may seem harsh, yes, but Procrastinators need this. Do not be afraid to let go of the “feeling of calm” when delaying that will only last for the short term. Remind yourself that the focus of this task is long-term and no one enjoys an unpleasant task. The ability to deal with negative emotions in yourself will help you break away as a Procrastinator.

Finally, be honest with yourself. Often Procrastinators justify their procrastination by saying “It feels better if I do it tomorrow” or “When the time is tight, I can best work when there is pressure to finish”. In reality eventually no one worked on it properly. Stop lying to yourself.

Procrastination is not a bad time management problem. Procrastination is a fairly complex issue. Related to your personality, your current situation-condition and also your own self-motivation. If the tips above have not been able to help you or you are still confused about why you are a procrastinator, just contact us. I hope our psychologist can help you be better.