BEAT PROCRASTINATION:
– No, You’re Not Lazy

HEY WRITER, did you know that procrastination is  not the same as laziness?Generally speaking, when it comes to getting things done, there are three types of people:

– Those who take action quickly;

– Those who wait until the last minute; and

– Those who put in minimal effort

Those who take action quickly are what we call proactive people. They will happily work through their to-do lists and knock things off with a fervour and frenzy that can make you dizzy. Their comfort zone is having a long list of crossed off items.

Proactive people see the value of getting in there and getting it done as quickly as possible. Even when it comes down to shit they don’t want to do or things that scare them. For a proactive person, taking action may prevent them from feeling worried or anxious about the future. Knowing they’re done allows them to spend the rest of the day doing whatever they want.

Those who wait until the last minute are the procrastinators. They prefer to put things off until they’re under serious pressure. Some even believe that they work better with the added pressure of a looming deadline.

Procrastinators tend to avoid all tasks, even the ones they actually want to do, for a number of reasons. While the proactive people eliminate stress and worries by taking care of tasks quickly, the procrastinators tend to cause themselves stress and worries. Because they’re fully aware of the fact that they’re not taking action and putting things off.

Those who put in minimal effort (often while expecting maximum outcome) are the ones who tend to be lazy. Laziness is characterised by a lack of concern or interest in a task. Lazy people tend to invest very little time or effort into tasks and activities, and they don’t feel bad about it. They often defend their positions and blame their shortcomings on circumstances or other people to deflect accountability.

Procrastination vs Laziness

If you’re a procrastinator (as writers often are) you’ve probably been accused of being lazy at some point.

Most of us have had the message that inactivity equals laziness hammered so deep into the subconscious part of our minds that we’re not even aware it’s there. But it’s not true. (If anything, it’s a tool to control the working class and the poor, but that’s a topic for another day and another blog.)

What is true, is that lazy people often procrastinate, but when they do, they don’t feel guilt, shame or anxiety. This is a crucial differentiation. Truly lazy people do procrastinate, but chronic procrastinators aren’t necessarily truly lazy. 

Lazy people try to get away with doing as little as possible or nothing at all. Procrastinators put things off and then they exert massive amounts of energy to achieve a good outcome before their deadline. Sometimes cutting it pretty fine.

Laziness is more about wanting to get out of doing something, while procrastination often includes overthinking a task which leads to what we call analysis paralysis. Procrastinators actually want to do the task, but their desire to do more or better, and the anxiety that causes them, may be putting the task off.

If you’ve struggled with procrastination, you may have felt lazy. But if you also felt guilty for not taking action sooner, stressed because things weren’t getting done, and overwhelmed because you knew you had tasks that needed your attention, you weren’t being lazy.

Questions of the Day:

– Do you procrastinate?

– How does your procrastination affect your (writer’s) life?

Let’s talk in the comments below, or send me your response via socials/email.

To take on the 30 Days to Beat Procrastination challenge, follow the links below.

Thank you for being here today! I hope you had a good time and I look forward to seeing you again.

Love always,

//Evalena

© Evalena Styf, 2020

30 Days to Beat Procrastination

DAY 1: BEAT PROCRASTINATION: The 30-day challenge