Where is the Panic Monster When I Need Him?
Oxford defines PROCRASTINATION as: the action of delaying or postponing something. Jamesclear.com in an article Procrastination: A Scientific Guide on How to Stop Procrastinating says “Procrastination is a challenge we have all faced at one point or another. For as long as humans have been around, we have been struggling with delaying, avoiding, and procrastinating on issues that matter to us.”
I am curious – where are you on the Procrastination Scale, from 1-to-10? For me – I’d say 8.7 but my score certainly varies day-to-day… ok, minute-to-minute. I no doubt would have been diagnosed as having Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in elementary school IF that was a thing back then. Mayo Clinic says ADHD “is a mental health disorder that includes a combination of persistent problems, such as difficulty paying attention, hyperactivity and impulsive behavior.” Yes – that is me.
My current ADHD manifestation is “Doom Scrolling.” I have 4 news feeds on my phone that I repeatedly scroll through and then repeat – and I get frustrated when there is nothing new in the feed, in what, the 5 minutes that have elapsed since my last trip through the feed. Egads!
What is curious, given my procrastination tendencies, is that throughout my career, and my life in general, I am regarded as an over-achiever. Seems to defy the odds don’t you think? A TED talk by Tim Urban titled Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator provided needed insight.
Tim introduced the Panic Monster that shows up, in the life of the procrastinator, when a deadline is HERE! And suddenly, you can marshal your energies and focus until the “project” is completed. Tim illustrated how the Panic Monster allowed him to start and complete his semester-long thesis in the last 72 hours – pulling 2 all-nighters. I can relate – can you?
The eye-opening reality – what happens for “tasks” that do NOT have deadlines? Tasks where the Panic Monster does not show up? Getting exercise, doing a creative project, writing a Blog on Procrastination. Tim says that, for undone tasks without deadlines, procrastinators feel unhappiness, stress, and regret. They can find themselves “being spectators in your own lives!”
I am happy to report that I have been successfully using the I Dare to Act process of setting monthly and weekly goals and being accountable to others in the Master BS-er categories – Mind, Body, Soul, Emotions, and Relationships. I sincerely recommend this process if you are a fellow procrastinator.
Tim concluded his TED talk with an image of a life calendar and encouraged the participants to get started living your best life.
YOUR QUESTION: How are you handling tasks without deadlines, when the Panic Monster does not show up?