Why you procrastinate

(special note: I procrastinated completing this post for five days)

At my house, we put a sign on our dishwasher when it's time to empty it. The sign says "CLEAN," as in "the dishes are clean." We are then able to freely use the dishwasher as a cupboard until we get around to emptying it – the sign reassures us we'll be taking out shiny clean plates instead of crusty ones.

It's also convenient to have clean clothes in the dryer. That way, I can get clean socks from the laundry room without having to stuff everything into my bedroom drawers. Too bad when it's time to actually use the dryer again.

Why do some of us procrastinate the simplest things, like emptying the dishwasher or dryer? How does that bode for our time management on the bigger issues, like delving into the question of "what do I want to do with my life?," looking for a job, or completing the novel (or painting, song, play, etc.)? Or does it mean we blow off the stupid household stuff so we can fully focus on those other things? Or a combination, depending on the circumstance?

We all know it often does pay to get of our asses and do things today…and conventional wisdom (and planning systems like Franklin Covey) tell us to prioritize and plan on a daily basis. They tell us that procrastination is BAD. Indeed, sloth is one of the 7 deadly sins, and isn't sloth pretty much like procrastination?

Admit it – a smug, humor-laden satisfaction often accompanies procrastination. We laugh about it. Procrastinating little things around the house offers a comic excuse to procrastinate the big things ("I can't even remember to take out the recycling, so there's no way I can start that new e-mail campaign to potential customers – ha ha.") And you've got to love the Demotivator posters. One says "Procrastination: Hard work often pays off over time, but laziness always pays off now."

Still…there are things we'd like to get done that just don't happen on their own. We all have to find our own remedies for procrastination – the life coaches emphasize taking things one manageable step at a time and keeping organized to-do lists. It's also about getting a sense of what motivates us to be unmotivated in the first place. How many of these de-motivators might be lurking in your life?

• A secret feeling that you have to be perfect at the thing you're going to do.
• The feeling that there are more important things to do than the thing you keep putting off.
• A concern that once you begin the task you've been procrastinating, you'll be obligated to follow through with other related things, and won't that be a pain?
• A sense that people, yourself included, might have a hard time adjusting to a new, non-procrastinating you?

When we get down to it, it's often related to a deep-seated fear or concern that we're not very aware of. Why do I procrastinate my dishwasher duties? I'm giving that some thought, but right now I'm leaning toward #2 above (the feeling that there are more important things that I should be doing) combined with #4 (what if I become one of those people who always empties the dishwasher? what expectations will I need to live up to then?).

I challenge all of us in the new year to consider the "whys" behind our procrastination and commit to working through the things that keep us from moving ahead. You can start with your version of emptying the dishwasher, and move up to more substantive challenges.

And guess what – I did empty my dishwasher this morning, and it was easy. My next challenge will be to fold the laundry tonight.