Rambling on about why We and Others Put off things…

Do you Ever find yourself putting things off, even when you know you’ll regret it later? You’re not alone! Procrastination—avoiding tasks or decisions—is something pretty much everyone does now and then. The “why” we delay, put it off, or procrastinate certain tasks is often chalked up to laziness or no time. Instead, contrary to what most think, what’s really going on when we keep hitting “later” touches on a whole bunch of reasons. These reasons behind it, our procrastination, have to do with our thoughts and feelings, not just willpower. These reasons  run from fear of failure, time management, motivation, feeling overwhelmed, and even just distractions that we allow to overtake us. These points help us avoid getting started. The longer we put off and procrastinate things, the bigger the task feels or grows it seems until it becomes intimidating.

Sometimes, procrastination is also linked to perfectionism. When we worry that our work won’t be good enough, we might avoid starting altogether to escape those uncomfortable feelings. Additionally, our environment plays a role—if our workspace is cluttered or noisy, it’s much easier to drift into delay mode. Recognizing these patterns can be the first step toward making positive changes.

Putting things off can lead to more stress, last-minute scrambling, and sometimes missing out on cool opportunities. If we make a habit of it, it can mess with our confidence and pile on the guilt. It can cause rifts and uncomfortableness to become embedded in our relationships. It can make us doubt ourselves, our abilities, and even cause depression and anxiety to become a constant companion and another hurdle to get past.  

As for me, my procrastination has to do with conversations with people that I need to have, boundaries I need to set and have acknowledged. At least these are the ones that cause me the most issues. I have been in this “putting off” mode for months now, and it has come to the point that this week, I must make a move to correct the actions of the procrastination of a family member because of its effect on my mental health, finances, and my ability to ease the pain I feel from their inaction. It is because of my love for them  that I have allowed it to go on, but it is now what some would call an albatross, or a white elephant in the room. It threatens my relationship, and I simply can’t at this time in my life, continue feeling the weight of the inaction. I now feel guilt, anguish, and a heavy sadness over the situation…  It is time to do something. Maybe this prompt today has made me realize how deeply it disturbs and hurts me. I always tell God I am a Billboard kind of Girl… Her’s My Sign !

Be Kind to Yourself, accept and understand that everyone puts things off sometimes. Don’t beat up yourself, focus on what you can do next. Procrastination is super common and comes from a mix of thoughts, feelings, and habits. If we understand why we’re doing it, we can find simple ways to tackle it and get things done—without all the drama. Be honest, talk about it with someone, or even yourself… Just give yourself a bit of grace, God does… Then like Larry the Cable Guy says, “GIT “ER DONE”