Procrastination

Procrastination type 1 · “The Preparation That Never Ends”

Why this type appears

This person puts things off not because they do too little but because they prepare too much. While gathering and refining material, they also look at their own work more critically, so the conditions under which they allow themselves to start rise faster than their preparation can keep up. So although they keep working, there is never a moment they can call the start. They always stop just before starting. The longer this goes on, the harder it is to get out of the cycle. The more they have prepared, the more they feel the result must be perfect, and that pressure makes them stricter with themselves. This differs from the person who stops when the novelty wears off and from the person who avoids things because they fear the scene of failing. This person stops not out of fear but because it is "not enough yet." Nor are they lost about what to do. The task is clear from the start, but they keep setting stricter conditions for allowing themselves to put it out. That is why work that already looks finished to others always looks one piece short to them.

If these scenes feel familiar

With the report nearly written, they rework the sentences again in front of the submit button. Should they add one more table, will this phrase sound too light, they wonder, and keep rewriting until just before the deadline. Before submitting a proposal, they write out about twenty expected questions in advance and cannot send it up until every answer is filled in. Even with a short email, they read it over in three different tones, and the reply slips past a day. They believe a handover document must be so complete that their successor never needs to ask anything, and so they miss the date it was supposed to be handed over. To others it is already enough, but to them one piece always looks missing. So, telling themselves to fix it just once more, they keep pushing back their own deadline.

What makes it stronger or weaker

The more the work will leave a judgment behind and cannot be undone, and the more people will see it, the harder it is for them to start. This is even more so in areas where they have been told they are good. On the other hand, when the deadline is close and there is physically no time, or when it has been settled in advance that it is only a draft, the burden lightens and they start easily. They also put it out much more easily when someone else tells them it is good enough.

How it gets misread

People take this person for lazy, or for someone with no confidence in the work. The opposite is true. They stay with the work longer and more closely than anyone. The problem is not how much effort they put in. It is the standard for releasing it, which they keep making stricter on themselves. They can look relaxed to others while the unfinished work troubles them all day. It is not laziness. It is diligent delay.

The smallest change to make

Decide the releasing rule before you begin: once it feels like about 80 out of 100, it goes out. Fix a clock time, such as 3 PM today, and send it in whatever state it is in at that moment. This is not accepting worse work. It fixes when you release, so your standards cannot keep getting stricter first. This pattern continues only while there is time left to keep editing, so limiting the time ends it. Give the same rule to the type who stops once it is familiar, though, and it makes things worse. That person already releases rough work and moves on, so an 80 rule only excuses a careless finish.

How it shows up elsewhere

Self-improvement and side projects · They decide to build a side project and first pick apart about twenty similar services. They capture screens and sort the pros and cons into tables.

Everyday life · When they decide to start exercising, they first look for good running shoes and an exercise plan that suits them. After comparing reviews for days and drawing up a perfect routine chart, they push the actual first run to next week.

When this reading doesn't fit

If you quit the moment it gets boring midway, rather than right before submitting, this is not your type. Someone who barely prepares and is only quick to start is different too. Such a person should look at the "Stops-once-it-is-familiar" type, which stops when the novelty wears off. Someone who feels fear strongly before starting should look at the "Stopped-by-what-could-go-wrong" type.

Grounding: Research on evaluation-concern perfectionism (research on the tendency to keep growing stricter with oneself out of fear of others' judgment and to keep putting off the start)

Procrastination type 2 · “Moves On When Interest Fades”

Why this type appears

Starting is not hard for this person. If anything, they start faster than others. The problem is that the moment the first sense of newness fades, they no longer want to go on. It is less putting things off than "not going back" to work that has become boring. They stop not just before starting but always in the middle, when the work gets boring. At first they keep finding new methods and move quickly, but once they begin repeating the same work, their desire to continue drops fast. If something new catches their eye then, they start it without regret. Over time, the things they have started and not finished pile up. This is the opposite of the person whose preparation never ends. This person barely prepares and starts right away. Nor do they avoid things out of fear of failing. This person stops not when they are afraid but when they are bored. Nor is it that they have too many choices to decide. Choosing is quick, and finishing is what is hard. So this person works hardest early on and puts in less effort the further they go.

If these scenes feel familiar

When they start a report, they come up with many ideas, from the table of contents to a new structure. But once it is about half filled, what is left feels like obvious filling-in, so they close the window and move to something else. With a proposal, too, they set the whole structure in a day and stop at the dull finishing work of matching the detailed numbers. With email, they write an interesting first sentence and stop at the repetitive instructions in the main part. Those half-written emails stay in the drafts folder. Copying down what they already know, as in a handover, is the hardest to bear, so they keep putting it off. Then, when a new project comes up, they turn their attention there and leave the unfinished work as it is.

What makes it stronger or weaker

They become deeply absorbed when the work is new and they can set the method as they like. This is even more so with a topic they are taking on for the first time or a method no one has tried. On the other hand, when they must repeat a set method as it is, or the same work goes on for several days, they lose interest quickly. The hardest time is when the same work is repeated in the finishing stage.

How it gets misread

People around them see this person as lacking persistence and irresponsible. In fact, it is not a lack of ability. They simply cannot move once they have lost interest. If anything, they start faster than others and move quickly early on. They are frustrated themselves by what they have not finished, but it is hard to force back an interest that has gone.

The smallest change to make

They break the same task into small parts while changing the method, place, and tools. They deliberately create newness by switching methods every 25 minutes, moving to another seat, or going from writing by hand to the screen. It is a way of arranging the next stimulus in advance so it comes before boredom sets in. This works for this person, but recommending the same method to the "Never-ready-to-start" type, whose preparation never ends, does harm. That person's problem is not being able to start in the first place, so constantly changing methods leaves the problem of not starting as it is and only makes them more scattered.

How it shows up elsewhere

Self-improvement and side projects · Saying they will learn a new skill, they eagerly follow the first week of an introductory course. They type along with the examples late into the night and show off to friends.

When this reading doesn't fit

If you keep stopping just before starting rather than in the middle, this is not your type. If you prepare for a long time and grow stricter with yourself, look at the "Never-ready-to-start" type. Someone who does nothing because a scene of failure looms large before starting is the "Stopped-by-what-could-go-wrong" type, and someone who cannot decide what to do first and keeps comparing is the "Cannot-decide-what-to-do-first" type.

Grounding: Research on novelty-seeking temperament (research on a temperament drawn to new things that finds it hard to keep at one thing for long)

Procrastination type 3 · “Fear Comes First”

Why this type appears

The moment this person thinks of a task, they first picture the scene of failing, larger than the task itself. They vividly imagine being scolded, a moment of embarrassment, or the disappointed face of the other person. The fear they feel then is so great that they avoid the task first. So they do not put things off in proportion to how hard the task is. Even an objectively easy task cannot be started if it costs a lot emotionally. They stop when fear arises. Unlike the person whose preparation never ends, this person cannot even begin preparing, because just opening the file brings up that frightening scene. They also differ from the person who stops out of boredom. They have already stopped before starting. It is not that they do not know what to do first, but that they fear the feeling that will follow whatever they do. As time passes, the tasks they have put off pile up, and the more they pile up, the more afraid they are to face them, over and over. So even if they look as though they are doing nothing, inside they are constantly worn out from avoiding the task.

If these scenes feel familiar

When they think they must write a report, the moment they were criticized last time comes to mind first, so they cannot open the file and only flip between other windows. With a proposal, they picture in advance the face of a boss rejecting it and spend days in front of the submit button. A hard-to-answer email gets scrolled past every time it appears in the inbox, and they put off even opening it. With a handover, they fear that what they missed will be exposed, so they keep pushing back what they need to hand over. They would rather handle other urgent chores first, leaving only that frightening task put off. Not working does not make them feel at ease. The task they have put off keeps weighing on them, and they feel even more uneasy.

What makes it stronger or weaker

The more the task will be judged by its results and could expose a mistake, the more they put it off. This is especially so with tasks that resemble a past experience of being badly scolded or embarrassed. On the other hand, in a situation where no one will know if they fail, or practice where it has been settled in advance that anything goes, they are less afraid and start easily. When they can quietly try it alone with no one watching, they start much more easily.

How it gets misread

People around them see this person as weak-willed or avoiding responsibility. In fact, they simply picture the scene of failure much larger and more vividly than others do. It is not that they do not want to do it. The feeling that comes up is too much to bear, so they avoid the task first. They look calm on the outside but are anxious inside, and people around them rarely notice the difference.

The smallest change to make

They shrink the first step until failing at it would not hurt. Instead of "write the report," they cut the unit down to "open the file" or "write just one line," and do one thing before the frightening scene comes to mind. When it is small, there is nothing to call a failure, so they are less afraid. Recommending this method to the "Cannot-decide-what-to-do-first" type, who stops because they cannot decide what to do first, makes it even harder for them to start. Even with "small steps," that person must choose again, "which of these small things first?", and only gains one more thing to agonize over.

How it shows up elsewhere

Self-improvement and side projects · They need to study for a certification, but just looking at the textbook brings back the moment they badly failed the last exam, so they close the book. Instead they tidy the desk and sweep the room, and the day goes by.

When this reading doesn't fit

If you stop in the middle out of boredom rather than fear before starting, this is not your type. Such a person should look at the "Stops-once-it-is-familiar" type. Someone who prepares for a long time and only raises the standard is the "Never-ready-to-start" type, and someone who is not afraid but keeps comparing because they do not know what to choose first is the "Cannot-decide-what-to-do-first" type.

Grounding: Research on emotion-regulation procrastination (research on the psychology of putting things off to avoid anxiety or the fear of failure)

Procrastination type 4 · “Stopping While Choosing”

Why this type appears

Neither starting work nor seeing it through is hard for this person. They stop at just one stage: choosing what to do first. As they lay out a wide range of options and weigh them one by one, they keep delaying the decision and spend their time only comparing. They stop when they need to decide what to choose. Once they settle on one, they carry it out cleanly. They just rarely manage to settle on that one. Wondering whether there is a better choice, they look for more information, and the more they look, the more candidates there are and the less they can decide. This looks like the person who grows stricter while preparing, but inside it is different. That person stops while raising the standard, while this person stops because they cannot decide what to do. Nor do they stop out of boredom or avoid out of fear. There is no fear. Once the order is set, they move right away. As time passes, the undecided tasks pile up and their head is always cluttered. If someone makes the decision for them, this person tries to finish the work surprisingly fast.

If these scenes feel familiar

When they sit down to write a report, they lay out several candidates for which item to cover first and which material to base it on, and spend the morning weighing them. For a proposal, three or four possible directions come to mind, and while making a table comparing which is better, they never write the body. When there are several emails to answer, they spend so long deciding which to handle first that they handle none. With a handover, they get stuck deciding what to hand over first and how detailed to be, and redo the list again and again. Then, when someone points out "do it in this order," they finally start the work without hesitation. They always spend the day not doing the work but deciding. Without deciding, only the candidates grow.

What makes it stronger or weaker

When there are many options and none is clearly better, and when it seems that spending more time will find a better answer, they rarely decide. This is even more so with decisions that are hard to reverse. The more they try to find a single flawless answer, the longer they stay stuck. On the other hand, when there is only one option or someone decides "go with this," they carry it out right away without hesitating.

How it gets misread

People around them see this person as indecisive or dawdling to avoid work. In fact, they do not lack the ability to act. They get stuck only at the stage of choosing the one thing to start with. Once the direction is set, they finish faster than anyone, and the people around them notice that reversal only later. It is a problem not of laziness or fear but of choice overload.

The smallest change to make

They set in advance a rule to simply follow without comparing. Rules such as "start from the top of the list" or "research for only thirty minutes, then stop" remove the choosing stage itself. When they give up trying to choose well and simply follow the set order, they no longer get stuck at the choosing stage. Recommending this method to the "Stopped-by-what-could-go-wrong" type, who avoids out of fear, does not work, though. Even when what to do is decided, the scene of failure that will follow is just as frightening to that person, so setting the order does not make them any less afraid.

How it shows up elsewhere

Self-improvement and side projects · They want to start studying for a certification but cannot even decide which certification helps more with getting a job. They read about a hundred reviews and even make a table, but the more they read, the more candidates there are.

When this reading doesn't fit

If what to do is already clear but putting the work out keeps getting delayed, this is not your type. Someone who grows stricter with themselves should look at the "Never-ready-to-start" type, someone who gets bored after starting and quits midway at the "Stops-once-it-is-familiar" type, and someone with great fear before starting even when it is decided at the "Stopped-by-what-could-go-wrong" type.

Grounding: Research on choice overload (research on the phenomenon of deciding nothing while trying to find the best when there are many options)