“I’ll get to it next time.” How often have you said that to yourself? I’m too tired. I’m too lazy. I just don’t have enough time! Too often we find ourselves looking for any and every excuse not to write that essay, or do that pile of laundry, or pay that bill that’s overdue. So instead we whip out our phones and scroll through our social media feed, or binge watch our favorite TV series…again. Clearly we have enough time to just relax and forget about it. But we simply just don’t have enough time to do what needs to be done.

Procrastination is not a time management issue. It’s an emotion regulation problem. We procrastinate because we don’t have the motivation, patience, and emotional capacity to deal with the issue at hand. Think about the last time you put off doing something trivial, like paying that bill. For many, paying that monthly bill is emotionally exhausting, because it’s not just simply transferring money. Whipping out that checkbook, or logging into that account means that you are now focusing on how much money you owe. If you’re strapped for cash, it becomes an emotional battle that impinges on your financial security and even your self-esteem. A seemingly easy task becomes a momentous event, so it’s so much easier to simply ignore it and tell yourself you’ll get to it later.

When later comes around, that responsibility doesn’t go away. Instead, it gets piled onto another responsibility that needs addressing. And around and around we go. Yes, procrastination becomes its own deadly cycle, and we all know how that ends. Recognizing and accepting the reason you procrastinate is just the first step. It’s about examining the deeper reason for why you have a difficult time tackling those seemingly simple tasks. It’s learning how to increase that emotional pool to better deal with life’s daily routines. Then it’s all about putting that head down and practicing, because like any life skill, practice makes perfect.