Procrastination

I’ll do it later.

I’ll do it tomorrow.

I don’t have time to do it today.

Maybe I can get it done next week.

Oh no, it’s due tomorrow?

Oh no, it was due today and I didn’t finish it.

Oh no, I didn’t pay my bill, now it’s late and I have late fees.  I’ll pay it tomorrow….

I need more time…..

Sound familiar?    Many people have problems with procrastination.  For some it seems it’s just a part of who they are.  For those with ADHD, it’s just part of their  unique  brain wiring which can seriously get in the way of finishing tasks.  Especially those tasks they have zero interest in. And on top of that, the understanding of time: how much time it will take to finish a task is skewed and so often the ADHDer thinks they have all the time in the world to get something done.  And then when that “thing” they need to get done is staring them in the face?  It’s like a deer in the headlights and often they ask themselves, “I thought I had more time to do it.  What am I going to do?  And they freeze and they want to run.  Not unlike running away from an animal that’s chasing them.  

Why do we procrastinate?  When we KNOW we should get that task done?  Well it’s about a short term mood repair.  You know what I mean.  When you decide to put off a difficult task for another day, there’s a sense of relief, maybe even a sense of happiness.  You’re looking at getting it out of your head for another day.  But the “payment” always comes due.  And that payment becomes more painful the closer we get to the deadline.  

 For Ryan?  It’s a constant battle. He is the king of procrastinators.  I guess that would make me the dowager queen?  After all, he has my genes and the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.  Of course I’m able to work with Ryan on this issue so much easier than I can deal with it personally.   That’s such a conundrum isn’t it?  Anyways, I digress.  When the task (a really good four letter word) was looming and it’s multilayered, especially school work, Ryan could not start on it on his own.  He’d sit there.  Staring.  Didn’t know how to start.  So instead of working on it, he would walk away.    I’d often catch him in his room or on the couch playing something or other.  And I’d ask him why he wasn’t working on his project and he’d often say “Well, I’ll start it tomorrow.”  Of course that never flew with me.  I discovered that he just couldn’t get his thoughts around the project.  It was too much.  Too many parts. And if he had no interest in the project?  We would really have a struggle on our hands.  Over time, and I mean quite a few years, we’ve (tutors, therapists, coaches, parents)  discovered things that can help him.  Here’s a few:

1.  Taking a project and breaking them down into smaller tasks 

2. Spending small chunks of time to work on the tasks.  For example, spending ten minutes with a timer, taking a five minute break, and then working for ten more minutes.

3. Doing something fun before beginning a task

4. Using a body double.  A body double is having someone else in the room with you when you are working on a task.

5. Listening to a playlist while working on a task.  This works well when cleaning a room.

6. Not leaving the most difficult task last.  We often do the easiest things on our task list.  But if you work a little bit on a more difficult task first, then work on an easier task, you might realize that it’s easier to manage.

7. Ask for help.  

Many of the above tools can work well much of the time.  And being consistent in using them can show how great they can be. Some may work all the time, others may not always work depending on the project itself.  But the one thing that I’ve found that really doesn’t work well, is giving more time to get the project or goal or task or assignment done.  That will just continue to promote procrastination.  Even if the project is almost complete, I’ve seen Ryan time and again, put off finishing the project until just before it’s due even when he could have so easily finished it early.

I know that some people feel that they do their best work when they leave things to the last minute.  They sit and muddle over things until the night before something is due.  And then they stay up all night to pound out whatever it is they’re working on.  (I wouldn’t know anything about doing things like this…)  In the long run though, the angst and stress and sleepless nights aren’t really worth it are they?  And who knows how more awesome your work might be if you didn’t put that kind of pressure on yourself?  You know this to be true.  And yet, we do it anyway.  Try some of the above tools.  See if they might work for you.  Especially if you have ADHD.  I have yet to meet an ADHDer who doesn’t have procrastination issues.  And who likes being asked, “Have you completed that report yet?”  Ugh.  Let the excuses fly and little white lies. 

“Never put off till tomorrow what may be done day after tomorrow just as well.”

– Mark Twain