Procrastination or laziness?

Procrastination and laziness look similar, but they are two very different conditions.

Procrastination is avoiding fear.

Laziness is avoiding discomfort.

Dealing with them requires different strategies.

Procrastination is fear of the unknown.

I don’t know how to do it.

I don’t know if it will work.

I don’t know if others will approve of me.

The unknown can be paralyzing. So we wishfully push back to a future that will have miraculously solved that for us.

But it’s all happening in our heads. And we can do something about it.

Fear is usually in the vague rather than the specific.

That’s why articulating our thoughts makes them less scary.

And we can reduce the unknown by making decisions. Even if we make things up.

One of the ways I mitigate procrastination is by artificially creating deadlines and stakeholders.

I need deadlines in a very near, concrete future (tomorrow, next week, etc.) and people making me accountable for them.

Here's a recent example.

I have plans to teach again a few workshops at a University later this year. But as an incurable procrastinator, I just can’t put myself to work on the teaching material without a clear deadline.

So I decided to teach at my company. We agreed with HR on a teaching schedule (bi-weekly). Now, I have very concrete deadlines and, more importantly, people relying on me to deliver the teaching material.

Problem solved! Everybody wins!

Laziness is a completely different beast.

Laziness is the byproduct of constantly seeking comfort.

And who would question our desire for comfort? Isn't that the promise of a prosperous society?

Comfort is an easy substitute for happiness.

Comfort is predictable. It’s a known quantity.

We all want to live a comfortable life in a comfortable home.

But that comes at a cost. Personal growth.

We can't grow without discomfort.

Any form of progress lies outside of our comfort zone.

How to mitigate laziness?

Increase our tolerance to discomfort.

Anything works.

Waking up earlier.

Push-ups.

Cold showers.

Talking to strangers.

All the above.

No need to feel defeated. We can do something about it.

Procrastination can be mitigated with clarity.

Laziness can be mitigated with conditioning.

I'm a lazy procrastinator.

I've got work to do.