Understanding the Procrastination-Projection Syndrome

The Tomorrow Trap
by Karen E. Peterson, Ph.D.

Book Description

The Procrastination-Protection Syndrome explains why we:

• know the basic principles of time management but can't bring ourselves to use them

• often procrastinate on tasks that require solitude

• avoid making decisions that are extremely important

• often engage in compulsive eating, smoking, excessive consumption of caffeine, or other meaningless activities

• feel like workaholics but never seem to finish anything

• don't fee that we are fulfilling our destinies

• avoid the use of the right side of the brain, which holds the key to ending procrastination

Borrowing equally from her own story of recovery from procrastination, composite clinical case examples, psychological research, and interviews with highly productive individuals such as Dr. Bernie Siegel, Dr. Peterson offers a way out of the tomorrow trap so that we can finally take charge of our lives, savor success and embrace our essential destinies.

Chapter 1

Earth or Bust:
Understanding the Procrastination-Projection Syndrome

Beyond talent lie all the usual words, discipline, love, luck, but, most of all, endurance.

— James Baldwin

Ever watch Star Trek? Well, even if you're not a science fiction fan, you'll probably see yourself aboard the Starship Enterprise by the end of this story. During one recent episode, I was instantly reminded of the vicious cycle of what I call the "psycho-evolutionary" pattern of humanity.

As I watched Captain Picard and his fearless crew trapped in a space/time distortion, unwittingly repeating the same events for 17 days in a row, I felt increasingly upset each time their "day" ended in complete destruction of the ship and its crew. I wanted to reach through the TV screen and say, "But wait, you don't have to keep repeating the same events that will result in your total destruction!"

As Captain Picard and his crew became increasingly alert for signs of déjà vu moments, trusting that their instincts were correct, they were finally able to give themselves a clue to avoid the inevitable collision in this repeated "day," and out of the loop they went —free at last from the "the tomorrow trap." However, after the ship had broken out of the space/time distortion, Captain Picard hailed the captain of the other ship and quickly realized that the other ship's crew was as yet completely unaware that they, too, had been repeating the same day — but for over 80 years.

So what's all this going around in circles have to do with procrastination? Essentially, this book is the "clue" I needed to give myself 20 years ago, when I was stuck in the repetitive, destructive cycle of procrastination. With an intense desire to write, I knew that something was wrong with my life, but I couldn't begin to figure out what or why. Although I saw a variety of fine therapists over the years, none was able to help with my procrastination regarding the writing process until I was ready to deal with underlying issues.

As an English composition teacher, I was also aware that some of my students had problems with writer's block and procrastination, and it seemed to have more to do with the student than with the writing project per se.

During those years, I searched for information to help sort this all out. I found some interesting books and excellent research material, but none of them started me writing again.

My earliest clues regarding what I now feel is the true source of procrastination came while researching my doctoral dissertation in psychology — a project in which I studied the relationship between "self-monitoring style" (how much of one's "true self" is shown to others) and one's level of writing anxiety, writer's block or procrastination.

This book is a composite of all that I've learned about procrastination — both as a survivor of this negative pattern and as a psychologist who has worked with procrastinators for the past 10 years. In my workshops across the country, I have seen the same patterns over and over again that have plagued me, as well as my clients. And just as Captain Picard invited the other starship's captain aboard to help him out of his 80-year entrapment, so, too, I offer you this book to help you out of your particular prison of procrastination, a prison that does indeed protect you from facing the real issues underlying procrastination, but that also keeps you caught in the teeth of the tomorrow trap.

The two types of Procrastination

Let's examine briefly the level to which you feel ensnared by the tomorrow trap. Try to respond to the items that follow with your first gut-level reaction. Once you have assessed your particular pattern of procrastination, we'll know which of the two types of procrastination is keeping you trapped in this uncomfortable pattern.

Procrastination Pattern Quiz

1. I procrastinate regarding:
Making decisions
Paperwork
Creative activities
Academic activities
My job
Household tasks
Financial matters
My personal relationships
Self-care
Relaxation and leisure time
My hobbies
My hopes and dreams
Other:_________________

2. When I hear the word "procrastination," I think of:___________________

3. When I hear the word "procrastination," I feel:______________________

4. When other people procrastinate, I feel and I think:__________________

5. I procrastinate _____________ percent of the time

6. I procrastinate mostly when it comes to ___________, and __________ and __________

7. I rarely procrastinate when it comes to ____________, or _____________ or __________

8. What bothers me the most about my procrastination is _________________

9. Procrastination has caused me trouble in terms of my: _____________ job _______________ relationships __________________ self-esteem _______________ fulfillment of my dreams.

10. The reasons that I think I haven't stopped procrastinating are: ____________________

In looking at your answers to item #1, notice whether your procrastination related to one area, a few or many. If your problems are just with one area, you could be dealing primarily with a simple case of what I call "task-related procrastination" (TRP). This suggests boredom and low frustration tolerance regarding an aversive task. In this case, the application of time management principles would help.

However, the more negative your responses were to items #2-10, the more likely it is that you may be experiencing what I call "person-related procrastination" (PRP). This suggests the possibility of unresolved interpersonal issues (issues between you and another person) or unresolved intrapersonal issues (issues residing within you from previous life experiences). And yes, if you're really lucky, like most of us, you can have both TRP and PRP at the same time.

A few case examples will illustrate:

Robert, a 45-year-old architect, relocated to Florida to accept a management position with a large architectural firm. He came for counseling at the suggestion of his employer, who had noticed that Robert had a difficult time completing tasks that involved minor paperwork or conducting meetings.

When I questioned Robert, it appeared that he had no other problems with procrastination outside these to areas at work. Prior to being promoted to manager, Robert had shown no evidence of postponing tasks or low morale. He enjoyed the creative aspects of being an architect.

However, when it came to writing memos to or setting up meetings with the junior members of the firm, Robert tended to put off the chore. Although he would never be so blunt with his employer, Robert stated to me that these were "boring and meaningless" tasks that "distracted" him from his real purpose: creatively designing buildings and other structures. He added that although he appreciated the substantial hike in salary, he yearned for the old days when he could focus more closely on being creative, rather than on such boring tasks that he now "had" to do.

Robert's case is a clear example of task-related procrastination. On a daily basis he faced aversive tasks that prevented him from doing when he enjoyed. When we explored the fact that he was in a management position by choice, even with all the "aversive tasks," Robert began to see his situation in a different light.

When I asked if he'd like to step down from his new lucrative positive, exclaimed "no." He said that with two sons in college, he and his wife had never had the money to travel. With his new salary, they were already planning a trip to Europe. I pointed out that perhaps all the paperwork was worth it, given the financial results of his management position. Reluctantly, he agreed.

What Robert needed was a daily reminder of these positive consequences regarding the performance of such "meaningless" tasks. I suggested a form of time management, a behavior therapy technique called "contingency management," in which a reward for behavior depends upon performance. It calls for breaking an aversive task into manageable steps, then rewarding oneself after each step is completed. Robert needed immediate and tangible gratification after each bout of "boring" paperwork.

We decided to try breaking his tasks into half-hour blocks. He agreed that for each half-hour of time he spent writing memos, he'd deposit $ 25 in a new European vacation savings account. For each half-hour spent conducting staff meetings, an additional $ 25 would be put in an account for one getaway trip each month for Robert and his wife.

Once Robert realized he was being amply rewarded for performing these relatively unpleasant tasks, he was able to execute his job well without the need to procrastinate.

Such cases of task-related procrastination are usually fairly clear-cut and relatively easy to remedy. However, in cases of person-related procrastination the causes and solutions are more complex. Another case example will illustrate.

Cynthia, a 2year-old computer whiz, yearned to be a writer. Although she had a comprehensive library of motivational tapes and books on time management, Cynthia was a classic case of procrastination. Not only did she put off expressing herself via her writing, she also delayed doing her job since she saw her work as an obstacle to writing her novel. To deal with her frustration, Cynthia often ate compulsively; she had gained 75 pounds since completing graduate school. As a result of her weight gain, she put off joining clubs and professional groups where she could meet men. She feared rejection based on her appearance.

Upon closer inquiry, it became apparent that Cynthia was trying to maintain her balance on a tightrope of approval — with one parent at each end. Her father, who had insisted that Cynthia follow his career path, was always reminding her that if she did well enough, she might take over his multi-million-dollar business. He also constantly admonished her and was never forthcoming with praise or approval — a negative pattern that had started when Cynthia was a small child. Cynthia was sure he would "practically disown" her if she spent time on such a "frivolous" activity as writing a novel.

Similarly, Cynthia was unable to reap any approval from her mother — an aloof woman who spent the bulk of her time pampering herself. She constantly reminded Cynthia that it would be "impossible to get a man' because of Cynthia's weight.

Unlike Robert's task-oriented procrastination, Cynthia's problem was more complex. It required focusing on her interpersonal issues with her parents, as well as on her feelings regarding her own sense of shame, low self-esteem and lack of independence.

More often than not, procrastination is usually a mixture of task-related and person-related factors.

For example, suppose your supervisor is on vacation and you must write a report — a task you find aversive. The president of the company is expecting the report for the annual meeting in a week.

If you are in this situation, most likely every time you thought about this project, you would start to feel ____________________, and you'd probably be thinking thoughts such as: __________________________, or ________________________, or ____________________.

If your feeling about the report is solely related to the task itself, then you probably would experience the sensation of being overwhelmed, overworked or frustrated. You might think:

• I wish I didn't have to write this long report.

• I'm too busy to do this report.

• I hate to write — this is so overwhelming.

• I don't even know where to begin.

• This will take huge amounts of my time, so I'll put it off until I have a few free hours.

Compare these five statements to your responses with the fill-in-the-blank statements in the previous paragraph. The five statements above are focused on the fact that you must perform an arduous and unpleasant task. Your negative feelings and thoughts are focused upon the task itself. This would be a clear example of pure task-related procrastination, Your responses, however, may suggest a deeper form of procrastination.

The project may also produce a form of procrastination that is interpersonal or intrapersonal in nature — a case of person-related procrastination (PRP). When you start to feel extremely angry, victimized or helpless, you may be experiencing a deeper form of procrastination.

Perhaps you think your supervisor takes too many vacation days, and that this report is another example of his or her selfish expectations that you will "cover." Naturally, you would not want to jump headlong into this project, let alone complete it on time. Or perhaps you just don't want to write this report because you feel resentful toward the company's president for commanding you to write it, instead of asking politely. Why would you want to start or finish an aversive task (TRP) for two people who are treating you badly (PRP)? This would be a perfect example of procrastination due to interpersonal factors as well as task-related factors.

But suppose you feel so enraged that you cannot work on the project even if you want to. Then it's no longer just a case of "I'll do it later." This incapacitation mat be because your supervisor reminds you of your mother, who has never been supportive of you, left most of the housework for you to do, and never had to answer for it. And suppose that the company's president reminds you of your father, who constantly assigned tasks without ever asking politely. In such a case, procrastination would also be classified as intrapersonal because the task of writing the report is forcing you to tap into unresolved feelings from the past that still reside within you.

As a result of these unresolved feelings about your parents' dysfunctional behaviors, you have probably internalized their voices, so that now you are your own worst enemy. This is where a case of serious procrastination can develop, often with severe consequences. Once we understand that procrastination protects us from other issues not yet faced, then we are already on the road to recovery.

© 1996 Karen E. Peterson