Breaking the Procrastination Cycle in Medicine

Recently, I asked my daughter to do laundry. She replied, “It’s difficult.” Even though she answered in a joking way, she did delay doing her laundry.

Procrastination is an interesting action – or inaction. It is delaying doing something and it is usually with potential negative consequences. We all do it at some point. Let us talk about procrastination, not the intentional kind that you are prioritizing for better workflow, but the kind that may hinder efficiency and productivity.

Why do we procrastinate? Human beings, by default, act upon our emotions. Procrastination usually stems from possible unpleasant emotions. For my daughter, it was potentially suffering from “hardship” to do laundry. As physicians, you may put off writing patient charts because you want to avoid being judged by patients due to lack of punctuality. Or you think the charts would take too long to write and you feel overwhelmed. Or you are at the point of questioning what the point is doing all this and feeling doubtful.

Whatever the reason is, it is helpful to explore and figure out what you are avoiding when you procrastinate. When you understand the reason, you will understand the excuses, however logically they may seem, you find to justify the procrastination.

Once you identify the reason for procrastination, be kind to yourself. Ask yourself, without judgment, what the consequences are when you procrastinate. Are you delaying the time to leave work? Are you at risk of missing a deadline? Whatever it is, be clear on the result of your procrastination.

Then ask yourself, what if you tackle the task right away? Yes, it may not be something you want to do. It may be something that feels annoying, overwhelming or something you do not think you can do perfectly. Imagine if you did that thing immediately. Do you like the result of it? Are you saving time by doing it now? Are you helping more people because of it? Visualize the outcome of this scenario and what benefits you reap from not procrastinating.

If the task seems overwhelming, break it into smaller tasks that seem more manageable. Or set an immediate goal that brings you to your ultimate goal. Is there a way to simplify the task? When your brain thinks something is complicated, it is easy for you to want to avoid doing it.

Plan ahead. If it is something that you do on a regular basis, make it a routine. When you plan in advance and put specific tasks on your hourly schedule, you are more likely to follow it. For tasks you tend to delay doing, when it is time to do it on your schedule, just do it. Sometimes it is the initial step you are delaying, thinking how you do not want to take part in it, or how you cannot do it perfectly, or how others will look at you. The more you think about it, the more you are staying stuck. I agree with the idea of progress over perfection. When you do something, you are going somewhere. Otherwise, you are stuck in the same place.

Sometimes it helps to have an accountability partner, someone to keep you on track, someone to cheer you on, someone to give you emotional support. It is very helpful if both of you have similar tasks to do.

Procrastination is always going to be a part of our lives. It is important for us to identify it, as we are good at giving ourselves excuses for delaying a task. Ask yourself what the consequences are if you procrastinate, and what you gain if you do it right away. Is feeling the unpleasant emotions worth it to tackle the task right away? Visualize the potential outcomes. Break into smaller, more manageable tasks. Have an accountability partner if it helps. Once you start doing something, often you will gain the momentum to continue doing it. As physicians, it is important to prioritize and plan ahead to be efficient.