Procrastination, that is, the act of postponing tasks, is something inherent to human beings, but it has been aggravated, in part, by the multiple distractions offered by the digital environment. However, there are other causes, and many of them are linked to different personality types. Knowing how to identify them can be essential to overcome a problem that affects your work life, but also your personal life.

This is established by the social scientist at the University of Cambridge, Itamar Shatz, in his book “The Science of Why We Put Things Off and How to (Finally!) Stop”, published by the Tarcher publishing label (Penguin Random House) in the month of August. In it he collects the nine archetypes of procrastinators that he has identified based on dozens of studies in psychology, behavioral economics or neuroscience; and offers tips and advice to stop procrastinating.

“Procrastination is not just a matter of motivation or poor time management“Shatz commented, according to the University of Cambridge. “These are very harmful misconceptions. Procrastination revolves around the internal struggle between the helpful elements of our impulse to act and the harmful elements of our impulse to procrastinate.Thus, consider that each person can embody more than one type of procrastinator at a time.

These are the 9 types of procrastinators

Those who worry

They are those who could be defined as having “paralysis by analysis”, that is, they worry so much that something could go wrong that they become paralyzed and are unable to act. In this case, these are people who postpone tasks that they know they must do, even if they have a deadline, to avoid possible problems.
Thus, according to Shatz, those who fit this profile have to analyze their fears, break down tasks and manage perfectionism.

The pessimists

This profile includes people who tend to underestimate themselves, which is why they tend to believe that there is no point in carrying out the task. The fear of failure is the main cause for postponing goals, so, according to the author, they must work on strengthening their self-efficacy and rely on a network of allies to help them overcome their fears.

The perfectionists

Unlike procrastinators who worry, this group is characterized by obsessing about perfection and getting everything right. Shatz considers it key, in this sense, to put aside unrealistic expectations, as well as comparisons with others. “Imperfect progress is still progress, and it’s much better than being stuck waiting for perfection.“says the author.

The dreamers

Shatz defines dreamers as those who “They spend time fantasizing about the future, at the expense of doing what they need to do in the present“Again, fantasies associated with perfection can constitute a barrier for this type of people when carrying out tasks. Recognizing the way in which procrastination affects the present and establishing steps to achieve goals are some of the keys to acting.

Those who zigzag

This type of procrastinator is characterized by constantly moving from one task to another, and continually changing the focus of his attention, which makes concentration significantly difficult. In order to act and achieve goals, it is recommended that plans be structured based on specific objectives, as well as identifying the necessary steps to achieve them. In addition, it is also advisable to create work environments that reduce temptations and distractions, take advantage of moments of productivity and seek help from people to maintain concentration.

The rebels

According to the author, rogue procrastinators put off tasks because they feel they have no control over what happens in their lives and seek to assert their autonomy and get revenge on authority figures against whom they hold a grudge. In this sense, finding your own reasons to carry out tasks following your own standards, instead of responding to the expectations of others, is key.

Thrill seekers

These types of procrastinators are those who enjoy having a looming deadline and rush to get everything done at the last minute. As in previous cases, fear can be a driver of this type of behavior. To combat this, you are invited to find ways to make it attractive to act sooner, such as setting additional deadlines to achieve goals.

The hedonists

Hedonists, Shatz points out, are those who worry too much about feeling satisfied in the moment and too little about accomplishing what they really need to do. In this regard, it invites you to find sources of motivation, both internal and external, and eliminate possible temptations from the environment.

The exhausted

Exhausted procrastinators are characterized by putting off tasks simply because they are too tired to do what they need to do. This occurs when they have been working too much or doing stressful or unuseful work that causes burnout syndrome. In this sense, it is advisable to prioritize well-being, both mental and physical, and get enough sleep or rest.

Causes and dangers of procrastination

In addition to identifying nine archetypes of procrastinators, the book also includes reflections on the causes of procrastination, as well as its possible impact on people’s lives. Among other things, Shatz points out that the increasing distractions of the digital environment can aggravate the problem, since it can be difficult to move away and disengage from applications, platforms and games that provide a constant supply of content optimized, precisely, to capture the attention and time of users.

Furthermore, as stated by the University of Cambridge, it ensures that modern work can also cause procrastination because many of its tasks are difficult to address on a basic psychological level. “A long time ago people needed to do things with fairly clear and immediate consequences, like hunting (or starving).“; he comments. “People were unlikely to procrastinate on those tasks because the impulse not to starve is powerful and visceral. Nowadays, we often have to do vague things with uncertain future consequences, like sending reports by email”.

In the book, Shatz also analyzes the impact of procrastination, which during college can lead to poorer grades or even complete failure for the student. In the workplace, it is estimated that procrastination costs companies about $20,000 per employee per year in the United States, due to the nearly two hours a day on average that workers spend procrastinating.

Furthermore, he points out that avoiding procrastination will be more difficult and also more important as the use of artificial intelligence is consolidated; and predicts that personal productivity will be an essential skill in most jobs. On the other hand, the author also indicates that procrastination can interfere with the work environment. It can generate resentment in colleagues if they have to assume the lack of work of another.

It can also harm personal relationships by provoking arguments with the people you live with at home by postponing or not carrying out promised tasks. And impact emotional well-being or even physical health, due to the stress, shame, guilt or regret generated by procrastinating from completing tasks, by leading to unhealthy behaviors such as going to bed too late, doing little exercise or postponing medical check-ups.

How to overcome procrastination

Procrastination, as Shatz explains in his book, responds to the principle of hedonism, that is, the natural search to try to increase the pleasure we experience and decrease the pain. Human beings tend to carry out activities that make them feel good and avoid those that could harm us, such as when we watch funny videos to forget an unpleasant task on our to-do list. This is coupled with the fact that people are programmed to focus on what is immediately in front of them, which leads to an impulse to do what makes us feel best in that moment, rather than what is best in the long term.

Overcoming procrastination requires, among other things, planning for possible obstacles; eliminating distractions and resisting temptations; designing an environment that promotes productivity; breaking down overwhelming tasks into manageable steps; setting simple goals; the rejection of perfectionism; and take advantage of productivity rhythms.

“Overcoming procrastination is not about squeezing the most out of every minute of productivity“, notes the author. “It’s about helping you do what you want, when you want, without guilt or stress. The key is that you can choose how you spend your time, instead of procrastination taking away that freedom.”.