A year ends and a new cycle begins. With it, the desire for change. We design projects intended to be carried out over the next twelve months: changing food, career, city, building your own home, increasing the time dedicated to your family, investing in your dream trip or starting a personal venture.
The first 15 days pass and we realize that we have not made even a minimum effort towards our goals. Perhaps, at this initial moment, the illusion that there is a long time ahead comforts us, after all, the year is just beginning. However, the days pass and when we come across it, we are in the last months of the year. Time flies, and once again we surrender to procrastination.
“Apprehension about what-ifs can be immobilizing: What if things don’t go as planned, what if this change isn’t as positive as I imagine, what if this new career doesn’t deliver the results I want? This fear leads us to postpone everything, to postpone projects, even if they represent our deepest desires. This fear is inherent in all of us; There are those who manage to overcome it, but there are also people who take longer to eliminate it or, in some cases, simply cannot do it”, says psychoanalyst Rosa Martins.
In October 2021, Ana Caroline Carneiro, a Law graduate and postgraduate intern at the Public Ministry of Bahia (MP-BA), sought professional help. During this period, her mind was overwhelmed by negative thoughts that completely paralyzed her. The young woman was facing difficulties in advancing, even minimally, towards her goal of passing a public exam.
The racing thoughts about an “uncertain future” caused him nausea and tachycardia, making him unable to read a single line of the booklets that were part of his study plan. The tasks were left until later and all this disarray led her to obesity. “[…] I asked myself all the time: ‘how much is it worth?’”, says the young woman.
With the help of a nutritionist, therapist and a physical exercise routine, Ana Caroline, little by little, got back on her feet and, today, states that she managed to “make progress in months, which was not possible in years”. Now, her plans are never left aside like before.
“I experienced this firsthand, the total lack of concentration, of seeing my life progress. And after I sought professional help, and I actually combined physical exercise and therapy, things started to flow. […] A piece of advice for this new cycle is: study with focus, but don’t forget to ask for help from qualified professionals. Taking care of your physical and mental health cannot be a taboo”, he adds.
According to Tiago Tabajara, specialist in neuroscience applied to business, PhD in Neuromarketing and author of the book “Steel Mind, Golden Attitudes”, the habit of postponing tasks and avoiding difficult subjects, as the postgraduate student did, is a practice common. He explains that this occurs due to instinctive instructions present in the biological code of human beings, whose objective is the search for pleasure and the avoidance of pain.
“Everyone wants to enjoy actions that generate pleasure, such as being promoted in the company, receiving a reward for results, being praised for a job well done or for good grades. However, each of these achievements only happens after enormous mental, physical and cognitive exhaustion, generated from the effort and dedication to achieve what you want”, he explains.
Still according to Tabajara, even with the knowledge of what is necessary to achieve success, people still, unconsciously, choose not to move forward, giving up on their achievements or putting them aside to make a moment, which never arrives.
“They decide that this year they will be promoted, but they don’t make the effort they should. They decide that this year they will be fluent in English, but they don’t dedicate time to it every day. They decide that this year they will lose those extra pounds that have been bothering them for a long time and even so, it seems that the energy to face these challenges is never enough, feeling like a flight of chicken”, adds Tabajara.
How to overcome procrastination, by Tiago Tabajara
Having a defined direction is essential to avoid procrastination.
Find out “why”:
Ask yourself why you want to achieve a certain goal and make sure the answer is powerful enough to overcome possible obstacles.
Develop consistent routines to implement your plan. Transform necessary actions into daily habits.
Keep in mind the emotional rewards associated with achieving your goals. This may include awards, praise, special recognition or prominence in society.
