One of the more common issues that professionals struggle with is the all-too-common procrastination. Procrastination, just like salsa, can be mild (putting off a simple task that you eventually complete within a few days), extremely hot (developing a pattern of avoiding certain activities or tasks that one day lead to serious consequences), and everything in between. However, unlike salsa, there is no mango version of procrastination.
Simply put, we are motivated to pursue pleasure and reduce discomfort. And the motivation to reduce discomfort is stronger. Procrastination is a particular response to discomfort, that response being avoidance as a way to temporarily reduce the discomfort. Avoidance provides an immediate, albeit inadequate, relief of the discomfort. And the more you avoid something, the harder it is to confront. It’s like that email you got from an old friend to which you were meaning to reply. At first you put it off because you weren’t sure what to say (avoidance), then maybe you forgot about it, then you remembered that you hadn’t responded, you then felt bad, and then continued to avoid responding because it was now more uncomfortable because you still don’t know what to say AND you feel bad about it.
