Procrastinating on a task you want to do?

[Daydreamer]

Do you ever find yourself procrastinating on a task that you're looking forward to? Something you enjoy and want to get started on, but a part of your mind suggests "Hmm, not yet, let's scroll aimlessly on social media for a bit or rearrange the furniture for no apparent reason instead".

I seem to have two states most of the time. Procrastinating on a task I like, or sitting down to do it then getting caught up in it. To the point where if I don't force myself to take breaks, have regular meals and exercise then I'd just stay there all day. I was working on course work in the student library for a couple of hours once and I didn't realise that my friend was sitting on another desk across from me. We both suddenly noticed each other when I glanced across the room and saw her. It was amusing because we were equally as surprised since we'd both been so engrossed in our work.

 

[Bikutoso]

I have a lot of issues with procrastination on things i love to do.
It just get pushed forward, until the clock is 3:00 and i need to sleep and will "definitively" do it tomorrow.

 

[ChocolateCherry]

I procrastinate a lot too. Even with things that are considered lower effort like reading a book or listening to music.
I just end up re-reading the same book and listening to the same song over and over again. Sometimes I find thinking about doing something more enjoyable than actually doing it, and as a result I almost never try anything new now.

 

[Aspychata]

Yes, l have to spur myself ahead to do things that remind me of trauma and boredom at the same time. I just quit my job because l am moving out of the city, dealing with issues in the mousetrap l live in, ( l would call it something worse but we are PG here)!
So l decided to coast thru this move so that l could tolerate it. But l moved stuff already so that l can't procrastinate it. Once l see a emptied place - l am motivated to leave the bat cave immedately.
Also l reward myself if l don't fall into procrastination also.

 

[GadAbout]

Most people procrastinate occasionally, but some people make a lifestyle out of it. That is not recommended - it can really cost you. I think a little procrastination is okay - you're only human, after all - but you should keep an eye on whether you are getting close to that "lifestyle" level.

 

[Aspychata]

Most people procrastinate occasionally, but some people make a lifestyle out of it. That is not recommended - it can really cost you. I think a little procrastination is okay - you're only human, after all - but you should keep an eye on whether you are getting close to that "lifestyle" level.

For some of us procrastinate helps us deal with trauma that doing certain things can create. Moving for me is such an animal. It's one step above outright denial l feel.
I sometimes had to procrastinate because certain things created a war of emotions that hit the floodgates and l needed to step out of it with numbness until reality could safely flow back and once again l can resume. I had this for sometime with one particular credit card that l had nothing but issues trying to pay since marriage, l finally got past it. Care of my teeth were another trauma from marriage but l went out of country to tackle this issue and had some procrastination but worked past it. My latest proscrasination project was calling a employee on his abusive behavior directed towards me. Finally l did something about and l followed up with the office manager and asked her how l should have handled it because l was confused on what to do, the chain of command l needed to follow because harrassment can bring on old traumatized thoughts from marriage.

 

[Thinx]

I do procrastinate, however I think part of that that relates to my autism is related to processing issues. And executive function issues. It may differ for different types of tasks. I have noticed it recently in a creative task, in that I can't go faster with it, maybe I will be able to speed up after the planning stage, but currently the envisioning just seeps along, I take a step and then I get further after a day or so, with incremental ideas that I can't force. I am also using guides in order to plan, as I can't structure it otherwise.

There's some of that happening in many tasks such as essays or creative projects, and then there's just plain confusion around getting organised for more practical tasks, where I won't even see a way forward until I impose a structure eventually, like, I finally decide to tidy a room out, and I divide it on a grid into 12 sections and allocate 1 or 2 sections per day.

 

[Kirsty]

I find that when I start on a project, something negative happens outside of it or people “burn” me in society (NTs including family) out of my safe inner couple of friends who are Neurodiverse. They are like family in a way. This in turn depresses me and I become lost in a fog again. Was told that it’s no excuse for not continuing with the project. It’s not that I’m afraid something else will happen. I just don’t feel connected to it or even myself at times. It’s very sad, but know I’ve got it in me somewhere and it’ll appear again. I look forward to this and it’s a nice thought.