Years ago, I was seeing a young woman in psychotherapy. A college student with good promise, she nevertheless struggled with procrastination. Her brother had graduated law school and was studying for the bar. He s studying so hard, he s not going to have any excuse if he doesn t pass. Upon really listening to herself, she began to get the first glimmer into her own dynamics for her procrastination.
Procrastinators often struggle with uncomfortable feelings as they approach their work.
When beginning to study, or when just starting to write a paper, it sometimes helps to write down how you feel. While working on my doctoral dissertation, I remember having some of the same thoughts. I remember working on the dissertation when I looked up at the hallway and thought it looked a bit drab. It seemed absolutely imperative that I go at the hardware store, pick out colors and start painting. One of my colleagues, also working on his dissertation, went to get a drink of water from his kitchen.