The Real Reason You Procrastinate

Did you know the average person wastes 218 minutes a day due to procrastination?

Most people think laziness is the reason for this shocking statistic. However, the research shows that other factors play a bigger role. And understanding them is an important first step to solving this problem.

That’s why I will explain the real reasons right now.

Our brains evolved in a completely different environment than the one we live in today.

That’s why our biology is optimized for conditions that no longer exist.

Traits and behaviors that used to be advantageous for our ancestors 50,000 years ago are built into us.

The problem is that we live in a completely different world today. Those traits that helped our ancestors survive are disadvantageous today.

One of the many consequences of this problem is procrastination. 

Let’s take a look at some concrete examples:

Back in the day, our ancestors had to face life-threatening situations daily.

Predators, food scarcity, and territorial conflicts are only a few examples.

The best strategy for survival was to avoid these threats at all costs.

Negative emotions, such as fear, served as survival mechanisms. They helped our ancestors survive in this dangerous environment, preparing and motivating them to fight or escape.

This default reaction to things that trigger negative emotions is still anchored into our DNA.

In today’s day and age, this leads to problems:

Negative emotions usually no longer make us avoid life-threatening situations.

• Work projects

• Studying

• Filing your taxes.

Yet, our evolved instincts to run away from negative emotions kick in.

We procrastinate.

What feels good right now usually harms us in the long term:

Fast food, drugs, scrolling on social media, etc.

What gets us closer to our long-term goal often feels uncomfortable at the moment:

Working out, studying, eating healthy, etc.

As a result, there’s a conflict:

Doing the hard thing now for a long-term gain vs. feeling good right now at the expense of our long-term goals.

Unfortunately, evolution has given us a bias when we have to decide between these two options.

For most of human development, our ancestors lived in an immediate return environment.

In this environment, their actions instantly delivered clear and immediate outcomes.

It made no sense to think long-term, as they had to solve present problems to survive:

• Find something to eat.

• Don’t get eaten by a lion.

• Find shelter during a storm.

Today, the world is completely different.

The choices you make today usually don’t have immediate effects.

Whether you:

• Go to the gym.

• Do a good job at work.

• Save some money.

… you will reap the benefits at some point in the future.

That’s why the world we live in today is called a “delayed return environment”.

But this has only been the case for around 500 years.

However, our brains have developed in an immediate return environment.

As it was advantageous to prioritize short-term benefits, this bias is still anchored in us today.

In today's world, this is often harmful.

One of the consequences:

You prioritize feeling good in the present over your long-term goals by procrastinating.

We all want to be seen as capable. By ourselves and by others.

So much so that we often put this need above our actual results.

Procrastination serves this purpose.

If you succeed despite the unnecessary delay, you can conclude that you are a genius. If you fail, at least you have an excuse.

Whether you succeed or not, your ego is protected. No matter the outcome, you don't have to admit to yourself that you are incompetent.

Yes, your biology is not optimized for modern life. Yes, this makes you prone to procrastination.

But that doesn't mean you have to be a slave to procrastination.

With the right strategies, you can defy your biology and go full throttle towards your goals.

In the next posts, I will share actionable strategies that will help you stop procrastinating.

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