Types of Procrastination: The 6 Procrastination Types & How to Stop Them

Let’s face it – we all procrastinate at one point or the other. There’s always something out there that seems much more appealing than what we're bound to do. We know it hurts our productivity, but we’re okay with putting off our tasks until the deadline approaches.

While procrastination is a habitual behavior triggered by an underlying cause, we keep falling prey to it. That’s what keeps us from achieving our goals, and in the end, we always blame ourselves. 

That said, all we need to do is increase awareness of ourselves, and the damage procrastinating does to us, and we can stop procrastination from the source. Let’s delve into the six procrastination types & how to stop them!

The 6 Procrastination Types + Tips on Being More Proactive

Identifying your category is the first step in overcoming procrastination. Here are six types of procrastination to help you figure out why you’re always ready to delay your tasks at hand. 

The Worrier

The worrier doesn't begin that significant or challenging work since they don't think they'll be able to complete it. These people doubt their abilities or, simply put – lack the confidence needed to excel at a particular task. 

If you feel you can’t take up a challenge, you’re not the only one! We’re all prone to this anxiety procrastination at least once in our lives. Instead of letting this situation consume you, break tasks down into more digestible lessons, commit to goals, and make a list of steps you need to take to get there. 

The Crisis Maker

The crisis maker thinks that in order to be driven to complete a task, they need the pressure or stress that comes with acting at the last minute. They believe they cannot perform to the best of their skills without last-minute pressure. Ultimately, this leads them to manage their time poorly when it’s time to meet crucial deadlines. 

Forcing yourself to rush things in the hopes that you would perform better is only a delusion, it keeps you from performing well at all. If you’re a crisis maker, the best suggestion for you is to find different motivators to make tasks more interesting. For example, some exciting tech tools like the DUEX Lite or an exciting research topic can help you find more intrinsic motivation for completing your assignments.

The Over Doer

The overdoers frequently experience poor self-esteem, which drives them to accept more work than they can handle. This leads them to fail to prioritize their crucial tasks, which in turn means failing to accomplish their goals. These people have a hard time saying no or asking for assistance when they need it. 

On top of everything, the overdoer must learn the essential skill of prioritization! If you’re an ovedoer, it’s critical for you to create a scheduled list with high-priority tasks right at the top. Also, you can use your free time for leisure and entertainment and work on setting boundaries.

The Dreamer

Among the other procrastination types, the dreamers are probably the highest in number. While they’re overly concerned with planning and strategy, they tend to lack the most essential skills…implementation and execution.

Dreamers really need to buckle up to be more proactive and productive. For this, they need to transform ideas into plans by adding more due dates, creating detailed schedules, and creating timelines.

The Defier

The defiers have a tendency to view life from the perspective of what other people want or need them to do, rather than what they themselves would want or want to do. This means that they often procrastinate as a way of challenging authority and are pessimistic about completing tasks This leads to unmotivated behaviors and, ultimately, procrastination. 

Defiers can deal with procrastination by looking for internal motivators and utilizing productivity tools to make jobs simpler and more approachable. For instance, tech tools like the TRIO max can help keep you more focused and productive.

The Perfectionist 

People with perfectionism procrastination sweat the small stuff a little too often. A perfectionist is anxious about making every detail flawless and is, therefore, scared to begin the task. Since they’re super detail-oriented, they just want things done “the right way.” 

To combat this kind of procrastination, be clear about the goal of your work and give each one a time limit. Don't let your obsession with details consume all of your time.