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Reasons You Might Be Avoiding Work
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You may regularly overhear individuals in high-status professions complaining that they aren’t putting in enough effort. They don’t do the job they should and then beat themselves up over it. And even when they’re trying to relax, they can’t escape the feeling of guilt. They worry that they aren’t up to snuff as workers and that their ruse is about to be uncovered. In therapy, people want to know how to motivate themselves to work on their laziness. Those who are having trouble getting their job done frequently seem preoccupied with their own inadequacies, so much so that they don’t give themselves permission to wonder, “What’s happening on that I’m struggling to accomplish the task?”
My observations have taught me that there are a few causes of procrastination on the job.
You’re no longer seeing any significant gains.
The stress that individuals in high-profile professions face is obvious to everyone without a clinical psychology degree. The job should be one of your highest priorities. To stay up, one must labour tirelessly and be accessible at almost any hour, frequently at the sacrifice of one’s own personal needs and interests. Desire for a tangible reward for your efforts, such as more responsibility or a promotion in rank, may be an ever-present and unflagging source of inspiration.
Someone in corporate law told me recently, “I spend most of my time at work, but it’s incredibly essential to me to make partner. To that end, I’m quite close. It would mean so much to me to be given that opportunity since it would give me the chance to showcase my talents and skills.
The stresses of your work may seem insurmountable if you have no plans to advance in your field. Stress and sacrifice are less likely to pay off in the long run when there are more demands than resources available to meet them in the workplace.
Your job is not enjoyable.
If you appreciate what you’re asking yourself to do for 70 or so hours a week, it’s much simpler to ask yourself to do it. Work is more likely to be connected with shame or responsibility for those who aren’t driven by interest, and in my experience, these emotions seldom inspire excellence in any endeavour.
Let me offer a scenario that does not involve labour to illustrate my idea. One’s likelihood of keeping up frequent phone contact with one’s grandma increases if the grandchild finds chatting to her pleasant and views the conversation as a two-way street. They feel compelled to contact her, so they do. Some people feel guilty about calling their grandparents since they don’t like them and they see their contact with them as just compulsory. Because feelings of duty or guilt aren’t effective drivers of behaviour change. So, if you’re putting off going to work, it’s a good idea to ask yourself whether you genuinely appreciate what you’re doing.
Thirdly, you have a strong work ethic because of your upbringing.
People in high-stakes professions typically learn to put their jobs before everything else as children, adding another layer of complexity to an already difficult situation. It’s easy to feel like a failure if you find yourself wanting to put other things ahead of your profession. Instead of being inquisitive and alert to your true priorities, you feel embarrassed of yourself for falling short of the ideal.
I recently spoke with a patient who has spent the past 15 years of his life working in an unhappy position at a hedge fund. He or she said, “In my family, it was believed that my brothers and I would all go to Ivy League institutions, acquire prominent careers in the best corporations, and earn a lot of money.” Indeed, that is the norm. My parents raised me in such a way. It was the norm among our peers. There was always just one choice. Or, to be more precise, alternatives were mostly unfavourable. Nobody ever told us to try new things.
My patient came to the realisation that she had never given herself permission to question whether or not her career-centric lifestyle was really what she desired. Instead, she internalised her inability to perform at a high level for many years. It might be challenging to accept your uniqueness when anything in your family or social environment is considered the standard. However, if you’re finding it difficult to put in the kind of effort that the job’s prestige requires, it’s worthwhile to examine your connection to work.
You’re concerned about making mistakes.
Some high-stakes, high-profile professions have a culture that is an awful mix of too idealistic standards and a failure to empathise with employees. Some people may associate failure with making mistakes and respond to them with feelings of guilt or anxiety. An up-and-coming young professional just informed me.
Male coworkers at my workplace are known for being rude to female workers. The first time I made a mistake at work, my boss shouted at me. I mean, they were screamed at. That was really humiliating. After that, I became so anxious about making errors that my hands would tremble whenever I typed. Consequently, I constantly question my decisions. Because of my self-doubt, I tend to spend more time on everything. The thought of starting work makes me uneasy, so I put it off for a while.
The fact that we are human means that we will inevitably make some errors. These do not indicate your level of skill or ability. Therefore, it’s crucial to react kindly to setbacks so that you may move beyond them and grow as a result. You won’t be motivated to work hard if you’re afraid of making errors and/or getting negative or angry feedback when you do. When you try to avoid something, you could end yourself doing it wrong even more often.
The problem is the job
If you’re having trouble believing that you’re putting in enough effort at work, you should give yourself permission to contemplate the possibility that you really are. Another way of putting this is that maybe it’s not your fault. Maybe the work itself is the source of the trouble.
Before you accuse yourself of being sluggish at work, consider opening up some room for inquiry instead. In my professional view, making allegations against oneself simply serves to simplify the issue at hand and pass judgement on one’s own character. In an effort to make you feel like you’re the issue or not good enough, they stifle your natural curiosity. And if you just come to that decision when you’re having trouble completing your assignment, you’ll be missing out on some crucial details.
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