Why People Postpone Their Tasks

Postponing is one of the things a company will dislike in an employee. People who give 100% of their attention to their job will not adopt this attitude. Today, we focus on why people do that in their daily life and what that shows about their personalities.

1. They get lazy
   The first and most obvious answer to this question is that sometimes we are all a little lazy. We prefer to take some time off and do the things we actually enjoy or even sit on a couch to relax. We all work hard all day and deserve a moment of relaxation; as long as that does not last forever, there is no problem giving ourselves a break. Of course, some of the things we postpone are related to work, so perhaps we need to reconsider whether it is ok to leave them for a while or whether they will create more pressure in the future.
2. They hope something will change
   Deep down, we have a secret hope that eventually, something will change along the way, and we will not have to do these tasks at all. Perhaps the conditions will change, and these tasks will not have to be completed. If you have to fly to another place and meet a person with whom your company intends to cooperate. This person decides that they do not want to partner with anyone at the moment; this will immediately minimize the amount of work you have to do. A simple call will be enough, and therefore you will have saved all the trouble. Another scenario is that the task will not disappear mysteriously, but another person will complete it. A report that will be taken care of by a colleague of yours instead of yourself is a perfect example. However, one has to realize why another person will make sure to deliver the task. This practically means that either the company is not happy with you and they try to find other people more willing to work or that people around you are so bored of waiting for you that they decide to do things on their own. Either way, this does not make you seem very good, and you have to think that you may overdo it when it comes to postponing.
3. They are afraid we will not make it
   Another scenario is that we keep the hard task to the end. Depending on each one’s personality, the style of work varies. Some people like to start with the hard stuff to feel free the rest of the day. Others prefer to start with the easy stuff to gain some courage about the long day waiting for them. So, some individuals would rather postpone things that they find challenging because they are afraid they will not make it. No one likes negative feedback, and sometimes employees feel that if they do not deliver a project, they will not get feedback. Even though they know this is not true, they actually want to postpone the moment of judgment and not the project itself, and this is why it is essential to have good communication with our employees.
4. They think it is too easy
   The one possibility is that the task is too hard for us. The other option is that it is too easy. Here, people believe that it is ok to wait until the last minute to start working on that task because it will not take long. Yet, it is probable that once they start working on it, they realize it is harder than they thought and catch themselves off guard trying to handle a difficult deadline. There is nothing wrong with saving the easy tasks for the end, but you have to start working on them when you finish with all the rest. If we overestimate our skills, there is a high possibility we will postpone stuff.
5. We do not think they are important
   Finally, sometimes employees go ahead and reach their own assumptions when it comes to work, believing it is their job to evaluate whether a task or a project is crucial or not. Therefore, they choose their own pace and fail to deliver their projects on time. This is why it is important to keep a tight schedule where we inform everyone about not only what we expect from them but also about when we expect them to complete each task.

This report/news/ranking/statistics has been prepared only for general guidance on matters of interest and does not constitute professional advice. You should not act upon the information contained in this publication without obtaining specific professional advice. No representation or warranty (express or implied) is given as to the accuracy or completeness of the information contained in this publication, and, to the extent permitted by law, CEOWORLD magazine does not accept or assume any liability, responsibility or duty of care for any consequences of you or anyone else acting, or refraining to act, in reliance on the information contained in this publication or for any decision based on it.

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