Procrastination is, in simple words, in psychology

Procrastination is the habit of putting off important things “for later.” This does not mean that a person just lies on the couch, lazing around. Not wanting to do one thing, he takes on dozens of others. So he tries to reduce anxiety and convince himself that he has no time. But the thing that is put off, as a rule, is considered important, and those with which a person fills the void are usually considered unimportant, or even garbage, time wasters.

Let’s take a closer look at what the word “procrastination” means in psychology, define the phenomenon of procrastination, find out what it is in simple words and how to deal with it.

What is procrastination

Let’s look at the meaning of the word “procrastination” and what this term means. It is formed from two Latin words: pro, which translates as “instead, ahead,” and crastinus, which translates as “tomorrow.” And from English the word “procrastination” is translated as “delaying”, “delaying”.

Some people ask how to correctly pronounce the word: proscarnation or procrastination. The second is the correct option.

Procrastination is the tendency to put off doing important but difficult, uninteresting or scary things. A person can repeatedly calm himself down with “breakfasts”, and as a result he either does something in a hurry or does not have time to do it at all. In simple words, procrastination is when you constantly put off important things until later.

It is important not to confuse procrastination with laziness. In the second case, the person does nothing and does not experience pangs of conscience.

Procrastination is closely related to perfectionism and the fear of not being able to cope with work. In the first case, a person is afraid to do a task imperfectly, and he is also repelled by previous experience - perfectionists spend a lot of time on details, the search for ideal exhausts them. In the second case, fear is associated with self-doubt or fear of punishment. We will return to the reasons for procrastination in the appropriate paragraph of this article.

Note! Behind procrastination lies the fear of work. It, in turn, is associated with fear of failure, criticism, ridicule and a number of other phobias.

Fear of failure

For some, procrastination becomes an unconscious way of escape.

from things that in the past ended in failure or led to something that you would not want to repeat. Postponing such activities seems quite logical, but you understand that you will still have to complete this or that task.

In this case, the main thing is to understand what exactly the failure is connected with and why it upsets you so much, and also decide how to avoid what you don’t like

. For example, if a project at work failed because you didn't know something, you probably already know it by now. Think about or ask your colleagues what else you might benefit from learning before taking on a new assignment.

In this same group of reasons for procrastination we include the fear of not being able to cope with the task.

at all or not to express yourself.
Fear has big eyes.
Start and you will see that everything will work out for you. Step by step. And if it doesn’t work out, ask for help - there’s absolutely no shame in it. your problems arise last time because you did everything in a hurry?

The more you put off, the greater the chance that you will complete this project in a hurry. Nobody likes to be scolded, and some react to criticism (especially unconstructive) very painfully. And if you understand that it will not be possible to avoid criticism from management in any case (after all, criticism is not always related specifically to you, remember, bosses are people too, with their own psychological problems), at least soften the blow. For example, instead of communicating in person, switch to communicating via email. But in any case, you should not give your boss a new reason for dissatisfaction related to the fact that at the workplace you do everything except work.

Types of procrastination

In psychology, there are different classifications of procrastination. We will analyze one of them - the typology of N.A. Milgram. The author identifies the following types of procrastination:

Everyday. This is putting off household chores: washing dishes or the floor, cleaning the closet or desk, etc.
In decision making. The intensity of fear of decision-making varies: from the inability to choose what to eat for lunch, to the fear of entering into a relationship, or changing jobs. Behind this lies a fear of responsibility and fear of change.
Neurotic. This is the fear of everything new. Psychological discomfort is accompanied by somatic symptoms: sweating, trembling, tachycardia, arrhythmia, headache and dizziness, nausea.
Compulsive. Because of the fear of making decisions, a person repeatedly postpones completing an important task.
Academic. This is the procrastination of pupils and students - postponing preparation for exams, lectures, sessions.

What Science Says About Procrastination

The study of the psychological aspect of the problem began in the last century. “Procrastination” has been used as a scientific term since 1977, at the suggestion of psychologist P. Ringebach. Next came the works of A. Ellis and V. Knaus, J. Bourke, and L. Ewan, N. Milgram, based on clinical observations and advisory practices.

Despite different studies, experts agreed that the “tomorrow syndrome” is a mental trap controlled by the Ego and keeping a person in a certain comfort zone.

Today, the phenomenon is considered the problem of the century, making it difficult to manage life processes and achieve career success. Questionnaires confirm that up to 90% of students and schoolchildren leave preparation for exams until the last day, a third of knowledge workers start working on the eve of hour X.

In the vocabulary of office workers, the term “procrastination” has become commonplace. In business slang, such people are called slackers and procrastinators, ignoring deadlines and personal responsibility to the team.

A business procrastinator knows better than others what needs to be done in order to earn money, but for the sake of momentary pleasure he is ready to sacrifice material bonuses.

“I don’t want to call clients, because sales are not my thing. I’d rather look at the statistics for the month.” As a result, there are no buyers and no money for advertising.
“First I’ll respond to comments on Facebook, then I’ll fill out the payment.” As a result, by the end of the month, likes come in instead of money.

Signs

Signs of procrastination:

the desire to be distracted by something not only before completing a task, but also while trying to do it (drink coffee, read the news, check social networks, walk the dog, etc.);
systematic failure to complete assignments, delivery at the last moment;
multiple excuses and justifications - a procrastinator will always find something to say, just not to admit the true reasons for the delay;
sleep problems and other psychological problems that gradually penetrate into all areas of life.

Here’s what the cycle of procrastination looks like (it’s constantly repeating itself):

awareness of the need to do something;
bargaining with oneself;
searching for reasons for delay and postponing the matter until later;
search for self-justification;
awareness of the problem and self-criticism.

The problem of putting things off has already been reflected in folk art. The procrastination map has become popular - people draw pictures where the essence of the phenomenon and its signs are clearly visible:

Useful tricks and interesting tips

In addition to the two main ways to combat procrastination described above, we will describe a few more simple and at the same time effective tips.

The ability to force yourself to do something will always be useful to you. Therefore, right now, allocate at least ten to fifteen minutes to an unpleasant task
, and when it’s over, think about whether you should allocate the same amount more?
Or devote ten minutes to something that you don’t like, during pauses between some more enjoyable activities
. A few of these breaks will be one less unpleasant thing to do. Your motivation will also be increased by the fact that you realize that you have learned to fight procrastination and were able to tame it.

For some, on the contrary, it’s easier to mobilize themselves once and do something they don’t like, all at once. Such people are motivated by the fact that they do not have to start doing something unpleasant several times. If you belong to this type of personality, firmly tell yourself that you will do this or that job, and most importantly, keep your word.

You can also start preparing to do something that you don’t want to do
, and once you start preparing, it is possible that you will start doing something. An important disclaimer: this does not mean moral preparation, but real work. Continuing the parallel with the student, this could be a search for material for a coursework or information for preparing answers to tickets. You will see that perhaps it is not so unpleasant/difficult/scary, or that it drags you down, and then proceed directly to what you have been putting off for so long.

Procrastination takes away precious energy and time. If you spend a little time finding the most convenient way for you to learn to resist or coexist with it, you will be able to plan things better.

If you are familiar with the desire to procrastinate, watch Tim Urban's funny TED talk “What goes on in the mind of a procrastinator” - you will probably find what the writer and blogger is talking about familiar.

Causes

Why does procrastination occur in women or men? Technical reasons for procrastination include:

Low self-esteem and learned helplessness syndrome. It is formed against the backdrop of a number of failures. And the essence of this phenomenon is this: a person is sure that he will not succeed. He sees continuous obstacles and does not notice opportunities. Due to failures in the past, he does not even take on what he once did well.
Perfectionism and the excellent student syndrome. A person tries to be the best in everything, gets hung up on little things. This prevents him from grasping the essence of the matter, distracts him from the goal, and prevents him from completing the task on time. And the idea of what kind of torment awaits a perfectionist in an attempt to achieve the ideal makes him delay completing the task.
Distorted time perception and white rabbit syndrome. The essence of the phenomenon is that a person is constantly in a hurry and is late. And more often than not, due to stress, he is really late. It seems to him that there is still time left; hour X comes unexpectedly for him.
Lack of motivation. If a person is not interested in the upcoming task or there is no other, at least external, motivation, then he persistently delays its completion. Examples of motivation: self-satisfaction, praise, promotion at work, payment for services, gratitude, etc.
Uncertain or delayed outcome. It also has to do with motivation. It is easier for us to achieve what is clearly defined by time, date, and other numbers. If you have to work on something with a distant result, then it’s more difficult to force yourself. For example, many people find it difficult to force themselves to exercise until they see the first significant results (changes in volume, clothing size or weight).
Routine, boring work. It just so happens that we need to complete some tasks in the same way as we take medicine, that is, gather our courage and quickly swallow. These are the ones that most people put off until later. But just imagine what a person’s life turns into if his entire working day or his entire life is a routine.
Difficult task. I’m sure you are also reluctant to start something that you don’t understand well, or that seems difficult, requires more time to complete and requires greater psychological and physical costs?
Inability to determine priorities. Another reason for procrastination. Due to problems in prioritizing, a person does not know what to tackle first, and as a result, everything is overdue.

Interesting! Procrastination is often associated with a lack of personal meaning to a task for a person. Simply put, he doesn’t understand why he needs it.

Pierce Steele equation

Psychologist Piers Steele argues that the syndrome does not apply to completing an urgent, interesting task. Steele insists that the problem often affects those who are unable to realistically assess the prospect at the start.

He derived the formula U = E x V/I x D with five variables, which proved the driving force of motivation pushing the process.

U (Utility) – the benefits of actions.
E (Expectancy) – chance of receiving a bonus.
V (Value) – expected reward for work.
D (Delay) – time interval before receiving the bonus.
I (Impulsiveness) – impulsiveness.

The equation proves that a person willingly solves problems that provide him with a chance of getting a quick reward, and is not in a hurry to complete goals that take a long time and require a lot of energy. The further you get to the final result, the less enthusiasm.

The employee does not want to engage in activities that pose a subconscious threat to the peace of the Ego . It is precisely this that paralyzes the will and forces one to behave contrary to logic and personal interests. However, there are methods that defeat the lazy mind and sabotage (what is this?) Ego.

Consequences of procrastination

Although a person creates the illusion of being busy, anxiety from unfinished business and the burden of responsibility do not disappear anywhere and continue to influence at the subconscious level. With every minute, fears grow even more, because the longer a person procrastinates, the less time remains to complete the task, which means the higher the chance of failing.

This is what usually happens in the end. In a hurry, with a maximum level of anxiety and irritation, a person does what is needed, but he still does not receive satisfaction. And if the subject does not have time to complete the task, then he goes into self-flagellation. Because of this, already weak self-confidence becomes even weaker.

What are the benefits of procrastination?

You may have already thought that procrastination is a universal evil. In fact, it is not only dangerous, but also useful - it indicates a pressing problem in life. If you notice that you have started to procrastinate, then you need to admit it, stop filling the void and understand the reasons:

you don’t like what you do - it’s time to change jobs;
It’s hard for you because you lack some knowledge or competencies - you need to improve this, work on improving your skills and professionalism;
the planned business contradicts your true desires, principles, beliefs - you need to think about what this is connected with, whether it can be excluded from your life, and how to do it.

But it happens that procrastination concerns only global, personal plans for life. That is, a person first gets excited about some idea, and then starts internal sabotage. This behavior is caused by living in a loser scenario, self-dislike, chronic feelings of guilt, and the attitude “I don’t deserve better, bigger, good.” It is necessary to deal with the deep causes of self-sabotage - an act of self-destruction.

Important! Stop running away from procrastination and considering it your enemy. She gives hints and points out problems in life. Make friends with her, decipher and accept the hint.

Dislike of what needs to be done

You generally don't like the work you do

? Unlike the first point, where it was more about indifference, in this case we are talking about complete dislike for what you need to do.

Not everyone has the courage to take radical steps (changing a job or even a type of activity), but in any business you can find some pleasant moments

, even if in your eyes they look like trifles, but they are the trifles that you love. Look for them and focus on them when you get started.

Pressure of debt, lack of choice/freedom

Some people, even in everyday affairs, not to mention workers, most of all don’t like the fact that they are all “imposed” by someone else

.
Even the phrase “You should brush your teeth twice a day” unsettles them. Out of a spirit of contradiction (most often unconscious), such things are postponed and postponed, just to prove to others that “I can do what I want.”
True, then you have to do what needs to be done in a big hurry and it’s not a fact that it’s good, and therefore there is a chance that the next thing you want to postpone will be related to reason number two. To get rid of this problem, it is important to show yourself that you yourself decided to do this or that thing.

. Train yourself to even mentally say not “I need”, “I must”, “I must”, but “I would like”, “I want”. This will also help get rid of feelings of guilt or anxiety if you don’t have time to do something, because some people include a month’s worth of work in their daily plans, and then get upset when the plan is not completed in the evening. So, not “I need to get this project done by Monday,” but “I would like to get this project done by Monday.”

Procrastination as a way to push yourself

Some people find it easier to work when they are literally under time pressure

, and while the project is still far away from delivery, they simply cannot bring themselves to get down to work. It may take too much time to remake this character trait, and it is not a fact that after that you will begin to do the work effectively, because perhaps your body is designed in such a way that it is easier for it to tense up once for a short period of time than to “activate” several times for a short period of time.

If you consider yourself one of this type of personality, train yourself to leave enough time to maintain a certain compromise: find a time at which you already begin to feel the pressure of “hour X”, but so that it is enough to complete all tasks efficiently.

A particularly effective tool for you will be to use Parkinson's Law

Fear of big tasks

Another common reason is fear of not being able to cope with a big task.

. You are so scared by its size that you simply don’t even want to start it. In this case, break the big task into many small ones and deal with them sequentially. Remember that small parts add up to a big whole.

How to deal with procrastination

The causes and dangers of procrastination have been sorted out, let's move on to ways to overcome it and methods of dealing with it. Let's consider general advice from psychologists and individual exercises that will help you overcome procrastination and start working.

What to do if you suffer from procrastination - a reminder from psychologists:

Always set clear time frames, try to indicate results in numbers. This is especially true for the goals that you set for yourself in life.
Motivate yourself. You can come up with a system of rewards or add a touch of novelty and creativity to a familiar activity. If you understand that work does not interest you in any way, and nothing can inspire you to do it, then you need to get rid of such elements in your life.
When doing something, remove all distractions. For example, if we are talking about household chores or spending time with family, then you should turn off your work phone. If you sit down to write a report or do homework, then you need to turn off the TV, turn off all social networks, and leave the essentials on your desktop.

Time management exercises and techniques that will help you cope with procrastination and overcome it yourself:

Search for resource time. Determine when your peak performance occurs. Dedicate this time to the most important and difficult matters.
Eisenhower Matrix. This technique helps you prioritize and get rid of time wasters. Divide all tasks into four squares: “Important and urgent”, “Unimportant but urgent”, “Important and not urgent”, “Unimportant and not urgent”. First, do it right away. Second, delegate it to someone else. Third, set it aside for a couple of days. Fourth, eliminate it from your life.
Descartes square. Decision making technique. Describe the problem into four sectors-issues. What will happen if I do this? What happens if I don't do this? What won't happen if I do this? What won't happen if I don't do this?
Formula 10/5. Do one thing continuously for 10 minutes, and then rest for 5 minutes. Then repeat the cycle. After three repetitions, rest for 20 minutes. Important: you need to start with the simplest task and gradually move on to more complex ones.

Basic mistakes

Avoid common mistakes in the fight against procrastination:

Making the fight a fixed idea. You need to tune in to control procrastination, not fight it.
Engage in self-flagellation, overly criticize yourself. Replace it with healthy introspection and self-improvement.
Force yourself to work. Some people, without understanding the main reason for procrastination, force themselves to complete problematic tasks. As a result, they become even more tired, irritated, and disappointed in themselves.
Ignore the problem. Look at procrastination as your teacher.

Procrastination: main reasons

In this material, we will not take cases of clinical procrastination, as well as cases associated with general dissatisfaction with life or profession. Why? Regarding the first point, we note that this is a matter for specialists, regarding the second - that the process of changing jobs or a radical change in lifestyle, as a rule, is postponed for an even longer period than household or work matters, since such decisive steps cannot but frighten the unknown. You can read more about this in the article about delayed life syndrome (link above).

Of course, reasons for procrastination , but they also have something in common. Let's turn to those problems and questions that occur most often.

It should be noted that many reasons are based on the same mechanism, which we discuss in the article devoted to the “Three Brains” model by Paul McLean.

Lack of personal motivation

Not everyone has the willpower to just sit down and do something that is not interesting, and if you are one of those people who
need a “spark”, enthusiasm for achievements
, think about
how you can motivate yourself
.

If you choose one of the simplest ways to combat procrastination, “I’ll do this and then I’ll do something enjoyable,” the main thing is don’t deceive yourself. Having said: “I’ll do this and watch an episode of my favorite TV series,” first actually do it, and then watch it. Let us also note that for some people another way is more effective - first do something pleasant for yourself, improve your mood, and then do unpleasant things. Don’t follow the rules (first lunch, then sweets), determine what’s best for you

My experience of getting rid of procrastination

I'm still a procrastinator. In the shower. I used to have it regularly in my life. Now I don’t even remember when I encountered this for the first time, but I know for sure that it happened during my studies at the university (regarding certain subjects) and at the beginning of my professional journey.

I remember I worked on one project... There was no interest, the demands were exhausting, one order from him turned me into a squeezed lemon. The only thing that motivated me was pay. Back then I didn’t have much choice, so I had to be content with what I had, gaining experience and ratings.

I delayed each task until the deadline itself, but the problem was that it didn’t get any easier. The shadow of orders followed me everywhere. Then I decided it was time to do something about it. At first, the “Eat the Frog” method worked for me: at the beginning of the day, you force yourself to do the most unattractive or difficult task. And as soon as a more interesting and congenial project came my way, I abandoned this work altogether.

Whatever type of procrastination we are talking about (everyday, in work or study, in self-development), I never set myself the goal of getting rid of procrastination, because, as you already know, this is impossible. My goal was to learn how to manage my time effectively and get rid of clutter.

For example, in relation to everyday procrastination it was like this: at first I forced myself to do everything I thought about at once, and gradually it became a habit. After all, most household chores, if you don’t accumulate them, are such a trifle. Done in a couple of minutes and you can calmly work, relax or devote time to a hobby. And all this without pangs of conscience, absent-mindedness, self-loathing or anything like that.

The situation is similar with work or some organizational issues in life. My motto: “If you’ve done the job, walk boldly.” Here's what helped me get rid of procrastination in work or other areas and still helps me:

Planning. In the evening, I already know how my day will be structured tomorrow, even if it’s a day off. And in general, I can say that I have a daily routine and schedule. Of course, sometimes I deviate from it, but in general I live according to the regime. And I like it - it helps me maintain a balance between work, family life and personal needs.
“Do it right now.” When the thought arises of putting something off until later, I say this phrase and do it.
Self talk. When I catch myself thinking that I’m starting to procrastinate and get distracted, I figure out the reasons. For example, it may turn out that it’s because I’m tired or that I’m not really interested or need what I’m trying to do.
Setting goals. Everything must have clearly defined goals and results that can be measured in some way.
Comparison. It helps a lot to convert the day into hours and minutes. Against the background of this figure, 20 minutes a day for something important, albeit with delayed results, seems like such a tiny amount. And, conversely, adding up the daily “crumbs” and looking at it through the prism of “this is almost unnoticeable now, but imagine what will happen in a year” is very motivating.

In general, a sense of responsibility does not allow me to put off everything until the last minute. I always try to leave myself a little time in case of “What if...”. This usually doesn't happen, but this approach gives me a feeling of calm and confidence. And the freed up time can always be filled with something interesting and useful.

Why procrastinators are the best creators, and you don't have to be the first to be original

In this talk, you'll learn why it's good to procrastinate in moderation to find interesting ideas, as well as three surprising habits of originals, including embracing failure.

Seven years ago, a student suggested that I invest in his company. I said, “Okay, you guys have been working on this all summer, right?” - “No, we all worked in other places - what if this idea didn’t work.” - “I see, but now are you going to devote all your time to this project?” "Not really. Each of us has backup options." Six months have passed, the day has come to launch the company, and they don’t even have a website ready. And then I told them: “Guys, do you understand that your entire company is a website? Literally". Of course, I refused to invest in them.

Then they named the company Warby Parker.

They sell glasses online. They were recently recognized as the most innovative company in the world and valued at more than a billion dollars. Now my wife is in charge of our investments. Why was I wrong?

To find out, I began to study what I call "originals." Originals are nonconformists, those who not only find new ideas, but act to implement them. People who stand out from the crowd and make a loud statement. They create and change the world. I want to bet on them. And they don't look at all what I expected. I want to show you three things I've learned about how to recognize the originals and become a little like them.

The first reason I turned down Warby Parker was their slowness. You all know very well what goes on in the mind of a procrastinator. I confess to you - on the contrary, I am a precrastinator. Yes, there is such a term. Have you ever felt panicked when there are two hours before a due date and you still don’t have anything ready? So I feel this panic already two months before the deadline.

It started a long time ago. I was a serious Nintendo player when I was a kid. I got up at five in the morning, started playing and didn’t stop until everything worked out. Finally, I got completely out of hand, and the local newspaper did a story about the dark side of Nintendo with my participation. Then I traded my hair for teeth. But it came in handy in college because I finished my senior thesis four months ahead of schedule. I was proud of this until a few years ago when my student Gia came to me and said: “The best ideas come when I procrastinate.” - “Very nice, where are the four papers you were supposed to submit?”

She was one of the most creative students, and as an organizational psychologist I decided to test this thesis. I gave her the task of collecting some data. She went to several companies. Workers completed surveys about how often they procrastinate. She then asked managers to rate the innovative and creative qualities of their employees. Of course, precrastinators like me, those who rush and get everything done ahead of schedule, are rated as less creative than those who are moderate procrastinators. I wanted to know what happens to chronic procrastinators. She replied, “I don’t know, they didn’t fill out my questionnaire.”

These are our results. As you can see, those who wait until the last minute are so busy fooling around that they don't come up with new ideas. On the other hand, those who jump right into it are so nervous that they don't come up with any original ideas either. The originals seem to be in the middle ground. Why? Maybe the originals just have bad work habits. Maybe procrastination isn't conducive to creativity.

To find out, we conducted several experiments. We asked people to come up with business ideas, and then independent readers rated how creative and useful the ideas were. We asked someone to complete the task right away. We made others procrastinate by letting them play Minesweeper for five to ten minutes. Of course, moderate procrastinators were 16% more creative than people in the other two groups. “Mineweeper” is cool, of course, but it does not promote creativity, because if you play a game and only then find out about the task, there will be no creative explosion. Only when you already know that you need to work on a task and you start procrastinating (but the task remains active somewhere in your thoughts) then something is born in you. Procrastination provides time to consider different ideas, think outside the box, and make unexpected decisions.

As we were finishing these experiments, I was starting to write a book about the originals, and I thought, “Now is the time to teach myself how to procrastinate while I write the chapter on procrastination.” To transition to procrastination, being a self-respecting precrastinator, I got up early the next day and made a plan for how I would procrastinate.

Then I worked hard to achieve the goal of not achieving the goal. I started writing a chapter on procrastination, and one day, about halfway through, I literally quit my job mid-sentence for several months. It was terrible. But when I returned to work, I had a lot of new ideas. As Aaron Sorkin said, “You call it procrastination, I call it rumination.”

Along the way, I discovered that many of the great originals were procrastinators. For example, Leonardo Da Vinci. He worked on the Mona Lisa for 16 years, feeling like a failure, and wrote about it in his diary. But his distracting experiments with optics changed his principles of depicting light and made him a better artist.

And Martin Luther King Jr.? The night before the most important speech of his life, before the March on Washington, he did not sleep until three in the morning. He was waiting for his turn to go up on stage and was still making notes, crossing out unnecessary places. Rising 11 minutes later, he left his notes and instead said four words that changed the course of history: “I have a dream.” This was not in the preparation. By leaving the task of finalizing the speech until the very last minute, he remained open to a huge number of possible ideas. And since the speech was not yet set in stone, he had the freedom to improvise.

Procrastination is the enemy of productivity, but it can be the friend of creativity. We see that many great originals harness quickly, but travel for a long time. That's what I missed with Warby Parker. As they slowly launched over six months, I said, “A lot of people are already starting to sell glasses online.” They missed the advantage of being first. What I didn't realize was that they were spending that time trying to figure out how to convince people not to be afraid to order glasses online. It seems the advantage of being first is a myth. Take a look at the study of more than 50 product categories, comparing the first sellers to the market with those who offered an improved option. Pioneers have a 47% failure rate, while improvers have a failure rate of just 8%. Look at Facebook, which launched after Myspace and Friendster. On Google: they waited several years after Altavista and Yahoo. It's much easier to improve someone's idea than to create something new from scratch. Lesson I learned: You don't have to be the first to be original. You just need to be different and be better.

But that wasn't the only reason I turned down Warby Parker. They themselves were full of doubts. They were making backup plans, and I doubted whether they had the guts to be original, because I expected originals to look something like this.

On the outside, many originals look confident, but inside they feel the same doubts and fears that you and I do. They just treat them differently. This is a visual representation of what the creative process looks like for most of us.

[1. Cool. 2. Doubtful. 3. No good. 4. I'm no good. 5. Acceptable. 6. Cool.]

In my research, I have found that there are two types of doubt: self-doubt and idea doubt. Self-doubt paralyzes and forces you to stop. And doubt in an idea gives energy, motivates to try, experiment, redo, as Martin Luther King did. The key to originality is a simple thing: avoid jumping from point three to point four. Instead of: “I’m no good,” you say: “The first two options are always worthless, I just haven’t reached the goal yet.” How to get there? The clue seems to be what browser you're using. It's possible to predict your results and engagement by knowing which browser you're using. Some may not like the results of this study...

But there is evidence that Firefox and Chrome users perform much better than Internet Explorer and Safari users. Like this.

They also work 15% longer in one place. Why? This is not a technical advantage. All four user groups have approximately the same typing speed and the same level of computer skills. This has to do with where the browser comes from. If you use Internet Explorer or Safari, they came pre-installed on your computer and you accepted the default option. If you wanted Firefox or Chrome, you had to hesitate and ask if there was a better option, then be smart and download a new browser. People hear about this study and think, “Cool, if I want to do a better job, I should just update my browser?”

No, it's about being the one who starts questioning the default option and looking for better options. If you do this well, you open yourself up to the opposite of déjà vu. This feeling has a name - it is “vujade”.

“Vujade” is when you look at something for the hundredth time and suddenly see it with fresh eyes.

It could be a screenwriter reading a story that's been sitting on the shelf for half a century. In each of the latest versions, the main character was a villainous queen. But Jennifer Lee doubted: does this make sense? She rewrote the first act to replace the villain with an oppressed heroine, and Frozen became the most successful animated film ever. This story has a simple moral. When you feel doubt, don't let it go.

What about fear? The originals are also afraid. They are afraid of failure, but what sets them apart from everyone else is that they are even more afraid of not trying. They know that you can fail by starting a business that will go bankrupt, or you can fail by not starting a business at all. They know that in the end, what we regret most is not our actions, but our inactions. What we would like to replay (look at the scientists) are unused chances.

Elon Musk recently admitted to me that he didn't expect Tesla to succeed. He was sure that in the first few launches SpaceX would not reach orbit, let alone return, but it was impossible not to try. Many of us don't try.

I have a good news. You won't be judged for your bad ideas. But many people think that they will be blamed. If you look at industries and ask people about their biggest idea, their most important proposal, 85% will say nothing instead of saying it. They are afraid of embarrassing themselves and seeming stupid. But you know what? The originals have many bad ideas, thousands of bad ideas.

If you look across industries, the greatest originals failed the most because they tried the hardest. Let's take classical composers, the best of the best. Why do some of them have more pages in encyclopedias and more reprints of their works? One of the main factors is the total number of created compositions. The more you produce, the more variety you have and the higher your chances of stumbling upon something original. Even the legends of classical music - Bach, Beethoven and Mozart - had to write hundreds and hundreds of compositions to create a much smaller number of true masterpieces.

When the founders of Warby Parker were trying to figure out what to name their company, they needed something challenging, unique, and without negative associations to create a retail brand, and they went through more than 2,000 options until they settled on the two names Warby and Parker. If you put it all together, it turns out that the originals are not so different from the rest. They are afraid and doubtful, they procrastinate. They have bad ideas. And sometimes - not in spite of, but thanks to these qualities, they achieve success.

When you meet people with these qualities, don't make my mistakes. Don't cross them out. And if this is you, don't write yourself off. Know that a fast start and a slow finish can enhance your creativity. You can motivate yourself by questioning your own ideas and becoming afraid of failure. You need a lot of bad ideas to get a few good ones.

Being original is not easy, but I have no doubt that it is the best way to make the world a better place.

Photo: Thebestartt.

May 13, 2016