Procrastination: Why We Do It - Fear of Failure

People who grew up with perfectionists or around hypercritical people may avoid starting making decisions or completing tasks for fear of failure. If you were raised with someone who always criticized every effort, there was no way to complete a task successfully. We often internalize this criticism and negativity and talk to ourselves the same way.

Not making a decision or completing a task can be an attempt by the procrastinator to avoid responsibility, or blame, for whatever outcome results from the decision. The way to address this situation is to look at the people around you. Are they perfectionistic or hypercritical? Or is it your own internal dialogue that picks apart everything you do? If it is external, perhaps you need to get new friends or distance yourself from family members. If it is internal, you will need to examine what you are saying to yourself and change it. You may wish to read the article, “Self Talk” for more on this topic.