Inside: ” How to Come to Canada .” You’ve got that plan for the longest time but it’s still just a plan. Why?
Over the last couple years, we had some people who reached out and asked questions about coming to Canada. They emailed, we emailed back with responses and encouragement. They met with us via Zoom, where we talked about plans and concrete steps. But they have not been able to carry on to the next steps.
Usually, these steps involve revising and updating resumes even as we sent them templates to fill in; doing some thinking and consulting with family or friends on what pathway to follow; and just starting the first steps as we broke down the big task into smaller, manageable pieces.
What is holding us up not to follow through?
Procrastination may be one cause. Dr. Fuschia Sirois, in her podcast interview for the American Psychological Association, cites Tim Pychyl at Carleton University in Ottawa, who distinguishes between procrastination, and delay. Procrastination is a form of delay, so we can say that “all procrastination is delay, but not all delay is procrastination.” Procrastination is a delay that’s voluntary, adds Siroi. Being voluntary, perhaps we have control over it then.
“We generally don’t like exerting mental or physical effort, so we do it (we procrastinate),” says Amitai Shenhav, Professor of Cognitive and Psychological Sciences, Brown University. Mr. Shenhav believes that once we settle on a plan, we still have to complete all of the steps we planned before we reach our ultimate goal.
Each of these subtasks requires us to exert some effort, but the reward for that effort only comes once the entire task is complete. For instance, if we reward ourselves for completing subtasks, then we can make the eventual reward seem less distant while also increasing our motivation to continue with the next subtask.
For our clients, the subtasks can be applying for, or renewing passports. But before the application can be done, they need other documents: birth certificate, etc. and money to cover the costs.
If people can get to the stage of sending out the papers for passport application, they need to reward themselves right away by either checking this off from a big list of “Things to Do to Get to Canada.” Then that’s a relief, which in itself is a reward.
One down, on to the next. Another form of reward may be to have a hair cut, or buy a cup of good coffee.
Reward is important as explained by researchers because the ultimate goal which is viewed as being on the very top of the ladder, remains out of reach with many other steps to do. And along the way, anyone can give up. It is easy to get de-motivated, says Shenhav, as people face one subtask after another.
But procrastination is not all bad. In fact, other studies claim procrastination can provide pressure and idea incubation for the best results. Climbing closer to that deadline can also allow us to work more efficiently. Psychologists say it can be seen as serving a psychological purpose, especially for those with perfectionist tendencies.
However, in the case of immigrating to a country, putting off plans and actions may not provide advantages because our age, change of policies and rules, economic conditions, value of education can change and work to the disadvantage of applicants.
The older we get, the lower the points for immigration. Canadian immigration policies continue to change, for example, quotas for each year to student visas, or permanent residence. For those with IT education, that value of recent years’ diploma may no longer be as relevant with newer technologies that require further education.
Be inspired with this interview:
Other reasons why we do it
We often come up with several excuses or rationalizations to justify our behavior, says Kendra Cherry, psychological rehab specialist who wrote the Everything Psychology book. The following are just a few of the common reasons why people tend to procrastinate:
- Not knowing what needs to be done
- Not knowing how to do something
- Not wanting to do something
- Not caring if it gets done or not
- Not caring when something gets done
- Not feeling in the mood to do it
- Being in the habit of waiting until the last minute
- Believing that you work better under pressure
- Thinking that you can finish it at the last minute
- Lacking the initiative to get started
- Forgetting
- Blaming sickness or poor health
- Waiting for the right moment
- Needing time to think about the task
- Delaying one task in favor of working on another
Overcome the procrastination
Have empathy for one’s future self, according to Austin Perimutter, physician and co-author of Brain Wash.
The idea is simple: Your future self is almost you. Your decisions today help determine whether your future self is set up for success or likely to experience failure. You get to decide if you want to treat your future self kindly or with cruelty.
A practical application of this thought exercise is easy to appreciate. Many of us treat others far better than we treat ourselves. By seeing your future self as another person, you can start showing empathy for a separate individual. You can begin to look at your short-term-oriented choices not just for their immediate consequences, but also for their impact on this future character.
Imagine your future self as a close friend or family member and it is harder to make choices that disadvantage this person or put them at risk for suffering or failure.
Here are more solutions from Cherry to avoid procrastination:
- Make a to-do list: To help keep you on track, consider placing a due date next to each item.
- Take baby steps: Break down the items on your list into small, manageable steps so that your tasks don’t seem so overwhelming.
- Recognize the warning signs: Pay attention to any thoughts of procrastination and do your best to resist the urge. If you begin to think about procrastinating, force yourself to spend a few minutes working on your task.
- Eliminate distraction: Ask yourself what pulls your attention away the most—whether it’s Instagram, Facebook updates, or the local news—and turn off those sources of distraction.
- Pat yourself on the back: When you finish an item on your to-do list on time, congratulate yourself and reward yourself by indulging in something you find fun.
Keep your eye on the prize no matter what the obstacles. You will reach the end of that To Do List and finally arrive in Canada.
If you have more questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at Canada Bound Coaching.
Our email: admin@canadaboundcoaching.com
Photo credits: Vecteezy.com
