The Link Between ADHD Procrastination and Perfectionism

Many people with ADHD are seen to be lazy or disinterested in their studies, tasks at work, friendships, and even in their romantic relationships. This is because most of those with ADHD are procrastinators, frequently leaving things unfinished and appointments unattended. While it might be easy for others to judge them, the truth is that their tendency to procrastinate is far more complex than it would seem.

The tendency to procrastinate in people with ADHD is often linked to an instinctive need they have to make things perfect. In other words, ADHD-related procrastination goes hand in hand with perfectionism, and it’s important to understand why.

More Than Meets the Eye

People with ADHD are frequently the subjects of misunderstanding and undeserved contempt. They are seen to be rude, standoffish, uncaring, exhausting, too direct, and perhaps worst of all, lazy. In truth, those with ADHD are as imperfect as every other person. Like all of us, they may exhibit these character flaws.

There is, however, often a deeper reason as to why they are perceived in these ways. They might not be able to articulate the reasons if questioned, but many neurodiverse people are impacted by the judgments people pass on them.

Your loved one or coworker with ADHD is not overemotional; they have struggles regulating their emotions. They are not as careless and disorganized as they are impaired in punctuality and planning. They are not disinterested, disengaged, or lazy because they fail to complete tasks, miss deadlines, or fail to produce results. They are most likely afraid to fail, have standards that are too high to attain, or might be paralyzed by self-doubt.

Most people with ADHD struggle in ways you could never understand as a neurotypical person. They require patience, and you refrain from judging them if they are going to find a way to cope and thrive.

The Difference Between Laziness and Procrastination

There are a few important differences between laziness and ADHD procrastination. All of the differences lie in their motivation, internal struggles, and cause. Few with ADHD would be able to identify or communicate these deep inner truths to people, because many struggle to understand themselves. When accused of being lazy or disinterested, they might not defend themselves, but they will surely be stung by the unfairness of the accusation.

Lazy people have little to no motivation. They simply don’t care about completing tasks or producing work to a high standard. By contrast, the average person with ADHD cares a lot about such things. It is possibly because they care too much that they become frozen by fear of not meeting their standards.

It is an overwhelming thing to produce work as close to their standard of perfection as many of them have. Many delay until they feel they can get it just right. From the outside, a lazy person and a procrastinating person with ADHD both look like people who do not produce results, but their inner motivations could not be more different.

The second aspect that distinguishes ADHD procrastination from common laziness is the inner struggle. In short, lazy people do not have an inner struggle as far as working is concerned. Their only struggle might be disguising their lack of motivation and interest. Otherwise, they are content to do nothing.

On the other hand, all those with ADHD have a daily inner struggle. However calm and disengaged they might appear on the surface, most of them are drowning in panic and guilt as they desperately try to find ways to cope with the pressure and complete the task.

The final thing that differentiates laziness from ADHD procrastination is the cause. The cause of laziness is a general disinterest and unwillingness to complete a task or engage in work. People with ADHD are not disinterested or unwilling. Many of them desperately want to advance their careers or positively impact their relationships, but they experience a form of psychological impairment known as executive dysfunction.

Put quite simply, the brain of a person with ADHD has formed differently from their neurotypical counterpart, hence ADHD being defined as a neurodevelopmental disorder. The area of their brain responsible for organization, impulse control, decision making, and emotional regulation is entirely different from someone who does not have ADHD.

If you have ever used an old-fashioned typewriter and pressed all the keys together at once, this is somewhat similar to an ADHD brain when faced with an important task. Everything just sort of jams, and while other people are working away quite simply, the person with ADHD is trying hard to unstick all of the functions in their brains.

The Three Types of ADHD Procrastination

Not only is there a difference between laziness and procrastination, but there are different types of procrastination, or in other words, different reasons people with ADHD procrastinate. This shows that the issue is far more complex than many people realize at first.

You will never help someone with ADHD by judging them or assuming their intentions. Their motivations for procrastinating might be linked to some personal struggles, such as perfectionism, avoidance, or productive procrastination.

Perfectionism Procrastination

An old English proverb goes, “Once bitten, twice shy.” It speaks to how cautious we can be once we have had a negative experience. The average person with ADHD has been “bitten” by criticism and rejection many times in their life.

You can only imagine the pressure, anxiety, and guilt that happen at the same time as the natural impairments of the disorder. Not only do they struggle with executive dysfunction because of the way their brains work, but they have had years or even decades of criticism and knocks against their self-worth.

This leads many with ADHD to become perfectionistic. The general idea behind this motivation is, I can’t be criticized or rejected if the work is perfect. The problem is, however, that the pressure mounts, the fear and anxiety ramp up, and they end up delaying the task until it feels insurmountable.

This is a sad cycle of crippling anxiety and fear of failure, leading to actual failure and rejection or criticism. Many with ADHD procrastinate because their self-esteem has been damaged, and they are afraid they can’t be perfect.

Avoidant Procrastination

Many people know that those with ADHD struggle with low levels of dopamine, but few have linked this with their tendency to procrastinate. Dopamine is a hugely important hormone that helps people feel satisfaction and pleasure, motivates them to learn, affects their moods positively, and helps with physical movement and sleep regulation.

Without enough dopamine, life feels like a slog, and nothing is enjoyable. The average person with ADHD must run like a car with no gas. Most procrastinate simply because they don’t have the internal dopamine drive, and the reward of the task is not great enough.

Productive Procrastination

Most people know what the Sunday scaries feel like. It is the anxiety and dread you feel in the pit of your stomach as you contemplate having to go to work or school the next day, after having had a fun weekend. Imagine feeling the Sunday scaries each time you approach a task, no matter how big or small it is. This is the experience of most people with ADHD, and it is one of the reasons they put off doing things until it is almost too late.

Some with ADHD work around productive procrastination by focusing on smaller tasks that are easier to achieve while delaying getting started on the big tasks. For example, they might spend months planning all the aspects of an event but never get to the point of finalizing the details. The smaller tasks they accomplish, the bigger the main task feels, and they put it off until it is too late.

There is help

People with ADHD procrastinate for many reasons, and all of them are complex. Most neurodiverse people have taken hits to their self-esteem in the past because of these issues. It is best to learn as much as you can about the disorder so that you can encourage, support, and be patient with the ADHD-procrastinators in your life.

If you are struggling with any aspect of being ADHD, or if you have a loved one with ADHD whom you want to be more supportive of, we recommend meeting with a counselor. They will provide a safe space where you can unpack your burdens or share your concerns regarding ADHD. Contact us to find out more information about meeting with a counselor.