Does being a procrastinator automatically rule out "J" | INFJ Forum

Does being a procrastinator automatically rule out "J"

ButterflyChaser

ButterflyChaser

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Jan 26, 2018
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I've stumbled over this for quite a while. I have issues answering questions like "Does your home and work office look organized", Do you like schedules or plans, stick to a plan? and You like to keep options open or closure?

Home - I have better things to do with my time. If I start organizing I get stuck halfway, micro organizing tiny things that I don't get done with more important stuff. The easiest solution is to just let clutter happen. Organize just enough so I can find what I need. When I have to make my apartment clean, then I'll go into high drive, everything will be neatly in its place, things shining for just long enough to put on an impression.

Work: Can't stand clutter. I work in a retail store, so I'm (nearly) always making sure the store is tidy, free of dust bunnies hopping along the floor, products are placed in order, etc... The times I am not, then I am focused on unboxing and getting stuff put away.

Schedules: I don't set a set schedule, nor do I keep a written plan, but I do what I can to be on time with whatever meeting I go to and I expect others to be on time. But because I don't write down lists to check off I always answer "No" to those type of questions. The list I make is in my mind if I make one. More so I make a mental plan of what I want to do. If I have time, I may deviate. if not, then I remain focused.

Plans and procrastination: I am still trying to figure that one out, why I do so. I see a mental plan of whatever I am to do already finished and done in my mind. I can also see it finished and done several ways. But sometimes I get hung up because the actual process doesn't match my mental image, or I have trouble figuring out which version of the "finished" product is correct for the present task, or I have another project I am doing along side the procrastinated project and I don't have time or the mental energy to do both at the same time.


I assumed these were Perceiver traits, which lands me as a clear INFP, but as I was trying to figure out the differences between Ni and Ne and Fi vs Fe, I got stuck in a loop trying to figure out which of those is actually happening with me. It seems like if I was a true INFP, I wouldn't be stuck in an endless loop trying to figure out what I was doing, read up, and keep looking up each article trying to tick off mental boxes/ checklists in my mind. Am I gathering up external stimuli to build up my ideas, my project and storing it for future use or am I trying to validate an idea, clear confusion in my mind. As far as personal values go, I have my values, but I'm usually pretty upfront if I feel someone crossed them. If not, then I steam over it for a while and it bothers me more that I am bothered by it than the person who crossed me. Based on what I was reading in discussions this seems more INFJ like than INFP? Then again I find the variations in answers about the INFP/ INFJ very confusing overall. Some answers have it clear cut and others have it more vague. There seem to be so many contradictions.

I'm left confused. Could it be that I am misunderstanding what makes a perceiver and incorrectly assuming because I don't match all things in a question that it rules me out?
 
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I don't think procrastinating automatically rules J out, but I don't see it so much as procrastinating, but rather, prioritizing. Procrastination to me is outright avoiding something even though it needs to be attended to. When prioritizing, we make invisible lists in our mind of the things that need to get done now vs the things we can wait on when there's more time. Since we're terrible at asking for help or delegating things that we feel are our responsibility, it may be quite a while before we actually see to everything that falls at the bottom of the priority list. This can seem like procrastination to some, but for us, it's triage. I will forget about every single thing to meet deadlines, you know, like sleeping, eating, and bathroom breaks, lol.

INFJ's are indeed orderly, but maybe not in the way one would interpret the word. It could be something as simple as organizing your closet by item and color, or being diligent about important documents and keeping them in a safe yet accessible place where you always know where they are. It's about controling your chaos, not necessarily keeping things immaculate. For myself, my work space is neat, free of clutter, and things are accessible for anyone, not just myself. At home, not so much. My spouse can't figure out my filing system for the life of him, and my space is not immaculate. Clean, but in no way ocd clean and organized.

As far as type goes, the order of function use is key. Study more on the cognitive functions instead of seeing things as P vs J. The biggest difference between an INFP and an INFJ is the leading functions, Ni vs Fi, followed by Fe vs Ne.

Good luck to you on your quest of self discovery, and welcome to the forum!
 
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I think procrastination is an issue of perfectionism. I don't think it really has anything to do with type. Any type can have this trouble and I don't think how you go about resolving it really has a lot to do with your type. I think with people who procrastinate, I think that they tend to prioritise the perfection of the outcome over the importance of the deadline. You have to switch that priority around. The important aspect of the task outcome is completing the elements that are required to complete the task within the deadline, not having the outcome be perfect. Just embrace the idea that your outcome will be imperfect, but the perfection is not what's important, what's important is getting it done to an acceptable standard within the budget and time constraints. Sometimes I'm even like "My work is shit, but who cares! I just really need to get this done! That's all that matters at this point!" This is just my own ideas about it, I'm not an expert on it, that's just my own ideas. This really helped me to deal with procrastination so it might help with others too.
 
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Thank you! Put it that way that describes my system of organization quite a lot. There's a path to my bed, my bathroom, kitchen (the countertops are full of stuff, but if I need to cook I put stuff away. (set it on the next surface that I'm not using.)

Mostly it is that I don't have enough room to keep an active indoor gardening hobby ( I used to hybridize African Violets, later shifted towards propagating cuttings for summer planting), a full set of watercolor paints, full set of oil paints, acrylic paints, colored pencils, paint brushes, a Nikon D90, a few lenses, interesting trinkets and odds and ends (gave up decorating since practicality wins over aesthetics when it comes to it.), an assortment of spices for cooking. NBot that I am a great cook, but it saves some money, or even if it doesn't cooking a batch of something to eat for the week has its advantages. That's not to mention 2 computers (one is an outdated imac from 2010, the other a laptop, a printer, etc.... Just too much to squeeze in a 1 bedroom. Maybe if I took out the plants I'd have space, but they are a source of comfort when they bloom and grow nice.

That considered, the place could be far less organized. (sometimes I watch Hoarders to jumpstart/ push me into panic overdrive to organize/ toss stuff) In the retail store it is much easier. Each product has its place. It doesn't need to be anywhere else or sorted any other way. (unless the day is slow and I am bored enough and see a better system, then I will move stuff.)

This is unlike the art supplies that move to where I am at the time. When it comes to organizing the little things like the paintbrushes, I have them all in their own little containers sorted by whatever method I need them at the time. Sometimes by size, other times by texture. The paints get their own bins, sorted by type or usefulness for my project. I hate having to put away stuff related to one project before I move onto the next one, which I think my clutter issues arise (besides having too many items for the space and weak walls + steel/ aluminum studs that don't allow for secure wall mounting to add shelf space.)

I notice, even though my hobbies are varied and they pull me several directions, I return to the same hobbies. It may appear like I'm trying new things, but really it is more a cycle. I usually pick up where I left off when I return. Usually with a renewed perspective to keep from feeling in a rut. I was looking up Ne and Ni and it seems Ne does a lot more jumping around. I tend to see connections in random things, so I thought, but when I looked deeper into it, it seems more like I am taking in external stimuli, to capture the experience and to save it for later use. As I capture experiences, my thought train will narrate over it, repeating what I just saw, but in more of a reflective narrative sense. I'm not directly attaching a personal value to what I experience, at least not emotionally. Things aren't right or wrong. It is more like, "interesting" okay, so that's how another person sees it. Cool. I don't have to agree with it or anything. Just keep it in the back of my mind. If I ever need to address that audience or that person I have that or their insight.

When I replay an experience in my head I remember the scene visually and sometimes my thought stream. The emotion is a bit harder to pin down. Body sensations, long since forgotten. I may feel a general wistfulness or remember the act of crying/ having an anxiety attack, but I'm just watching it detached emotionally. I guess a real INFP would remember the emotion a bit stronger? I'm not sure. For me it is the thoughts and the visuals that come the strongest. When I am fully focused on the moment I can forget to eat (and then shut down from hunger). Emotions also creep up on me rather than me being alert to them. I'm guessing that isn't a true infp trait either? If I am not careful I can be prone to outbursts, unless I learn to catch warning signs along the way.
 
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invisible said:
I think procrastination is an issue of perfectionism. I don't think it really has anything to do with type. Any type can have this trouble and I don't think how you go about resolving it really has a lot to do with your type. I think with people who procrastinate, I think that they tend to prioritise the perfection of the outcome over the importance of the deadline. You have to switch that priority around. The important aspect of the task outcome is completing the elements that are required to complete the task within the deadline, not having the outcome be perfect. Just embrace the idea that your outcome will be imperfect, but the perfection is not what's important, what's important is getting it done to an acceptable standard within the budget and time constraints. Sometimes I'm even like "My work is shit, but who cares! I just really need to get this done! That's all that matters at this point!" This is just my own ideas about it, I'm not an expert on it, that's just my own ideas. This really helped me to deal with procrastination so it might help with others too.
Click to expand...

Wyote said:
INFJs can be notorious procrastinators due to having perfectionist tendencies. Procrastination has less to do with type and more to do with prioritization skills.
Also, when done appropriately, procrastination isn't necessarily a bad thing.

https://www.elitedaily.com/life/cul...stinate-meaning-behind-procrastination/736595
Click to expand...

Interesting take on it being a perfectionist/ prioritizing issue. I am a perfectionist. I also have a tendency to complete it in my head and see how I want it done, and then "save for later" that idea until I think I can perfect it.

Also the part about the deadlines really struck me. It seems if I have a deadline, I will attempt to get it done in some form, or at least work a lot faster, more focused than if whoever wants something from me just says "Just get it done whenever you can." "Whenever you can" means to me anywhere from a week to a whole year or more, depending on what I feel about the task, how skilled I think I am to accomplish it, how challenging it is (higher challenge level makes it more interesting/ satisfying to finish), and whatever else I am focused on at the time.

The college essay due next class: Might happen the night before class, but it gets done, because my grade depends on it. The "get it done whenever" just kind of gets pushed by the wayside. That said I have issues making minor things important. If I don't catch myself or at my work place if they don't tell me to focus on a certain task, I will make up my own assignments and get those done to the best of my ability and the time allowed. (usually at work my go to focus is on name related keychains and animal figurines (Schleich and Papo) which usually is disorganized enough to be a satisfying time sink to accomplish and to look busy enough to keep within my work shift. Meanwhile because it is repetitive enough, I can let my internal monologue ramble on. My story characters, the scenes and dialogues playing in my mind all while externally I look busy enough. That is until I get approached by someone or they pound their product at my my POS station to get my attention, then it is a quick smile, maybe some small talk, or maybe not. Send them off with their product bagged up and then the internal monologue continues.
 
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Much of what you've described resonates. I totally get it. Especially when we're stuck on something, our Se is the first thing that goes out the window. Then I suddenly find myself surrounded by a dozen pens that I've picked up from random places and put them back at random while searching for that one pen that writes just so, but it's actually holding up my hair and I don't even know, wearing two different socks because the clean laundry is still sitting in the basket and I haven't sorted it yet, there's a mysterious purple stain on my cheek, I've tripped over a dozen cat toys on the way to the coffee pot, but all the mugs have disappeared and are actively plotting and hiding from me... Yeah, I get it. :p

"How did my earbuds even get into the freezer?"
*scratches head and proceeds to being stuck in thought*

It's what I like to call absent minded professor syndrome. :p

ButterflyChaser said:
When it comes to organizing the little things like the paintbrushes, I have them all in their own little containers sorted by whatever method I need them at the time. Sometimes by size, other times by texture. The paints get their own bins, sorted by type or usefulness for my project.
Click to expand...

Lol, I do this too, and that's a perfect example of what I nodded to. Our organization can seem like the exact opposite to others.
 
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Free said:
Much of what you've described resonates. I totally get it. Especially when we're stuck on something, our Se is the first thing that goes out the window. Then I suddenly find myself surrounded by a dozen pens that I've picked up from random places and put them back at random while searching for that one pen that writes just so, but it's actually holding up my hair and I don't even know, wearing two different socks because the clean laundry is still sitting in the basket and I haven't sorted it yet, there's a mysterious purple stain on my cheek, I've tripped over a dozen cat toys on the way to the coffee pot, but all the mugs have disappeared and are actively plotting and hiding from me... Yeah, I get it. :p

"How did my earbuds even get into the freezer?"
*scratches head and proceeds to being stuck in thought*

It's what I like to call absent minded professor syndrome. :p



Lol, I do this too, and that's a perfect example of what I nodded to. Our organization can seem like the exact opposite to others.
Click to expand...

I was just thinking about that with my own "pen collection"
Why can't I be satisfied with just one pen and one notebook?

I must have at least three different colors, then I break it down to further needs:

Black : fine point .5, .7 liquid gel pen (really writes smooth, but bleeds to the next page), light black erasable ball point. (writes well, does not bleed. Great for notebook writing but not bold enough to make important points stand out.) Bold black ball point that doesn't bleed. "comfortable" squishy grip, but dang it doesn't cover the area my fingers touch. I hold pens close to the metal part, so not as comfortable.

Blue: Just a .7 liquid gel at the moment, but I'll likely find another one to further specialize.

Purple erasable. Nice for writing out examples and diagrams. Sketching my bug folk characters on the margins.

By no means this is complete, just what I carried with me to class today. If I really want to get anal, there are multiple shades of blue, the grip type, whatever... I have a preference towards rounded tips with a .5 or .7 tip. (think the pentel e-sharp for mechanical pencil.) But I am game to try a new one as if that would inspire a new idea or ? I don't know.

--

Been there with misplaced items. Put my frozen stuff with my snacks (outwardly the frozen stuffed cheese snack had the same size package as the energy bars) so it kinda made sense, right? Good thing I found it the following morning. It was a fancy crab cake stuffed cheese thing. I wasn't going to waste it, so I cooked it up as soon as I found it. Didn't get sick, fortunately.


I can't count how many times I've asked for where is "x" and been pointed to something either directly in front of me, besides me or up on the wall.
Me: What time is it?
Them: Up on the wall there's a clock.
Me Just tell me so I have an instant read and can go back to whatever.
Me: Where did I put x.
Them: right there. In front of you.
Me: ouch.
It amazes me how detailed I can be and at the same time fail to see the obvious. As much as I hate to admit, I'd be lost without sensors to point out those clues and guide me through life.
 
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Just for whatever reasons, curiosity I guess, I tried the 16 personalities test again, this time factoring in my actual behavior and how I act at my work place, rather than how I idealize myself. (In my head I like to visualize myself being more flexible and adaptable. It is something I strive for, but in reality when plans change or things don't happen as I want them, I get frozen up, upset, annoyed.) The results swung between a turbulent INTJ or a turbulent INFJ depending on how I answer a few questions that I sit on the fence with.
 
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The INTJ-T result intrigued me because it put me close to the border on both thinking and feeling (51% to 49%) as well as judging and perceiving (54% to 46%). I wonder if that may be in part why I feel a bit confused/ find things I relate to but not fully when it comes to INFP, INFJ, and INTP, and to a degree even INTJ. But also helps give me insight into other types and keep a more balanced perspective on things.

The INFJ result placed me slightly stronger in the feeling territory, but the J vs P remained fairly close (53% to 47%)
Both tests place me in the high 70% turbulent territory.
 
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I'm an INFP and I don't really procrastinate all that much. When it comes to something I need to do, I do it right away so that I have more time to lay around be lazy and play games. :p I hate it that people associate P with procrastination! LOL Anyhoo, I like the 16 personalities, it was the most accurate for me. I've only been typed as an INFJ a handful of times vs the billions of times typed as an INFP and I've studied up on the functions so I'm pretty confident in my type. I think it's also pretty common for an INFJ to mistype as an INTJ because of that Ni dom and also because INFJ's tend to have an equal use of and appreciation for both the rational/logic side and the emotional/artsy-fartsy side. One of my favorite INFJ's who is also on this forum often types as INTJ, which just makes me lol because she's definitely NiFe. Though I don't see a ton of Fe from you, I haven't read a ton of your posts either. I do get a Ni vibe though! But what really matters is how YOU feel about it and what YOU identify with more. Let us know!
 
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Free said:
You're in good company here. :lmao:
Click to expand...
Yes, I can relate to this as well. I'm such a detail person I miss the big picture sometimes. But when I finish organizing one junk drawer I move to something else small to tidy, then after hours of organizing, I look around and my room is still not clean so then I jump up and do the big parts lolol. I don't do it as often as I should so the clutter stresses me out. But in the end... When all is put away and the floors are swept and the bed is made and there's nothing sticky from my 3 yr old clinging to anything... Oh MAN what a beautiful feeling! It's almost as if from it being neat and organized around me, my whole life is in order. I'm headed somewhere. Positivity. Good vibes. The works. Lol!
 
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