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How Mediators (INFP) Can Transform Procrastination into the Pursuit of Passion

Sophie 18 comments

Mediator (INFP) personality types can transform procrastination into passion. Aligning values and interests with tasks can ignite their creativity, making them valuable assets in any organization.

Why do today what you can put off until tomorrow, right? Chances are people with the Mediator (INFP) personality type are no strangers to procrastination. They often find it easy to lose track of time, get distracted, or become absorbed in their thoughts. Procrastination might not even be a conscious choice. For Mediators, procrastination might be more of an unintentional consequence of their inquisitive and contemplative nature, and if it goes too far, it can seriously impact their career prospects.

To understand how procrastination impacts Mediator personalities and how it affects their quest for a fulfilling career, let’s take a look at Mediators’ talents, their search for novelty, and what they consider to be a passion. Is procrastination a hurdle in their search for purpose, or could it be a tool that they can use to navigate their career? Let’s find out.

What Makes a Passion?

For most people, passion implies a long-term, wholehearted interest and dedication that signifies a deep emotional connection to a subject or activity. When does a hobby turn into a passion? When does a job? Aside from the deep connection, the distinction largely depends on the individual’s perspective and the outcomes of their actions.

When passion leads to positive outcomes, it’s celebrated and admired. It is passion that drives the activist who chains themselves to a tree and saves it, the pianist who isolates themselves for hours practicing to excel at a concert, and the entrepreneur who spends all their savings on an idea that actually turns into a unicorn start-up. These are people with a passion, clearly. However, when passion leads to negative outcomes or behaviors, it can be labeled very differently – obsessive, compulsive, or delusional, just to name a few options. But that is not the focus of this article.

Regardless of outcome, a passion is something that you genuinely love to do and would love to continue doing for as long as you can imagine – so much so that it becomes part of your identity. It is this long-term commitment that sometimes trips Mediator personalities up, though. Most Mediators like to remain open to new ideas without tying themselves to pursuing just one single goal.

The inflexibility associated with long-term passions can feel restrictive to Mediators, who value the freedom to change their interests when they wish. They are known to change their focus on a regular basis, because their imaginative, creative, and curious mind wanders and picks up new threads easily, leading these personalities to explore new interests regularly.

A Blessing and a Curse

Mediators’ curiosity, talent for deep introspection, and vivid imagination have often been described as strengths. However, when it comes to productivity, these gifts can be both a blessing and a curse. It’s Mediators’ capacity for innovative thinking that can lead to remarkable insights and creative solutions to complex problems. On the other hand, since further exploration of their ideas and dreams is always just around the corner, it’s easy for people with this personality type to let these mental explorations become distracting – especially when only the boring administrative tasks are left on their to-do list.

While Mediators might perform better when they are given the freedom to roam mentally, practical responsibilities, expectations, and deadlines cannot be put aside forever in the real world or at their job. Time management gurus might recommend keeping a consistent, strict regimen to combat slacking and procrastination. But for Mediator personalities, a rigid schedule filled with mundane tasks does not spark any real joy. A structured, deadline-driven environment stifles their creativity, leaving Mediators feeling frustrated and unsatisfied.

Rebelling Mediators

As a form of rebellion against this rigidity – whether they are conscious of it or not – Mediators may resist completing tasks. According to our “Self-Motivation” survey, Mediator personalities are unlikely to try to complete tasks long before they’re due. Procrastinating on tasks until they absolutely have to do them becomes a way to assert their need for independence and creativity.

But procrastination is not always used as a way to avoid and rebel against deadlines and structure. In many cases, Mediators genuinely struggle with time management and prioritizing tasks based on urgency versus interest. Even when they know they should, moving from thought to action can be a challenge for people with this personality type, especially when it comes to tasks that they deem uninteresting. Often, Mediators who are trying to force themselves to complete the task at hand end up losing that battle with themselves, as they note in our “Self-Discipline” survey.

All this is to say that force and rigid schedules don’t motivate Mediators. So what does? Mediators can be incredibly driven people when they are engaged in something that they truly believe in. Aligning a project with their greater purpose or goals allows them to tap into their focus, determination, and creativity. When they succeed at this, they can – and will – flourish.

The issue of procrastination tends to arise more when Mediator personalities are confronted with tasks that either do not fully align with their values or simply seem boring to them. While this can be a challenge, it also provides a clear way to harness Mediators’ full potential.

The Path to Mediator Motivation

Procrastination serves as an early warning sign for Mediators that something is amiss. The relationship between procrastination and motivation is an intricate one. Mediator personality types are first and foremost motivated by meaningful work that aligns with their personal values and ideals. If they get to incorporate creativity and imagination into their work, even better.

When they don’t perceive their work to be meaningful or when they feel like they cannot fully express their creativity, Mediators might turn to procrastination. Simply going through the motions for the sake of doing something isn’t a compelling reason for most Mediators to do it. Unfortunately, many jobs expect just that.

To maintain a fairly consistent level of motivation and keep procrastination at bay, Mediator personalities need to establish a true connection to the tasks that are assigned to them, form an emotional bond with their coworkers, or understand how their work impacts a larger goal. Even seemingly mundane tasks can be taken on with fervor if they align with personal values or aim to achieve something inspiring.

Realistically, not all jobs will provide this alignment. Sometimes a menial job is just that – a necessity that’s required to secure financial stability. In such cases, Mediators might struggle to discover joy and fulfillment, unless they find that fulfillment outside of their career or find a way to connect even the most boring task to their values. This is very achievable, certainly for creative minds like Mediators, through a slight mental reframing. And it all has to do with their values and passion.

When Mediator personalities notice themselves procrastinating, it’s time for them to pause and reconsider their approach to the (boring) tasks at hand. To overcome their tendency to put off tasks, it is important for Mediators to find and infuse meaning and purpose into their projects. One approach could be to establish the connection between the simple task and their broader goals. Another one would be to connect the task to a person – whether it’s a coworker, a manager, or a customer. For Mediators, helping others feeds their soul, and if this could be done as easily as ticking off one item on their to-do list, it is most certainly worth a try.

A Change of Perspective

Distractions do come up, as do untimely requests, and boring tasks will make an appearance on a regular basis. The question for Mediator personalities is hardly ever, “Can I do it?” More often, Mediators need a little reframing to remind themselves of how the task connects to their purpose or how they are helping out the company, the people they work for and with, or their clients.

Ultimately, Mediators should remember that finding meaning, purpose, and passion is an ongoing journey that’s filled with exploration. As such, it’s really a playground designed for Mediators. That thing that catches their interest? That is the seed of passion. Tend to it, and it will grow.

If Mediator personalities can leverage their curiosity to learn as much as they can and find ways to help the people around them along the way, they will find many different branches sprouting from this seed of passion, allowing them to venture to their heart’s content while prospering in their career.

Mediators, how do you combat procrastination and infuse meaning into your tasks? Share your insights and stories in the comments below, and let’s create a supportive and inspiring discussion on how you can turn procrastination into a tool for personal – and career – growth. Your discoveries might just be what someone else needs to hear.

For those who frequently interact with or work alongside Mediators, have you observed this procrastinating behavior, and what are your perspectives on it? What do you wish for this person to know?

Further Reading