I had one job. Just one.
All I had to do was sign. It wasn’t complicated. It wasn’t time-consuming. And yet…I put it off. For months.
It was my will—the thing that would make sure my family was taken care of if something ever happened to me. I knew how important it was. I knew it was the responsible thing to do. And still, every time I looked at the paperwork, I’d say, I’ll get to it later.
If you’ve ever delayed booking a doctor’s appointment, finishing a project, or having that tough conversation, this one’s for you. Because procrastination isn’t about laziness or bad time management—it’s about emotion.
Let’s dive into why we really procrastinate and how to stop putting off the things that matter most.
What If Procrastination Has Nothing to Do With Time?
We love to blame our schedules when we put things off.
“I just haven’t had time to do it yet.”
But let’s be honest—how many times have you caught yourself cleaning the kitchen, scrolling social media, or reorganizing your closet instead of tackling that one thing you know you need to do?
The truth is, procrastination isn’t a time management issue. It’s an emotion management issue.
We procrastinate because the task in front of us brings up feelings we don’t want to deal with—fear, anxiety, overwhelm, or even just plain boredom. So, we avoid it. We distract ourselves. We wait until we “feel ready” (which, spoiler alert, rarely happens).
The 4 Sneaky Ways We Procrastinate
Not all procrastination looks the same. Some of us avoid tasks altogether, while others get lost in busy work to feel productive without actually making progress.
Here are four common procrastination styles—do any of these sound like you?
1. The Overthinker
You get stuck in analysis paralysis. You want everything to be just right before you move forward, so you over-research, over-plan, and over-question every detail. Instead of making progress, you stay stuck in the planning phase.
👉 How to stop: Give yourself a deadline. Set a timer for 30 minutes to make a decision and commit to moving forward.
👉Pro tip: Find ways to build your confidence. The real overthinking happens when we have expectations on ourselves, or when we are hard on ourselves.
2. The Over-Doer
Your to-do list is packed—just not with the thing you actually need to do. You clean, organize, and take care of “quick tasks” while the real priority sits on the back burner.
👉 How to stop: Ask yourself, Am I doing this because it’s necessary or because it’s easier than the thing I’m avoiding? Then, prioritize accordingly. This requires self-honesty, mixed with self-compassion.
3. The Avoider
You pretend the task doesn’t exist. You don’t schedule it, you don’t think about it, and you definitely don’t talk about it. But deep down, you know it’s lingering, making you feel worse by the day.
👉 How to stop: Write it down. Physically putting it on your calendar or to-do list makes it real and harder to ignore.
👉 Pro Tip: Figure out what emotions you’re trying to avoid. How can you work through them?
4. The Over-Pusher
You’re hustling, doing many things that you don’t have time to slow down. You convince yourself that right now isn’t the best time to focus on what you need to do because you’re busy doing other things, at the expense of things that you take for granted (health, relationships). But in reality, you’re just pushing it off indefinitely.
👉 How to stop: Ask yourself, If I keep delaying this, what’s the worst that could happen? Often, looking at the big picture can help reorganize your priorities.
How to Finally Get Things Done (Even When You Don’t Feel Like It)
We know procrastination is an emotional issue, so the key to overcoming it is managing the emotions before they stop us in our tracks.
Try these three strategies:
1. Name the Emotion
What’s really holding you back? Are you afraid of failure? Overwhelmed by the effort? Unsure where to start? Identifying the emotion behind your procrastination takes away its power.
2. Shrink the Task
Big tasks feel daunting, which makes them easier to put off. Break it into smaller, manageable steps. Instead of “write a book,” start with “write the first paragraph.” Instead of “launch a website,” start with “choose a domain name.”
3. Set a 5-Minute Timer
Commit to just five minutes. That’s it. If you want to stop after that, you can. But most of the time, getting started is the hardest part—once you begin, momentum kicks in.
What’s Your ‘All I Had to Do Was Sign’ Moment?
That will I avoided signing? When I finally did it, you know how long it took? Less than ten seconds.
Not because the task suddenly became easier, but because I stopped avoiding the emotion attached to it.
So, what’s sitting on your desk, waiting for you? What’s that thing you’ve been avoiding? And what’s really holding you back?
The next time you catch yourself saying, I’ll do it later, pause. Take a breath. And then—just start.
Your future self will thank you.
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