by Tiffany Hooton, LMFT.
Let’s be honest: if procrastination were an Olympic sport, most of us would be gold medalists. We all know the drill—you sit down to write that report due tomorrow, and suddenly, it’s absolutely essential to clean out your sock drawer, reorganize your spice rack, doomscroll, and check if your cat needs a new Instagram post. Sound familiar?
Procrastination is a sneaky beast. It wears many disguises and often pretends to be “taking a break” or “waiting for the right moment.” But the truth is, it usually ends with us waiting until the eleventh hour, muttering regrets into a cup of stale coffee, or, worse, feeling crappy about ourselves, squashed under the weight of our own anxiety.
So why do we put ourselves through this Sisyphean torture? And more importantly, how can we do something different? Let’s take a look at some of the biggest culprits behind procrastination, and how to fight back (without defenestrating your laptop, or yourself, in the process).
1. Perfectionism Paralysis
Some people procrastinate because they want everything to be perfect. That essay must be Pulitzer-worthy. That presentation? TED Talk level or bust.
The problem is perfection is a moving target. And waiting for “just the right words” or “the ideal mood” is like waiting for a unicorn to knock on your door and offer to co-write.
Instead:
Give yourself permission to make a “bad first draft.” Think of it like putting down a rough sketch before painting a masterpiece. No one has to see your early version; just get it out of your head and onto the page. Editing can happen later. Done is better than perfect. In fact, maybe we can toss the idea of perfection all together.
2. You Don’t Want to Do it
Let's be real, sometimes we just don’t want to do it or we even resent having to do it. Maybe it was a task that was assigned to you. Maybe you disagree with it or it goes against your values. Maybe it’s just tedious and boring.
Instead:
Own it. If you don’t want to do it, stop pretending as if you do (or should). If it’s optional, take it off your plate. If possible, work with whoever is giving you the task to see if there’s an alternative that might be a better fit with your talents. If you’re committed to it, try to do it on your own terms. Ex., You might hate going to the gym, but it can be tolerable if you get to listen to your favorite podcast. Get yourself a treat. Make it worth your while.
3. Fear of Failure (or Success—Yes, That’s a Thing)
Sometimes we don’t start because we’re afraid we’ll mess up. Other times, we’re secretly afraid we’ll succeed - and then people will expect us to do it again. This fear tricks us into thinking that avoiding the task altogether will protect us. It doesn’t. It just delays the inevitable and makes us feel worse. The longer we avoid it, the more shame builds and eventually we end up seeing ourselves as the failure.
Instead:
Remind yourself that trying and failing is still progress. You learn, you adapt, and you move on. Sometimes it’s best to approach it with radical acceptance. Instead of avoiding failure, embrace that, yes, you will fail. We all fail. In the words of the venerable Captain Jean-Luc Picard: “It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness. That is life.”
As for fear of success? Try investigating why you feel this way. Even positive changes can take us out of our comfort zone and sometimes there can be a sense of safety in staying exactly where we are. Perhaps this helps us feel in control. Perhaps we worry that we will let people down. Whatever it is, explore it with curiosity and kindness.
4. The Task Feels Overwhelming
When a project feels too vast or nebulous, our brains panic. “Clean the garage” feels like “conquer Mount Everest.” So we delay, hoping it’ll magically get easier.
Instead:
Break the project into small tasks. As a friend once reminded me, there’s only one way to eat an elephant: one bite at a time. Instead of “clean the garage,” start with “tackle one box” or “find the broom.” Make a list and slash them off as you complete them. Small wins lead to momentum, and momentum leads to actual progress. Before you know it, you’ve organized half the garage and only cried once.
5. Executive Dysfunction
This one’s for the folks who stare at their to-do list like it’s written in ancient Sumerian. You want to start, you know what you need to do, but it feels like there’s an invisible wall between you and actually doing it. That’s executive dysfunction: a real, neurological struggle that neurodivergent folks know all too well. Though it’s certainly not limited to ADHDer’s, anyone who’s experienced low mood, anxiety, burnout, or poor sleep can probably relate to it.
It’s not laziness; it’s a disconnect between intention and action.
Instead:
First, show yourself some compassion. You’re not broken, lazy, or weak. Try "body doubling" (working near someone else, even virtually), using external reminders, turning it into a game, or setting super-specific micro-goals like “open the document” or “write one sentence.” Celebrate every win, no matter how small. Progress is progress, even if it feels as if it’s made in slow motion.
And, again, radical acceptance can be important here, too. If this is just how your brain works, it can be a relief to realize you don’t have to brute force it into behaving differently. Instead, you can learn to expect it and work with your brain instead of against it.
Procrastination isn’t about laziness; it’s often about fear, overwhelm, or neurology. And, despite what we may have been taught, it’s a perfectly normal experience. We’re not productivity robots; we’re humans.
Read more about therapy with Tiffany here.
Read more about neurodivergent affirming therapy here.