“Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task.”
~ William James
Unfinished work has a way of following us around. It sits quietly in the back of our minds while we answer emails, attend meetings, and tackle other responsibilities. Even when we are busy, those lingering tasks continue to drain a surprising amount of mental energy.
Procrastination is rarely about avoiding work altogether. More often, it is about postponing the one thing we don’t want to do, but know we should probably start.
To overcome procrastination and get important goals back into motion, it’s important to understanding why that happens. This week’s blog (which I procrastinated for an extra day) jumps in to this very thing. Read the blog below (and watch last week’s video for more on this topic of consistency), and tell me if you agree with my methods.
What you’ll learn:
Procrastination is incredibly common, even among capable and ambitious people. When emotions run high, the brain is overloaded, or expectations feel too high, starting a task becomes harder. The key to overcoming procrastination is not discipline alone. It is designing conditions that make starting easier. Shrink the first step, clarify the next action, use short time boundaries, manage your energy, and track visible progress so goals keep moving forward.
In my last post about staying consistent with goals when life gets messy (watch video above), we explored why follow through often collapses under pressure. As I mentioned, the problem rarely comes down to lack of commitment. It is usually the reality of the busyness of life, a brain that’s overloaded, and ever competing priorities.
Well, procrastination lives in that same messy space.
And if you’re like me, when procrastination rears its ugly head … yet again, you beat yourself up for not being the model of productivity. Interestingly, research consistently shows that procrastination is incredibly common among capable, ambitious people (thank goodness).
In fact, studies suggest that roughly 20 percent of adults identify themselves as chronic procrastinators.
So, if procrastination is so common, what is really going on? Understanding that question is the first step in overcoming procrastination.
Why Smart People Procrastinate
Yes, procrastination can come down to simple laziness, but there are also several well-established psychological patterns that contribute to it. Here are three worth reviewing.
1. We avoid tasks when emotions run high
Research shows that procrastination is often an emotional regulation strategy. When a task triggers anxiety, uncertainty, boredom, or self doubt, we’re quick to find something else (anything else) to do so we can feel better.
Personally, I’d rather do laundry, dishes, or a full office clean up than tackle quarterly paperwork, even though that temporary task avoidance will create a future time crunch. Not smart.
Psychologist Dr. Tim Pychyl’s research has shown that we procrastinate primarily to cope with negative emotions related to a task rather than the task itself. Case in point, my quarterly paperwork isn’t complex, it’s just mind-numbingly boring to me, so I procrastinate.
2. We avoid tasks when the brain gets overloaded
When life becomes busy, decision fatigue increases. If your brain has already used up significant energy making choices throughout the day, starting or finishing a demanding task will feel heavier than it should.
Research on decision fatigue demonstrates that mental resources are limited and decline after repeated decision making. When cognitive load is high, avoidance behaviours increase.
This is the Tuesday Rule in action. You spend the day responding to emails, solving problems, and making quick decisions in meetings. When you finally turn to the important project you meant to start, your brain has already used much of its decision-making energy. Beginning that task suddenly feels heavier than it should.
3. We avoid tasks due to perfectionism
High performers often delay action because they want the work to be excellent. That pressure quietly slows progress. When expectations feel too high, starting becomes harder.
Research by psychologist Dr. Fuschia Sirois shows that procrastination frequently occurs when the emotional cost of beginning feels too high, particularly among people with strong achievement standards.
Imagine preparing a report that will be shared with senior leaders. You want the analysis to be thorough and the wording to be just right. Because the stakes feel high, you keep delaying the start while you gather “one more piece of information,” even though you already have enough to begin. Can you relate?
The good news is that overcoming procrastination does not require a personality overhaul. It requires small structural shifts that make starting easier and progress more natural.
Small Steps to Pushing Aside Procrastination
1. Shrink the starting point
Large tasks create mental resistance, so if the goal feels overwhelming, don’ t change the goal, break it into smaller, more accessible pieces.
Instead of telling yourself to write the report, start by outlining three points. Instead of tackling a full workout, begin with a ten-minute walk. When the starting point feels manageable, momentum often follows.
Remember, it’s not the doing that’s tough, it’s getting to it. So just begin. Imperfectly.
Progress tends to accelerate once the brain is engaged.
2. Create visible next steps
Ambiguity fuels procrastination. When a goal is vague, the brain struggles to determine how to begin, so it doesn’t. Or it finds something else to do.
At the end of your workday, identify the next clear steps for tomorrow. Be concrete and specific. When you return to the task, you’ll already know where to start.
When I was writing The Success-Energy Equation I ended each writing session by highlighting on the document the last paragraphs I had written, aligning the research notes ‘just so’ on my desk so I knew where my thought processes were headed, and I’d jot a few notes about what I wanted to accomplish next.
These steps helped reduce the ‘barrier to entry’ on the next days writing because I didn’t have to waste valuable time organizing thoughts and rereading paragraphs.
3. Use time boundaries to your advantage
The brain often resists open ended work. Try setting a short ‘vault’ time such as twenty or thirty minutes and commit to focused effort during that window.
Research on implementation intentions and structured work intervals shows that defining clear start points increases follow through and goal completion.
Again, with my book writing, when the writing wasn’t coming easily, or I was close to finishing a chapter, I’d clear my desk, set a timer for 20 minutes, and then focus on simply getting words on the page. Often, the timer would run out, and I’d keep writing.
Check out the Pomodoro Technique for an effective example of this.
4. Manage your energy, not just your schedule
If you’ve followed me for any length of time, you know how I feel about energy management, and there’s no surprise that it plays a major role in overcoming procrastination. Your brain is a massively energy-hungry organ, so if you want to do your best work, you need be cognisant of your cognition.
Studies in cognitive performance show that attention, memory, and executive function decline when energy and mental resources are depleted.
As you navigate your workday, notice when your focus is strongest. When possible, schedule demanding work during those windows. Protect that time from meetings, email, and low-priority distractions. When you feel focus waning, take a break that includes, movement, fuel, and an absence of screen time.
When your brain has the energy it needs, starting and sustaining effort becomes far easier.
5. Make progress visible
Humans are motivated by progress. Research on the progress principle shows that when we track even small wins, it creates a psychological boost that encourages continued effort.
Just think of the big fundraising ‘thermometer’ in the office showing incremental growth with every donation. We want to see it reach the top.
It’s why checklists, habit trackers, or simple progress notes are so powerful. Even small steps forward signal that the task is moving in the right direction.
*It’s so powerful in fact, that it’s something I’ve added to my session offerings: a post-event 30-day habit tracking program for your whole team, designed to put my keynote content into immediate action, in small, daily, surprisingly effective steps. Interested in learning more? Reach out via the email below.
Progress Over Perfection
Let’s stop beating ourselves up when we procrastinate a task. Instead, let’s look at it for what it really is; an indication that conditions around the task need to change.
When life gets busy, build consistency through smaller steps, clearer starting points, and better use of energy. The goal is not flawless execution, it’s steady (small steps) progress.
Need a boost?
Reach out for one-on-one coaching, or let’s chat about programs for Unleashing Impact for you and your organization (including my post-event Habit Tracker program) . Connect with me at hello@michellecederberg.com
Michelle Cederberg, Health and Productivity Expert, Hall of Fame Speaker, CSP
MKin, BA Psyc, CEP, CPCC
FAQs
Q1. Why do capable people still procrastinate?
Procrastination often happens when tasks trigger stress, uncertainty, boredom, or pressure. Even highly capable people delay action when the emotional cost of starting feels high or when their mental energy is low.
Q2. Is procrastination always about laziness?
No. Research shows procrastination is often linked to emotional regulation, decision fatigue, and perfectionism rather than lack of motivation or discipline.
Q3. What is the most effective way to start overcoming procrastination?
Lower the barrier to starting. Break large tasks into smaller steps so the brain can engage more easily. Once you begin, momentum often builds naturally.
Q4. How does decision fatigue contribute to procrastination?
When your brain has spent the day making decisions, mental resources become depleted. At that point, starting complex tasks feels heavier than it should, which increases the likelihood of delay.
Q5. How does energy management help with overcoming procrastination?
Your brain needs energy to focus and think clearly. Protecting high-energy windows for important work, and taking breaks that restore focus, makes it easier to begin and sustain meaningful progress.
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