Procrastination: Why It Happens and How I’m Learning to Fight it

Let me just start by saying this loud and proud:

I am the Queen of procrastination.

I swear, I can make a list, hype myself up in the morning, tell myself today is the day. that I get everything done… and then two hours later I’m sitting on the couch watching TV or taking a nap like nothing was ever on the agenda.

And then the evening hits.

And that guilt? Ohhh, it hits hard.

Suddenly II’m making dinner, looking around the house, mentally kicking myself because I didn’t do naything I planned. It’s honestly a battle almost every single day. Some days are “better”. Maybe I get one or two things done, and honestly when that happens, I hyper-focus on those tasks and the feel totally accomplished for the rest of the day. Like, “Yup, did that one thing… I’m good”

But my favorite days?

They’re the days when I can fight those intrusive thoughts telling me to lay down or take a nap at 2:30pm. Those days when I push through the lack of motivation and actually get moving, even just a little bit. Because wow… the lack of self-motivation is real. And it can be incredibly frustrating.

Why We Procrastinate (Yes, Even Me, The procrastination Queen)

Procrastination isn’t laziness. It’s usually a mix of:

-Overwhelm

When a task feels big, our brains are like, “Nope, let’s avoid that and go lay down instead.”

-Perfectionism

A lot of procrastinators ( hi, hello) are actually perfectionists. If i can’t do it perfectly, sometimes I convince myself not to even start.

-Fear of Failure

“ What if it doesn’t turn out the way I want?”

It’s easier to do nothing than risk doing it “wrong”

-Not Knowing Where to Start

Sometimes the hardest part is step one.

-Instant Gratification

Scrolling, snacking, TV, Naps, all of these feel way more appealing in the moment than doing the actual task.

How It Makes Us Feel

The procrastination+ guilt+ Stress+ more procrastination cycle is exhausting.

If affects us by:

-Making us feel like we’re always behind

- Creating guilt at the end of the day

- Making tasks feel bigger and scarier

-Hurting confidence

-Feeding frustration

It’s not just about “getting stuff done.” It’s about how we feel about ourselves.

How I’m Learning to Break the Cycle

These are the things the help me, even on the days I’m fighting that 2:30 nap urge:

-Start Tiny

If the task feels huge, I tell myself to do justo ne small thing. One drawer. One label. One email. One piece of the project.

-The 5-Minute Trick

I’ll say, “Okay, I’m only doing this for five minutes” By the time five minutes pass, I’m usually already in the groove.

Instead of “clean the whole house,” it becomes:

-Do the dishes

-Wipe the counters

-Start one load of laundry

Much less scary.

Remind myself That Done Doesn’t Mean Perfect

-It doesn’t have to be flawless. It just has to be started.

Limit Distractions

-Phone Off. TV Off. The less temptation, the better.

Celebrate The Wins

Even if I only accomplish one thing, I try to celebrate that instead of beating myself up for everything else I didn’t do.

You’re Not Alone

Whether you’re running a business, running a home, or trying to manage both, procrastination hits hard. Some days we conquer it. Some days we don’t. And that’s okay. What matters is that we keep trying. We keep fighting those intrusive “ Just lay down” thoughts. We keep choosing to take small steps, because every small step adds up. And hey, If you’re reading this instead of doing. what you’re supposed to. be doing… same! But. Maybe this can be your five-minute start.