Procrastination isn’t laziness – it’s a signal.
In this special sneak peek from More Zest (my private podcast inside The Productivity Gym®), we’re diving into procrastination with a totally fresh perspective. Instead of beating yourself up for putting things off, what if you treated procrastination as a signpost pointing you to what’s really going on?
In this episode, you’ll hear:
Remember – procrastination is not a flaw, it’s feedback. Once you decode it, you can move forward with less shame and a whole lot more clarity.
Links & Next Steps
We’ve all been there: staring at the to-do list, knowing exactly what needs doing… and yet, somehow, we’re scrolling, tidying, or making another cup of tea instead. Cue the guilt spiral: “Why can’t I just get on with it? What’s wrong with me?”
Here’s the truth: procrastination isn’t laziness, weakness, or bad time management. It’s a signal. And when you learn to read that signal, you’ll not only get unstuck, you’ll start working in a way that feels lighter, smarter, and more sustainable.
Psychologists like Piers Steel and Tim Pychyl have shown that procrastination isn’t a time problem at all, it’s an emotion regulation problem. Your brain is managing feelings, not your calendar.
That’s why shaming yourself never works. You can’t bully your brain into productivity. Instead, you need to get curious: what is my procrastination trying to tell me?
Procrastination can show up as perfectionism, tinkering forever, waiting for the “perfect” moment, or dreading feedback.
Try this: Lower the stakes. Write a “bad first draft,” set a 10-minute timer, and remind yourself: progress beats perfection.
When a task feels heavy or pointless, it may not belong to you, or it doesn’t connect with your bigger goals.
Try this: Ask yourself if the task belongs on your plate at all. If not, delete, delegate, or renegotiate. If it does, reconnect it to your “why.”
Big, vague tasks like “sort finances” or “plan project” overwhelm your brain.
Try this: Break it down until the first step takes less than five minutes. Small steps create momentum.
If you’re yawning, rereading the same sentence, or hitting the sugar and caffeine, your brain isn’t resisting, it’s depleted.
Try this: Refuel with food, water, movement, or rest. Then schedule the task in your natural peak-energy window.
Not every delay is bad. Sometimes, procrastination is actually incubation, your subconscious chewing on a problem in the background. That’s where those “shower epiphanies” come from.
But harmful procrastination leaves you with guilt, clutter, and mental “open loops” that drain energy. Your job is to spot the difference.
Notice – Catch yourself in the act of procrastinating.
Diagnose – Is it fear, misalignment, lack of clarity, or low energy?
Respond – Take one tiny step that matches the signal.
Procrastination isn’t a sin to be punished, it’s feedback to be decoded. Listen, respond wisely, and you’ll turn shame into progress.
Links & Next Steps
Procrastination isn’t the enemy. It’s your guide. The question is: are you listening?
