Procrastination: It’s Not Just an Excuse, It’s a Mind Game

A Note to the Reader: O-M-G, friends! I feel the need to issue a warning before we dive in. What I thought would be a straightforward blog post quickly spiraled into a full-on nerd-fest that I loved! Every article I found led me to another study, another theory, and so many juicy gems! My ADHD hyperfocus and time blindness were on fire!

Ok… now, back to your regularly scheduled programming.

Procrastination, Our Old Friend
We all know the drill: you put off that thing that’s been nagging you for days, weeks, months, or even years. The workout plan you swore you’d start in January. The leaky faucet you promised to fix two months ago. That program strategy iteration you’ve been avoiding because, honestly, you think it should be scrapped anyway.

Procrastination isn’t just reserved for the Big Life Decisions. It can also involve the tiny things like laundry, responding to your friend’s text, or calling your grandmother to thank her for the birthday card (and money!).

When we procrastinate, we often get labeled in ways that make us feel like we should start sending out apology cards: “lazy,” “unable to manage time,” or “just another Peter Pan who’ll never leave the nest.”

Ok, maybe that last one is my own judgment… but hey, I’m a work in progress!

According to the Procrastination Statistics of Solving Procrastination (check it out here), about 20% of adults worldwide are chronic procrastinators. A whopping 50% of college students join the procrastination club, and one survey found 94% of procrastinators admitted their behavior had negative consequences.

Procrastination can lead to all sorts of messy consequences: strained relationships, poor work performance, financial headaches, and even health problems. Studies (here) have shown that chronic procrastination is linked to increased depression and anxiety.

But here’s the big question: when is procrastination just procrastination, and when is it a red flag signaling something deeper going on?

Procrastination Defined

The Merriam-Webster dictionary (check it out here) tells us procrastination is “to put off intentionally and habitually.”

As for me, I procrastinate on a LOT of things. Starting this blog, for example, seemed like a daunting task with an audience of zero. Why bother with something no one will read? After two years of coming up with different names, niches, and strategies, I blew it all up and just started. Turns out, I love it just for the love of writing of it!

Shout out to my 12 loyal followers—whether you’re related to me or just want to support me because you love me, I see you!

Why Do We Procrastinate?
Disclaimer: I am not a psychologist, sociologist, medical professional, or life guru. However, with 17 years in business and marketing leadership and five years in personal and spiritual development, I’ve picked up a thing or two. I’m not claiming to be an expert, but I can share what I do know.

People procrastinate for a ton of reasons:

• They don’t know where to start.
• Fear of failure is real.
• Perfectionism is the enemy of progress.
• Self-doubt often triggers a “flight” or “freeze” response.
• Time management is a skill we all learn the hard way.
• Motivation? Oh, it’s a tricky beast.
• Sometimes, procrastination doesn’t feel like a choice at all.

Going Down the Rabbit Hole

According to psychologists, procrastination is a complex psychological phenomenon, combining cognitive, emotional, and behavioral factors. Dr. Tim Pychyl, retired Associate Professor and head of the Procrastination Research Group at Carleton University, is considered the expert on this topic. He explains that procrastination is more of an “emotion regulation problem” than a “time management problem.” I mean, who knew? You can check out his work here.

Here’s the thing: we use procrastination as a coping mechanism to avoid uncomfortable feelings like anxiety, self-doubt, frustration, and yes, even boredom. It’s like telling yourself, “I’ll deal with that feeling later, thanks!”

But wait—there’s more!

My deep dive also led me to an article by Nova Psychology (here) that brought in the neuroscience behind procrastination. Turns out, procrastination is a battle between two brain regions: the limbic system and the prefrontal cortex. The limbic system is all about those automatic emotional reactions. The prefrontal cortex is responsible for decision-making, planning, and impulse control.

When we procrastinate, our brains are at war with themselves. The limbic system craves instant gratification, while the prefrontal cortex is like, “Hey, let’s plan this out and think ahead.” That’s why procrastination can feel like a tug-of-war between what you want now (hello, Netflix) and what you need to do (ugh, laundry).

Research from a group of German scientists using functional MRIs also found that procrastinators have a larger amygdala. That’s the part of the brain that controls fight-or-flight responses. Check out the study here.

The brain is wild, folks.

So…How Does Motivation Play into All of This?

In simple terms, motivation is the driving force behind human behavior. It’s what gets you off the couch and into action, whether it’s running a marathon or just answering an email.

There are two types of motivation:

• Intrinsic motivation comes from within—you do something because you genuinely enjoy it or it fulfills a deeper need. Think: eating for pleasure, learning for fun, or solving a problem just for the satisfaction.

• Extrinsic motivation comes from external rewards—think money, praise, social status, etc. This is where the carrot-and-stick approach comes in from parents, teachers, bosses, etc.

Motivation is a physiological and psychological process, and it’s influenced by several brain regions. According to an article in the National Institutes of Health (here), our brains do a cost-benefit analysis when deciding whether to take action.

It’s a dance between our friends the limbic system (instant gratification) and the prefrontal cortex (planning and decision-making), and other reward-related areas of the brain like the orbitofrontal cortex and amygdala.

Me, Motivation, and Procrastination

For years, I prided myself on doing more things, faster than most others. I got my 4 year degree in under 3 years while working full-time, for example.

I was the queen of “grit” and “tenacity,” charging through life like a marathoner in a never-ending sprint. But as I hit my late 30s, my motivation took a nosedive. Suddenly, I was procrastinating on things I knew were important but I wasn’t jumping on like it I used to. So I forced myself to get things done with sheer willpower, and then paid the price with mental, emotional, and physical exhaustion.

I no longer had a choice. I had to figure out what motivated me and what exhausted me on all levels, and why.

I realized in my early 40s that my motivation was limited to new, interesting, urgent (to me), or challenging things. I did this by observing what brought me energy and what left me feeling wiped out. I paid attention to this before, during, and after the activity. I seemed to have very specific interests and motivation that were more stubborn than a mule. My old tools, tactics, and coping mechanisms weren’t working anymore. The pieces finally fell into place when I was diagnosed with ADHD and ASD.

People with ADHD have low dopamine, the neurotransmitter that helps with motivation. Therefore, people with ADHD often seek dopamine “hits” from activities that feel urgent or exciting (not boring or tedious). Think of the new exciting subject you want to dive into, the endless IG reels that make you giggle, or the cookies calling your name from the pantry.

“Fun” fact: low dopamine levels have been linked to depression, anxiety, and even Parkinson’s disease. Check it out here.

People with ADHD also struggle with executive functioning. Executive functioning is the cognitive or mental abilities that people need to actively pursue objectives. We’re talking about the process that helps us plan, prioritize, and execute complex tasks – to accomplish our goals.

Executive functioning can impact self-awareness, self-restraint, working memory, emotional self-regulation, self-motivation, and planning and problem solving. Read more about the deficits tied to ADHD here.

Tangent: For women, ADHD symptoms and intensity may appear to get worse as they age. This is due to hormonal fluctuations, increasing responsibility, and “normal” age related cognitive decline like brain fog, working memory, and brain processing speed.

This is a common reason why women finally get diagnosed in the adult years – when they seek help because suddenly their daily demands exceed their coping mechanisms. Read about real stories here.

While not everyone with ADHD procrastinates, they are definitely more likely to—thanks to those dopamine deficiencies and challenges with executive functioning.

So yeah, my brain has a lot to say about my procrastination habits!

The Finish Line

So, there you have it—procrastination isn’t just about being lazy or disorganized. It’s a complex dance between your brain’s emotional impulse and rational planning. It’s science, its psychology, its neuroscience, and it’s also human nature. Whether you’re avoiding your bathroom faucet or a massive life decision, remember, you’re not alone in the procrastination club.

Take a breath, understand that it’s okay to be where you are right now, and know that in Part 2, we’ll equip you with some tools to make the next step a bit easier. For now, go ahead and give yourself a little grace. After all, as I always say, we’re all in progress—unfinished and perfectly human.

Until next time…