I’ll be honest: even as a productivity coach, I procrastinate. There are mornings when I sit at my desk with a full cup of coffee and a blank page staring back at me. I tell myself, “I’ll start in five minutes.” Then I check my email, tidy the kitchen and somehow an hour has disappeared.
For years, I thought procrastination was a sign of weakness, a lack of discipline or motivation. But the more I studied it, the more I realised something powerful: procrastination isn’t laziness. It’s fear, perfectionism and protection in disguise.
We live in a culture that glorifies action, hustle and constant doing. So when we don’t act, we assume something’s wrong with us. But procrastination isn’t a character flaw; it’s a coping mechanism. It’s our brain’s way of saying, “I’m overwhelmed.” It’s self-protection dressed up as a distraction.
When I ask my clients why they’re procrastinating, they rarely say “because I don’t care.” Instead, they say things like, “I’m scared I’ll mess it up,” or “I don’t know where to start.” When you look closely, procrastination often hides fear – fear of failure, rejection, or not living up to our own impossible standards.
Most women I work with don’t procrastinate because they’re lazy; they procrastinate because they care too much. They’re juggling careers, families, expectations and emotions. Their minds are constantly full, and sometimes that mental noise makes it impossible to start. When your brain is overloaded, pausing feels safer than acting. That’s not resistance; that’s survival.
The trouble is, when we delay what matters most, guilt creeps in. Then the inner critic shows up: “You should have finished that by now.” Guilt feeds more avoidance, and the cycle continues. Breaking free from that loop isn’t about pushing harder; it’s about understanding yourself with compassion.
Every time I notice myself delaying something, I ask one question: What am I avoiding feeling right now? Am I avoiding discomfort, fear or uncertainty? That reflection turns procrastination from shame into insight. Before walking the Camino de Santiago, I postponed the trip for months. I told myself I was too busy and that I wasn’t in the right mental state to do it, but the truth was I was scared; scared of being alone with my thoughts, scared of slowing down, scared of what I might discover. Once I acknowledged that fear, it lost its grip. I packed my bag, took the first step and realised something simple: you don’t need to feel ready to begin; you just need to begin.
The hardest part of any task is the first five minutes. That’s why I love the Two-Minute Rule, (others say 5-minute rule): if a task feels impossible, start with just two minutes of it. Write for two minutes, open the document, and draft the outline. Action builds momentum, and momentum quiets fear. Productivity isn’t born from pressure; it’s built through permission. When we allow ourselves to start imperfectly, progress follows naturally.
Procrastination thrives in complexity. The more cluttered our to-do lists, the harder it becomes to focus. When I created my S.O.U.L. System, it was designed to help people simplify their approach to life and work. It stands for Simplify, Organise, Understand and Leverage, and each step gently dissolves procrastination. Simplify what clutters your time and drains your energy. Organise your days around your natural rhythm. Understand your triggers, whether fear, fatigue or perfectionism, and meet them with awareness. Leverage your strengths and the support around you so you can move forward more easily. You don’t need a complicated plan to stop procrastinating; you just need clarity, compassion and consistency.
Many women delay action because they want to get things right. We rewrite the email, adjust the slides, tweak the project plan and call it preparation, but often it’s just polished avoidance. Perfectionism whispers, “If it’s not perfect, don’t do it yet.” Resilience replies, “Do it anyway, even if it’s messy.” Progress always beats perfection. The most successful leaders I coach aren’t the ones who never hesitate; they’re the ones who keep moving forward despite hesitation.
One of the biggest turning points for me was learning to approach procrastination with kind curiosity instead of criticism. When you meet resistance with judgment, you strengthen it. When you meet it with compassion, you loosen its hold. Try this next time you catch yourself delaying: pause and notice without blame, name what you feel, and then ask what small step would feel kind right now. Sometimes that step is starting the task. Other times, it’s resting so you can return with a clear mind. Both count as progress.
Procrastination disappears when we reconnect with why something matters. When a task feels overwhelming, I pause and ask, “How will completing this serve me or others?” That small reframing transforms obligation into purpose, and purpose creates momentum.
Procrastination will visit all of us from time to time, but it doesn’t have to stay. When you slow down enough to listen, you can hear what it’s trying to tell you. Maybe it’s asking for rest. Maybe it’s pointing towards fear. Maybe it’s reminding you to simplify. Whatever the message, it’s an opportunity, not a failure.
I still have days when I procrastinate, but now I recognise it as a signal – to pause, breathe and begin again, gently. You don’t need to fight procrastination; you need to understand it. Behind every delay is a desire to feel safe, capable or ready. When you meet that desire with compassion instead of guilt, you reclaim your ability to move forward.
So start small. Start messy. Start tired. Just start. Because productivity isn’t about doing more; it’s about doing what matters, with soul.
