This document discusses 6 honest reasons why people procrastinate and provides suggestions on how to address each reason. The reasons are: 1) Not knowing what to do first; 2) Feeling overwhelmed; 3) Not being interested in the task; 4) Having too much time until the deadline; 5) Fear of failure or success; and 6) Just feeling lazy. For each reason, the document offers quick actions one can take, such as breaking large projects into smaller tasks, setting earlier deadlines, talking through fears, and allowing for lazy time before refocusing on the task.

1. 6 HONEST REASONS WHY
YOU PROCRASTINATE
and what to do about them
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1. YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO FIRST.

3. Do you know enough about the project?
Are you procrastinating because you’re not clear about the
first step or what comes after it?
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4. Quick things you can do if this is the case:
• Is there a checklist or some playbook somewhere (Hello Google!) that
you can use to guide you?
• Use a lifeline and brainstorm with a friend. It’s not important that your
friend is or isn’t an expert on the subject. Simply talking about the
activity often generates an initial set of ‘first steps’.
• Just do something. Putting yourself in motion towards the goal will help
point you towards the right direction. Don’t worry about the right
sequence. Most everything (unless it’s surgery or a shuttle launch) can be
reversed.
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5. 2. YOU ARE OVERWHELMED.
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6. Are you looking at a loooonnng list of tasks and feeling
overwhelmed?
(Psst, that’s how I feel whenever I open a box from IKEA.)
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7. Quick things you can do if this is the case:
• Stop feeding the monster and quit looking at the looonnng list.
• Take bite-size pieces of the project. Chunk it up into smaller groups of
tasks. Pick a group and add only those tasks to your Daily or WeeklyTo-
Do list. (Store the loongg list or that humongous project plan away in
your desk drawer.)
• Focus on the ONE thing you have to do today. Only that. Remember
that small steps add up to big giant ones. So, do just a small step today.
And then another tomorrow.And another one again the next day.You’ll
be amazed where you’ll be by end of the week.
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3. YOU’RE NOT REALLY INTERESTED.

9. Oh boy.
Are you having to do something in which you’re not even
the slightest bit interested?
Or maybe, you’ve come to the least sexy, most boring part
of your project?
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10. Assuming you cannot delegate the project away, here are
quick things you can do if this is the case:
• Can you buddy up with someone and do the activity/project together?
• If you can’t do it it with someone, can you discuss the activity with
someone or with a small team? Just talking about it may be enough to
get the juices flowing so you can get to work.
• Can you change it up a little to give it the oomph it may be lacking? For
example, if you’re having to write a long report, consider doing an
interesting powerpoint slide instead.
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4.THERE’S TOO MUCH TIME LEFT 'TIL SHOWTIME.

12. Did you like cramming in school?
Are you one of those people who gets pumped when
faced with tight deadlines?
Are you procrastinating because you’re feeling the lack of
urgency?
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13. Quick things you can do if this is the case:
• Create the effect and give yourself tighter and stricter deadlines.
• Find an accountability partner and tell him/her about your deadlines. See
if you can have daily or weekly calls (whatever makes sense for the
activity that you’re doing) to re-enforce the ‘pressure’ of being
answerable to someone about your actions.
• Don’t fret that you’re having to do this, nor lament about your inability to
enjoy ‘the long lead time’.You have to honor your nature, and if this is
how you roll, then this is how your roll.
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5. THE FEAR FACTOR

15. Are you delaying the work because you’re secretly afraid of
something?
Afraid of messing it up? Or looking like a fool?
Or maybe you’re afraid it’ll be a huge success, then what
are you going to do with your life?!
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16. Quick things you can do if this is the case:
• Yoda said:“Named must your fear be before banish it you can.”
Acknowledge it. Nod at it and give it a name.
• Do you have a mentor or a coach who can help you suss out your
thoughts around this fear? If you don’t have a mentor/coach, go get
coffee with a trusted friend and talk about your fear.
• Listen to inspiring/motivating talks or podcasts around the topic that
concerns you most.Write down your thoughts. Pinpoint what’s triggering
it.Ask yourself the question “So, what’s the worst thing that could
happen, really?”
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6.YOU’RE FEELING LAZY.

18. Honesty time!
Are you just being plain lazy about it?
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19. It happens to everyone.And hey, you deserve to be lazy-
bones from time to time.
Enjoy the book, or the series you’re binge-watching on
Netflix, or the friends you decided to hang out with.
And when you’re done, go back fully indulged and get to it!
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20. KICKINGTHE
PROCRASTINATION
HABIT IS EASY,
!
as long as you know what’s
truly behind it
so you can use the right attack
plan.
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