Ever left something important to the last minute, or procrastinated on it all day, only to end up under unnecessary pressure and stress, scrambling to get it done? Here’s a surprising truth: when you procrastinate, it isn’t actually about laziness or poor time management. Once you start seeing it that way, the solutions look very different. Let’s face it, in this day and age, all leaders want to be better with their time, and help their teams do the same, so let’s dig in.
🧠 LEARN something.
Most people think procrastination is about laziness or poor time management. It’s not. Psychologists now understand it as an emotional regulation issue. As Tim Pychyl put it, procrastination is the misregulation of emotion. We delay tasks not because we’re disorganised, but because those specific tasks we are avoiding trigger a feeling of discomfort – stress, fear, doubt, boredom, etc. Delaying the task gives us temporary relief. But that relief results in poor time management and missed opportunities. What’s worse is that, is when avoidance becomes a habit, it can hurt your team and also chip away at your own self-belief and self-confidence that you can do things that are hard. Whether you are a new leader avoiding difficult conversations or a CEO procrastinating on a board paper you need to write, procrastination shows up when the task feels emotionally risky.
But here’s the shift, that can help. Once you stop treating procrastination as a time management issue and see it for what it really is (an emotion management issue), then it starts to open up new solutions. It’s the same reason why all the time management tricks, hacks, planners, apps and widgets and other gimmicks are not making any real difference to you right now. So, the next time you (or the team) are dragging your heels, don’t just throw more planning and deadlines at it. Instead, pause and get curious. What’s the real barrier? Because until you deal with the emotional driver behind procrastination, nothing shifts. The solution lies in better emotional awareness and emotional management. Leaders who understand this help themselves and their teams make progress not just by pushing harder, but by clearing the emotional roadblocks that get in the way.
🤔 REFLECT on an idea.
“The future self is an abstract idea, and we view that person like a stranger. So we hand them all the burdens of today.”
Hal Hershfield
I love this perspective on procrastination and avoidance. It applies to so many aspects of work and life.. As a coach, I’ve often used this sentiment in the question: “What could you do today that your future self will thank you for?” Look after your future self!
😊 SMILE a little.
“Yes, I’m definitely prioritising that report this morning…”
“I just gotta quickly clean my desk, reorganise my desktop, colour-code my calendar, find the perfect playlist to get in the zone, make a coffee, and make absolutely sure I’ve selected the right font size and margins.” 🤣
✅ DO IT to get results.
Try the 5-minute commitment to beat procrastination – a technique that has personally served me well for over a decade! When procrastination hits, commit to working on the task for just 5 minutes. If after 5 minutes you’re still not feeling it, then you can stop. But chances are, once you’ve broken the emotional barrier, you’ll keep going and find the time you thought you never had for that task you knew had to be done. Starting is often the hardest part!
🌱 How we can support you and your team.
We provide strategic leadership solutions tailored to align with your business strategy, size, and budget. We can support your with:
1:1 Leadership and Performance Coaching
Team Coaching, for high performing teams
1:1 Health & Lifestyle Coaching for busy stressed leaders.
Workshops, offsites and team development.
Or our flagship individual Leadership Coaching Programs.
Kia pai tō wiki
Kenny Bhosale
CEO & Founder, The Bridge Leaders
