Procrastination
Ok Confession time. Don't think that just because I'm a habit coach, I have all of these habits absolutely nailed. Because if I look at the entire series — the 10 worst habits for your health — there are 1 or 2 that need my urgent attention. This next habit is something that I battle against quite often. In fact the gap between me thinking about starting this business 4yourlife and actually doing it took years. Why – I’m really good at talking myself out of things. “It wont work, who’s going to even care, how will I have time.” I remember going to buy a mic to start a podcast from home. Do you know how long that microphone sat in the cupboard before I actually used it? A whole year!
Lets just say that I can certainly put the PRO into procrastinate. Sound familiar? This is something that I have been actively working on. Sometimes starting a new task or project for me has the inertia of a small planet!
But over the journey I've realised every single time I've pushed through that inertia — it was never as hard as I thought it was going to be. The task wasn't the problem. The feeling was the problem. I'm telling you this because I want you to know that if a habit coach struggles with it — you are absolutely not alone.
HOW BAD IS IT?
Procrastination is one of the most universal human experiences. Research suggests that around 20% of adults are chronic procrastinators — meaning it significantly and consistently interferes with their daily lives. And virtually all of us procrastinate on something. Most of us think procrastination is laziness or a time management problem. Or some sort of character flaw. Butt its not – its actually a habit. A deeply wired emotional and neurological habit. And like every habit in this series — once you understand what's actually driving it, you can change it. I'm Cherine Chinnock, and this is Habit #9 in the 10 Worst Habits for Your Health series. Today we're talking about procrastination — what it really is, what it's costing you, which type of procrastinator you are, and the exact strategies that will finally get you unstuck. For good.
WHAT IS PROCRASTINATION?
So what is procrastination? A good way to think about its is the act of delaying or postponing tasks despite knowing there will be negative consequences for doing so. That last part is important. It's not just waiting — it's knowing you should act and choosing not to anyway. And it costs more than most people realise.
LETS DEFINE THE PROBLEM AREA.
Obviously there's the lost time and missed opportunity — but have you ever stopped to consider the health cost of chronic procrastination? I hadn’t until I started to do the research for this video. Research consistently shows that chronic procrastinators have higher levels of stress and anxiety — not just when they're avoiding a task, but chronically, as an ongoing baseline. The undone task doesn't disappear when you avoid it. It stays in what psychologists call your "open loops" — things your brain keeps returning to, keeps monitoring. It keeps you “ON” in a sort of background hum of tension that depletes your energy, disrupts your sleep, and over time contributes to burnout. Studies have also linked chronic procrastination to poorer physical health outcomes — people who procrastinate are more likely to delay seeking medical care, delay health screenings, delay making lifestyle changes. The cost is not just psychological. It is physical. And perhaps most insidiously — chronic procrastination erodes your relationship with yourself. Every time you say you'll do something and don't, you break a promise to yourself. Over time that builds a quiet self-distrust. A sense of being someone who doesn't follow through. And that identity — "I'm someone who can't get things done" — becomes self-reinforcing.
WHAT THIS IS DOING TO YOU?
Here's what's happening in your brain when you procrastinate — and why understanding this is everything. The prefrontal cortex is the rational, planning part of your brain. It knows what needs to be done. It understands the consequences of not doing it. It has the plan. The limbic system — specifically the amygdala — is the emotional, threat-detecting part of your brain. It is wired to avoid pain, discomfort, and threat. When a task feels threatening — because it might reveal your inadequacy, its overwhelming, or because you don't know where to start — the limbic system fires up. It generates anxiety. And in that moment, your brain does the only logical thing it knows how to do: it seeks relief. You check your phone. You make a cup of tea. Or in my case I start cleaning and organising – anything to avoid doing what I know I MUST. And here's the cruel part: the relief you feel when you avoid the task is real. Your brain registers: avoidance equals relief. Avoidance equals reward. And it learns to do it again. This is the procrastination habit loop — cue, avoidance, relief, repeat. And the more you do it, the more automatic it becomes. This is not weakness. This is neuroscience.
WHAT TYPE OF PROCRASTINATOR ARE YOU?
Behavioural psychologists have identified 4 type of procrastinators – and I if you struggle with this – here’s where you start. Which one are you? The Perfectionist - who won't start until conditions are perfect. Spends more time planning the perfect start than actually starting. The Avoider - puts off anything that triggers anxiety or self-doubt. They're not avoiding the task — they're avoiding the feeling the task brings up. The Last-Minute Rusher - genuinely believes they work better under pressure. Waits for the deadline adrenaline. And it works — just enough — to reinforce the behaviour. The Overwhelmed Dreamer has big goals and big ideas but feels so paralysed by the scale of the vision that they don't know where to start — so they don't. Which one are you? You might be a combination. Most of us are. But naming it matters because it points directly to the solution.
HERE’S HOW TO FIX IT!
Most of us know we are procrastinating – you cant lie to yourself. What us procrastinators want to know is how to stop procrastinating – not tomorrow – but now! Make a small start “Shrink the start” for example not "write the report" just "open the document." Not "go to the gym" just "put on your gym shoes." Not "start the project" — "write one sentence." The brain resists big starts but it will almost always agree to a tiny one. Set a specific start time. In other words have clear implementation intentions. Research by psychologist Peter Gollwitzer found that people who specify exactly when, where, and how they will do a task are dramatically more likely to follow through. Don't say "I'll work on that this week." Say "I will work on that on Wednesday at 10am at my desk for 30 minutes." Identify the emotion and address it. Pause. Ask: what am I actually feeling right now? Fear of failure? Overwhelm? Boredom? Name it. Then ask: is avoiding this task going to make that feeling better or worse? The answer is almost always worse. And choosing to act anyway. Remove your obstacles and escape routes. My daughter would go straight to the library to study during year 12 and she still does this today at Uni. No distractions, phone away in her bag, big clear workspace. Shift your identity from "I'm someone who procrastinates" to "I'm someone who takes action." Every time you push through the inertia and start — even imperfectly, even for five minutes — you are becoming a “doer” not an “I’m gunna” In closing, remind yourself that the task is almost never as hard as the avoidance. Remind yourself that action creates motivation. Not the other way around. The fear is almost always worse than the doing. And the relief you feel when you finally start — when the inertia breaks and you're moving — that is one of the best feelings there is. Get yourself addicted to that feeling – the feeling of making a start – and you will break the procrastination habit.
TODAYS ACTION.
Your one action from today:
Identify the one thing you've been putting off. Just one. And commit to the smallest possible start. Not the whole thing — just the first step. Today. Not Monday. Today. Drop me an email Cherine@4yourlife.com.au What have you been procrastinating on? Name it. Because naming it publicly makes it real.
Share this with someone who needed to hear it today.