The Procrastination Myth: Why You're Not Lazy (and What to Do)
- Jennifer Rowe
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
Crush Procrastination
You’ve been told to "just start," but it never works. That cycle of waiting until the last minute, rushing through the work, and then hating yourself for it is exhausting. Here’s the truth: Procrastination isn’t laziness—it’s fear. It’s the fear of failure, the fear of not being perfect, or the fear of the sheer size of the task. Your brain is trying to protect you from pain by making you busy with less important things.
I don't teach you how to "work harder;" I teach you how to work with the fear so you can take consistent, confident action.
Your Action Plan: Solutions-Focused Chunking
The goal is to stop seeing the massive "college application" or "final paper" and start seeing the very next, tiny, doable step.
Name the Fear, Not the Task: When you feel stuck, pause and ask, “What am I actually afraid of right now?” Is it the research, the blank screen, or the grade? Acknowledging the fear drains its power.
Break it Down to 20 Minutes: Take the intimidating task and break it into a step that you can complete in 20 minutes or less. (E.g., "Open the document and write the title" or "Find three sources.")
Start and Stop: Agree to work for exactly 20 minutes, then walk away. Often, once you start, the fear is gone and you’ll keep going. But if not, you’ve still made progress.
You can stop the all-nighters fueled by college anxiety and replace them with strategic, high-quality work.
Ready to trade your self-criticism for a powerful, personalized strategy?
You don’t have to keep fighting this battle alone. My coaching provides the structured support and mindset tools (from CBT) to get you out of the procrastination cycle and onto a confident path.
➡️ Schedule Your Free 15-Minute Discovery Session via Contact me and note this blog!
Click here to find the path forward. This is a pressure-free conversation where I can help you identify the root cause of your stress and start building a real roadmap for thriving, not just surviving.