WRITTEN BY FRIEDA LEVYCKY, FOUNDER OF BRAVING BOUNDARIES
(Yes, finally.)
So here we are. Part 2 of the procrastination series. Only three years in the making. I mean, if that’s not living the work, I don’t know what is.
For those of you who’ve been waiting patiently since Part 1 (published in June 2022 – sorry about that), thank you. You’ll be pleased to know that the delay wasn’t due to a lack of inspiration. Quite the opposite. I’ve had plenty of real-life examples of procrastination play out in all their glory; some impressively creative, others frustratingly familiar.
There was the weekend I’d set aside to write this article in July 2022 … which coincided, very inconveniently, with a sudden and unrelenting need to sort out our table plan for our wedding in April 2023. Then came the flurry of pub quiz planning, a strong case made (by me) for why walking the dogs was far more urgent than finishing this article and even a couple of bouts of spring cleaning (if you know me, you’ll know procrastination is definitely in full swing when that happens). There may even have been a holiday spreadsheet involved at one point too! No one needs a spreadsheet, but there you go!
Classic procrastination.
Still, I always knew it needed to be finished. The first article unpacked the why behind procrastination: the roots, the reasoning and a fair bit of personal reflection, particularly on the emotional side of things. That was the easy part to write. Well, easier. This one asks: What do we actually do about it? A far trickier question for a procrastinator.
So, before we get into the how, here’s a quick reminder of where we left off.
What causes procrastination? A quick recap of Part 1
Burka & Yuen (2008): “Procrastination: Why you do it. What to do about it NOW.”
If you haven’t read it (or can’t remember it – I had to go back and read it myself), Part 1 was all about understanding what procrastination is and where it comes from. Drawing on the brilliant work of Burka & Yuen in Procrastination: Why You Do It, What To Do About It Now, I explored the four key roots of procrastination:
- The Time Root – that slightly warped relationship with time, where we convince ourselves something will only take 15 minutes … right up until it doesn’t.
- The Interpersonal Root – the influence of our upbringing, our environment and those oh-so-familiar family patterns.
- The Biological Root – where our limbic system (the emotional, reactive part of the brain) often hijacks our best-laid plans and our prefrontal cortex just sighs in the background.
- The Emotional Root – the most uncomfortable of the lot and the one that hit me the hardest. This is where fear creeps in. Fear of failure, fear of success, fear of being judged, exposed, relied on, left behind, pushed forward … the full emotional buffet.
So, with the why in mind, let’s take a look at the how.
How to start moving through procrastination
I’d love to say there’s a one-size-fits-all answer. That there’s a magical method I discovered whilst on a trail run that cured my procrastination overnight and I’ve never looked back. I haven’t though. I do procrastinate and I probably always will.
The reality is, procrastination isn’t something we fix. It’s something we learn to understand. Something we work with rather than battle against. I’ve spent the last few years trying different things, some helpful, some completely ineffective and some just another form of productive avoidance (organising a to-do list using different coloured pens, for example, is not the win it feels like).
Still, there are a few strategies that do seem to work. They don’t work every time, but they are enough to gently interrupt the cycle and help move things forward when the familiar urge to delay starts creeping in.
If you struggle with procrastination, why don’t you give these a go?
Break big tasks into smaller steps
When something feels big, it usually means I’ll avoid it. My brain throws it straight into the “too hard” basket, where it sits until the pressure becomes unbearable and I do it in a mad panic while simultaneously resenting everyone and everything around me.
The trick (and this is one of the very few that works reliably) is to shrink it. Make the first step so small that it’s almost laughable.
- Write one sentence.
- Open the document.
- Put your leggings on. You don’t even have to work out, just put them on.
This is loosely based on the two-minute rule in behavioural psychology. If something takes less than two minutes, do it. If it’s more complex, start it for just two minutes. The point is not to finish the task. It’s to override the part of your brain that’s convinced it’s impossible.
Once you’re in, you usually keep going. Not always, but more often than not, something shifts.
Use the Pomodoro Technique or timed sprints
I’m not naturally a timer person. I rebel against rigid structure (that’ll be my Enneagram 7). However, I’ve learned that giving myself a set amount of time (e.g. 25 minutes) and then a break, feels manageable. That’s the basis of the Pomodoro Technique and it’s surprisingly effective. It has certainly helped me with assessment writing.
It turns the looming mountain of: write a research paper on Mental Toughness (something I am currently working on) into just work on it for 25 minutes. I don’t have to finish it. I don’t have to get it perfect. I just have to stay with it for that short period (then I can make a cuppa and complain about it to someone). 
The psychology behind it is simple: we focus better in short bursts and we’re more likely to start something if the commitment feels light.
Try if-then planning (implementation intentions)
I realise that sounds like something from a productivity podcast, but bear with me. There’s a theory called implementation intentions which basically means creating a clear plan in advance in the following format: “If X happens, then I’ll do Y”.
For example:
- If it’s 8am, I’ll go for a 20-minute walk.
- If I finish lunch, I’ll spend 10 minutes replying to emails.
It seems obvious, but there’s good evidence that this kind of planning increases the likelihood of follow-through, especially when willpower is low. The clearer the cue and the simpler the task, the less room there is for the usual mental negotiation to creep in.
Create accountability without pressure
Now I know a lot of people are not a fan of the public declaration approach. “Tell everyone you’re running a marathon so you have to do it!” can sound more like a threat than a strategy.
That said, sharing something with a trusted friend – someone who knows you well, who won’t guilt-trip you and who will check in with curiosity rather than judgement – can be really helpful. It creates a gentle nudge and a little momentum.
Back in June, when I came back from the Coaching Advocates roadshow, I messaged my yoga instructor and said: “I turn 44 years old on 12 August 2025. There are 50 days left before that. My goal is to complete 44 exercise sessions before then. Please can you support me on this bout of madness?!”. She gladly agreed. It was less about being held accountable in a disciplinary way (though she is good at that too 
). It was more about breaking the pattern of secrecy that procrastination loves to hide in (e.g. well, if I don’t tell anyone about my challenge, then if I fail, no one will know).
Use self-compassion to break the cycle
This one sounds obvious, but it can be the hardest. Procrastination is often wrapped up in shame and when we start beating ourselves up for not getting things done, we shut down even more.
Self-compassion is, as it turns out, a far more effective motivator than criticism. Studies show that people who respond to their procrastination with kindness are more likely to move forward than those who berate themselves. It’s definitely a work in progress for me!
So, if you find yourself deep in avoidance, maybe the best thing you can do is pause, take a breath and, rather than asking yourself: “How do I fix everything today?”, ask yourself: “What do I need right now to take one small step?”.
Just one step. That’s all.
Final thoughts on how to beat procrastination
Procrastination isn’t something to conquer. It’s something to understand. Mine still pops up more than I’d like, sometimes dressed as helpful planning, sometimes hidden under tiredness, sometimes wrapped up in old fears I thought I’d left behind.
The difference now is, I see it sooner. I notice the excuses, I know what it’s protecting me from and I have a few more tools in my kit to meet it with curiosity rather than shame.
If you want to go deeper: Procrastination: Why You Do It, What to Do About It Now by Burka & Yuen is still one of the most insightful books I’ve read on the subject. It’s not a hustle manual, but a genuine exploration of the messiness behind the avoidance.
Finally, if you’re currently procrastinating on something while reading this … I see you. Me too.
Maybe just start with five minutes. That’s all.
