No. 15 - PROCRASTINATOR? I BARELY KNOW HER

PROCRASTINATOR? I BARELY KNOW HER

July 9, 2025 • Issue No. 15

We’re back from the long weekend and staring down inboxes full of to-dos: new, recurring, and things that probably should’ve gotten done before we logged off for the holiday. Somehow, this is exactly the time I feel the urge to go for a walk, clean my refrigerator, or catch up on TikToks — all things I wouldn’t make time to do if I wasn’t looking for a distraction. Ms. P has arrived, and the P stands for Procrastination.

🔒 What Hasn’t Worked

Most of the tried and true research on procrastination will offer some version of the following steps:

1. Determine why you’re avoiding the task

2. Break it into manageable steps

3. Control your surroundings

Sounds easy! So straightforward! But why doesn’t it work…?

None of that is bad advice but even when I figured out my reasons (I was intimidated and feeling overwhelmed), made a game plan of baby steps, and relocated to a coffee shop with no television or snack pantry, I still didn’t feel motivated to start.

Once, I had an entire report to write and I watched the WEEKS tick by as the due date approached. I knew it would take forever and instead of giving myself more time, I just kept dreading the idea of starting something so arduous. I was having nightmares about missing the deadline and I still wouldn’t start the report.

I confided in my coach at the time, “I just feel so unmotivated. I don’t want to do it.”

She asked, “What’s your ideal solution?”

I responded, “For this to get assigned to someone else!”

We talked about why that wasn’t realistic and then she offered what would become my magic question:

“Well, what do you want it to look like?”

Something unlocked.

🔓 What Has Worked (For Me)

Knowing I was intimidated and overwhelmed didn’t make me feel less intimidated or less overwhelmed. I hadn’t known how to flip my hesitations into action. But my coach did. And here’s the data she had in her corner; take a look at the bars with the most blue coloring.

As you can see, I’m not motivated by power, or security, or (sadly) even money/commerce. So for me, I’m not driven to start a project because of duty, or the money I might stand to make, or even the recognition that it could bring. Those things matter to me a little, but they’re not helpful when I’m trying to get started.

My two highest held values are hedonism and aesthetics, which means I like to have fun and I’m very serious about how things look.

And this is why my magic question is: “What do you want it to look like?” 🪄

This question gets me out of dread and logic and into imagination and design, which is where I’d rather be. And it’s where I’m actually productive. It was eye-opening to see the results of my MVPI, but I don’t think I needed to take this assessment to know I like fun stuff and cute stuff. (It did, however, help me to admit it to others with less embarrassment that yes, I am an adult woman and yes, I have a Hello Kitty pencil case.)

Now, I spend less time wishing I was a different kind of worker — a box checker, a worker bee, a task master — and more time leveraging the kind of worker that I actually am. I’m imaginative, playful, and creative. I can help you find the formula error in your spreadsheet, no sweat, but I’m going to color code it while I’m in there.

🔑 How I’ve Used It

Here are some projects I’ve completed recently along with the step that actually motivated me to start (and finish):

Project: Update my LinkedIn 😩

My First Step: Make a cool banner 😍

Project: Make a grocery list for my 4th of July Cookout 😩

My First Step: Visualize all the food on the table with little menu labels 😍

Project: Pack for my family cruise to Mexico 😩

My First Step: Imagine the perfect outfit to play shuffleboard with my Dad 😍

Your magic question, the one that redirects you when you procrastinate, will be one that helps you unlock possibilities that excite you. It’s a waste of time to beat yourself up about when you should’ve started, what you could’ve accomplished — and if you’re already procrastinating: time is of the essence! Find your way into the project or task by centering what motivates you and lights you up. You can use the prompts below to help you figure out what your magic question might be and unlock your first step.

Say goodbye to Ms. P, you won’t even recognize her once you get in the zone.

💎 In the face of procrastination: stop shaming and start shining. 💎 

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