I Know What to Do So Why Don't I Do It?

have you ever promised yourself, “i’ll start tomorrow” – only to find yourself making the same promise the next day? that scary email remains undrafted; that life-changing project is still rolling around in your head.

but what if procrastination isn’t about laziness? what if your delays are actually trying to tell you something important about your emotions, fears, and beliefs?

in this chapter, we’ll uncover the real psychology behind why we put things off. you’ll learn practical strategies for managing fear and discomfort, and find out how to rewrite the limiting stories that keep you stuck.

whether you’re facing a major life transition or simply trying to start that next big project, you’ll learn how to work with – not against – your emotional nature.

let’s begin.

the report is due tomorrow, and – once again – you haven’t written a word.

we often think of procrastination as simple laziness or poor time management, but the reality is far more complex. the word itself reveals two distinct but related meanings: from latin, “to delay until tomorrow,” and from greek, “to act against good judgment.” and yet, the author argues, procrastination isn’t about time, but about movement – or, more specifically, about what prevents us from moving forward.

the psychology of delay runs deeper than most realize. when we finally begin long-postponed tasks, they frequently take far less time than we imagined, leaving us wondering, “why was i so reluctant?” this common experience hints at procrastination’s true nature: it’s not about time management, but emotion management. we delay in order to avoid uncomfortable feelings.

our emotional barriers can take many forms. sometimes it may be resentment about being assigned a particular task. other times it’s boredom, self-doubt, or fear of failure. perhaps most insidiously, we may worry about others judging us as unreliable or incompetent. each of these emotional triggers creates resistance to starting, which then spawns a vicious cycle: our avoidance temporarily relieves anxiety, but ultimately generates more stress as deadlines loom closer, making it harder and harder to begin. 

major life events also come into play. whether it’s planning a wedding, going through a divorce, moving houses, or recovering from illness, these experiences consume large amounts of emotional and motivational resources. they drain more than just our time and attention – they deplete our emotional capacity to tackle new challenges. yet we rarely account for this drain when taking on new responsibilities or setting deadlines for ourselves.

but why can’t we just tough it out? why can’t we use our willpower? 

the common advice to “just power through it” ignores a crucial truth about human psychology. rather than an inexhaustible resource we can simply tap into, willpower behaves more like a muscle. it can be depleted through use and requires recovery time. the more motivation a task demands, the more our willpower reserves are drained, leaving us susceptible to delay in other important tasks. this explains why we often struggle most with starting new projects immediately after completing demanding ones – our motivational muscles are simply exhausted. 

our environment plays a crucial role in this dynamic. every postponed task leaves a trace in us – the unopened email, the unfinished report sitting on our desktop, the unanswered message. these constant reminders create a low-grade anxiety that hums in the background of our consciousness. 

the solution isn’t as simple as pushing harder or relying on willpower. instead, it requires a more nuanced understanding of how motivation works. recovery periods aren’t just nice to have – they’re essential for replenishing our capacities. this means actively balancing periods of intense effort with proportional recovery time, much like an athlete alternates between training and rest.

we should also acknowledge that, through any project’s life cycle, our feelings will naturally fluctuate. unexpected obstacles might frustrate or anger us, while sudden progress can bring us joy. these emotional shifts aren’t just side issues – they’re integral to the process, affecting our motivation and progress in real time. by recognizing this reality, we can better prepare for these fluctuations and develop strategies to work with, rather than against, our emotional responses.

in the grand catalog of human emotions, fear is perhaps the central force behind procrastination. though it rarely operates alone – other emotions ebb and flow around it – fear maintains a unique position as both protector and saboteur.

fear is our mind’s forward scout, always scanning the horizon for potential threats. once a bad event actually occurs, fear transforms into other emotions like anger or sadness. but fear’s anticipatory nature means it powerfully shapes our actions – or inactions. this makes fear particularly insidious in driving procrastination, because the future never goes away! our mind always has tomorrow to worry about.

interestingly, even when we successfully distract ourselves with more pleasant activities, our brains maintain a low-level awareness of what we’re avoiding. this manifests as persistent background stress, with environmental cues continuously triggering subtle reminders of what we’re avoiding. this helps explain why procrastination often feels like carrying an invisible weight.

research in behavioral economics illuminates another crucial aspect of fear and motivation: loss aversion. losses affect us more powerfully than do equivalent gains. so losing a $500 bonus typically generates more emotional impact than receiving an unexpected $500 windfall. yet this asymmetry is something you can harness, by reframing procrastination’s consequences in terms of potential losses rather than potential gains.

to effectively manage fear-based procrastination, there are several valuable approaches. one is gathering more information. when you know more about what you’re facing – the real requirements, potential pitfalls, and available resources – fear starts to lose its grip. you’re no longer fighting shadowy possibilities, but dealing with concrete challenges.

another strategy is systematic exposure to what makes you uncomfortable. you need to actively build your tolerance for discomfort, much like gradually acclimating to cold water. find a partner or mentor who can support you as you tackle increasingly challenging tasks. their reassuring presence can often provide the extra motivation needed when self-doubt starts creeping in. think of it as having a spotter at the gym – the heavy lifting is yours to do, but they’re there to help if needed. starting with small challenges and gradually increasing difficulty allows you to develop confidence gradually through successive wins.

and remember – when life throws you curveballs, to be compassionate with yourself. during any period of personal crisis – whether you're navigating health issues, relationship troubles, or financial storms – your balance of emotional energy is bound to run low. these aren’t the times to take on major new responsibilities. just as you wouldn’t start training for a marathon while recovering from the flu, recognize when external stressors require you to adjust your expectations and timing. that’s not failure; it’s managing your resources strategically.

our minds are master storytellers, weaving narratives from the raw material of our lives. these stories don’t just color our view of reality; they create it. 

but here’s the thing. when we procrastinate, we’re often responding not to the task itself, but rather to the story we’ve constructed about it. that presentation that’s due? your brain might be running an old script about public speaking from a mishap in  middle school.

the first step, therefore, in breaking free from procrastination is examining the beliefs and stories that fuel it. are these even your beliefs? or are they hand-me-downs from parents, teachers, or society? perhaps you absorbed the message that you’re “not a math person” or “bad with deadlines.” these inherited beliefs can become self-fulfilling prophecies, quietly sabotaging your efforts before you even begin. 

the good news is beliefs are malleable. start by asking yourself pointed questions: has this belief been tested against reality? does it serve any useful purpose? has it prevented you from achieving goals? often, you’ll find these limiting beliefs don’t stand up to scrutiny. a closer look might reveal that you’re not actually “bad at math” – you simply needed more practice and feedback.

when setbacks occur – and they will – what matters more than the setback itself is your response to it. instead of fixating on what’s been lost, what do successful people do? they start taking inventory. what resources do you have? what next steps are possible? when your computer crashes before a deadline, panicking about lost files won’t help – but reaching out to it support, asking for an extension, or reaching out to colleagues for help might. 

optimism plays a crucial role here, albeit not the greeting-card variety. true optimism isn’t about blindly positive thinking – it’s about recognizing your agency in shaping outcomes. 

to help you when you’re feeling stuck, try the abc method, which stands for adversity, beliefs, and consequences. here’s how it works: start with adversity – describing the situation objectively, without any emotional coloring. for instance, “i have a presentation due in two weeks” rather than “i have this terrifying presentation hanging over my head.” next, look at your beliefs – your automatic thoughts and interpretations: “i always freeze up during presentations” or “i'll definitely embarrass myself.” finally, consider the consequences – how these beliefs affect your actions and feelings. are you avoiding preparation? feeling anxious? 

now comes the powerful part: challenge those beliefs with evidence. have you actually “always” frozen up? what about the times you’ve spoken successfully? by methodically working through these steps, you can start replacing unhelpful beliefs with more realistic ones: “public speaking is challenging for me, but i can manage it with proper preparation.” is an upcoming project itself really impossible, or do you just need to acquire new skills? this isn’t about positive thinking – it’s about accurate thinking. 

if procrastination were simply about poor planning, every calendar app and to-do list would be a cure. yet even with countless productivity tools at our fingertips, we still struggle to start when we need to.

as we’ve seen, we delay tasks not because we can’t find the time, but because we’re avoiding the uncomfortable feelings they stir up. blaming procrastination on poor time management is like blaming your warm forehead for a fever. the real issue runs deeper – in your emotions, not your calendar.

one important strategy is breaking down overwhelming projects into smaller pieces. it’s an emotional hack as much as a practical one – instead of facing the paralysis of writing an entire book, you focus on crafting one good paragraph. if you narrow your focus enough, the anxiety melts away. similarly, and contrary to popular advice, broadcasting your goals to the world often backfires. public announcements create pressure and accountability, yes, but they can also trigger performance anxiety and fear of public failure. so consider keeping your goals close, sharing them only with those who need to know.

while solving procrastination isn’t fundamentally about time management, there are ways in which time does come into play. 

our bodies operate on complex biological schedules. one of these is what’s called your ultradian rhythms. ultradian rhythms represent a natural cycle of peak performance and recovery that occurs throughout our day, typically running in 90-to-120-minute intervals. during the peak phase, our brain and body operate at optimal levels, giving us heightened focus, creativity, and cognitive performance. this is followed by a necessary “trough” period lasting about 20 minutes. at this time, our mental energy naturally dips and our body signals we need to rest. how? by making us feel restless, hungry, or foggy. so consider keeping your work periods under two hours long. 

the daily rise and fall of cortisol adds yet another layer to this biological cycle. this hormone peaks in the morning, gradually declining throughout the day before bottoming out in the early hours. it’s nature’s way of giving us an energy boost when we need it most.

by aligning your work schedule with these natural rhythms, you can maximize productivity by tackling your most emotionally demanding tasks during peak periods and using the recovery phases for lighter activities or brief restorative breaks. the key is flexibility and self-awareness. your body is telling you something about your optimal work patterns – and in the quest for productivity, that’s intelligence worth heeding. 

the main takeaway of this chapter to i know what to do so why don't i do it? by nick hall is that procrastination is an emotional response to discomfort, fear, and limiting beliefs. 

by recognizing your emotional triggers and challenging unhelpful stories you tell yourself, you can develop healthier ways to tackle tasks. break big projects into smaller pieces, and be kind to yourself during challenging times. and remember that your body has natural rhythms of productivity and rest – so work with them, not against them. 

real change comes from understanding and managing your emotional responses, not just making better and better to-do lists.

okay, that’s it for this chapter. we hope you enjoyed it. if you can, please take the time to leave us a rating – we always appreciate your feedback. see you in the next chapter.