Why do I procrastinate so much?

TL;DR

People mostly procrastinate to avoid the uncomfortable feelings a task stirs up, such as fear, boredom, or self-doubt, not because they are lazy or bad with time. Often a part of the mind is simply trying to protect you from something it sees as risky, so putting the task off brings quick relief. Seeing procrastination as the brain dodging a feeling, rather than a time-management flaw, is the first step to working with it.

Insights

Organizational psychologist Adam Grant argues that we do not procrastinate for the reasons we assume. It is a normal thing that almost everyone does, and the research he points to shows the real causes are not laziness or poor time management. Treating it as a natural behavior with deeper roots, rather than a personal failing, changes how you handle it.

Rob Dial describes much of what looks like procrastination as really a protection mechanism. When there is something you want to do but keep avoiding, there is often a part of you trying to shield you from a fear, such as putting yourself out there and being judged. The task itself is not really the problem, it is the discomfort your mind is trying to dodge by keeping you in your comfort zone.