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Episode 5534

• Scott Smith

What Makes You Procrastinate

What Makes You Procrastinate

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What Makes You Procrastinate
September 3, 2026 | Episode 5534
Host: Scott Smith

Episode Description

Procrastination is one of those clubs we all joined without signing up, and nobody's letting us cancel the membership. I've been coaching this for 20 years, and the thing most people get wrong is right at the start.

You think it's a time problem. Your schedule is packed; you can't fit it in. You need to make time. That's not it. Once you name what's actually happening, you stop reaching for willpower and start reaching for something that works.

I'll walk you through it today and give you the one move that changes everything.

Featured Story

I was sitting at my desk this morning when a message popped up from the chatbot on my website. A gentleman wanted to know how to deal with procrastination.

I answered him back in about 30 seconds. I freaked him out a little. He didn't expect to type a note into a chat window and have an actual human answer that fast.

But the question stuck with me all morning. Not because it's rare, but because it's the opposite. It's the question I've been hearing for two decades from smart people with good jobs and full calendars who still can't bring themselves to start the thing sitting right in front of them.

Important Points

  • Procrastination isn't a time problem; it's a feeling problem, and you're delaying the feeling more than the task.

  • Willpower only treats the symptom, so the real fix is making the decision long before the moment actually shows up.

  • A vague task like I need to work on my business has no first step attached, so it never actually gets started.

Memorable Quotes

  • Willpower is your friend that shows up to help you do things you don't want to do, and then it just goes away.

  • When you delay a decision, you've already decided to delay it. Not taking action is still an action.

  • You're trading a little bit of relief right now, but the bill will be much bigger when it shows up tomorrow.

Scott's Three-Step Approach

  • Start by naming the feeling you're avoiding, because the task isn't the problem; the emotion attached to it is.

  • Then decide tonight what the first move is and the exact time it happens, before the feeling gets a vote tomorrow.

  • Start at that time no matter how you feel, and let the relief of being done replace the dread you carried around.

Chapters

0:15 - A chat message about procrastination shows up
1:58 - Why this question never goes out of style
3:34 - It's not a time problem, it's a feeling problem
3:47 - Delaying a decision is still making a decision
6:00 - Certainty seekers and vague tasks that never start
7:06 - The pre-planned response that beats willpower
9:04 - Get it done today and feel better tonight

Connect With Me

Search for the Daily Boost on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify

If you enjoy the Daily Boost, you might like Notes From Scott. A few mornings each week, I send a short note with something I've been thinking about or noticing lately. Sometimes those ideas turn into podcast episodes later. You can sign up at https://notesfromscott.com.


What Makes You Procrastinate
September 3, 2026 | Episode 5534
Host: Scott Smith

Episode Description

Procrastination is one of those clubs we all joined without signing up, and nobody's letting us cancel the membership. I've been coaching this for 20 years, and the thing most people get wrong is right at the start.

You think it's a time problem. Your schedule is packed; you can't fit it in. You need to make time. That's not it. Once you name what's actually happening, you stop reaching for willpower and start reaching for something that works.

I'll walk you through it today and give you the one move that changes everything.

Featured Story

I was sitting at my desk this morning when a message popped up from the chatbot on my website. A gentleman wanted to know how to deal with procrastination.

I answered him back in about 30 seconds. I freaked him out a little. He didn't expect to type a note into a chat window and have an actual human answer that fast.

But the question stuck with me all morning. Not because it's rare, but because it's the opposite. It's the question I've been hearing for two decades from smart people with good jobs and full calendars who still can't bring themselves to start the thing sitting right in front of them.

Important Points

  • Procrastination isn't a time problem; it's a feeling problem, and you're delaying the feeling more than the task.

  • Willpower only treats the symptom, so the real fix is making the decision long before the moment actually shows up.

  • A vague task like I need to work on my business has no first step attached, so it never actually gets started.

Memorable Quotes

  • Willpower is your friend that shows up to help you do things you don't want to do, and then it just goes away.

  • When you delay a decision, you've already decided to delay it. Not taking action is still an action.

  • You're trading a little bit of relief right now, but the bill will be much bigger when it shows up tomorrow.

Scott's Three-Step Approach

  • Start by naming the feeling you're avoiding, because the task isn't the problem; the emotion attached to it is.

  • Then decide tonight what the first move is and the exact time it happens, before the feeling gets a vote tomorrow.

  • Start at that time no matter how you feel, and let the relief of being done replace the dread you carried around.

Chapters

0:15 - A chat message about procrastination shows up
1:58 - Why this question never goes out of style
3:34 - It's not a time problem, it's a feeling problem
3:47 - Delaying a decision is still making a decision
6:00 - Certainty seekers and vague tasks that never start
7:06 - The pre-planned response that beats willpower
9:04 - Get it done today and feel better tonight

Connect With Me

Search for the Daily Boost on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify

If you enjoy the Daily Boost, you might like Notes From Scott. A few mornings each week, I send a short note with something I've been thinking about or noticing lately. Sometimes those ideas turn into podcast episodes later. You can sign up at https://notesfromscott.com.


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