“Today is different. No more excuses. No more wasted time. Today, you’re finally going to get things done.”
You wake up early, feeling motivated. You make a to-do list, ready to tackle the day. “I’ll have some coffee and start in ten minutes,” you tell yourself.
But ten minutes turns into thirty. Thirty turns into an hour. An hour turns into “I’ll get to it after lunch.” And now, as you lay in bed for the night, the only thing you’ve accomplished is beating yourself up for yet another wasted day.
Why? Why can’t you stop procrastinating—even when you desperately want to?
This question has an answer—but it isn’t what you think.
What Experts Say About Procrastination
To introduce the real reason behind your procrastination, we first need to examine the most widely accepted explanations. By analyzing the most common perspectives, we can identify both what they get right—and what they overlook—ultimately revealing what truly lies at the heart of your procrastination habits.
So where do we find these perspectives? The same way most people would—by searching “Why can’t I stop procrastinating?” on Google. From there, we’ll break down three of the top-ranked results and see what they have to say.
1. Procrastination is the Result of Poor Emotional Regulation
A 2019 article from The New York Times by Charlotte Lieberman frames procrastination as an issue of emotional regulation rather than a failure of self-discipline or time management. According to this perspective:
- Cause: Procrastination is a coping mechanism to avoid negative feelings (stress, anxiety, boredom).
- Effect: People procrastinate to escape discomfort—not because they lack willpower.
- Solution: Self-compassion, reframing tasks into a more digestible format, and reducing (or increasing) friction points associated.
Cause: This article proposes that procrastination stems from an individual’s emotional response to a task, both internally and in relation to the task itself. This includes internal struggles like depression, self-doubt, and anxiety which might cause procrastination. It also includes negative feelings about the task itself which might create resistance—whether it’s boring, difficult, or tedious.
While these things certainly play a role in procrastination, they don’t explain the whole picture. After all, the feelings I have toward doing dishes are apocalyptic, but I still do them every day.
Effect: The experts go on to explain that the ongoing habit of procrastination is due to a desire to avoid the negative feelings you’ve associated with a given task. Because it’s more enjoyable to watch TV, browse your phone, or play a game, you turn to these activities as escape mechanisms to avoid the feelings you associate with it—like those we previously described.
This makes sense. After all, the human mind always seeks to acquire pleasure while avoiding pain. But that still doesn’t explain why I do the dishes every day—even though I hate them with every fiber of my being—while procrastinating on other tasks. What are the things you despise but still do every day? Shouldn’t we be procrastinating these tasks away too?
Solution: The solution proposed in this article is to counteract negative emotions with positive self-talk (self-compassion and self-forgiveness), reframing tasks into “next steps” to make them mentally easier to process, and manipulating your environment by making distractions harder to access while making necessary tasks easier to complete.
I don’t avoid doing the dishes because I hate myself, I avoid doing the dishes because I hate doing the dishes.
Breaking chores into smaller tasks is good advice—I don’t start out planning to do the dishes, I just empty the dishwasher first. The final advice is also good—if you’re locked in a room with no TV, no phone, and only dishes, you’ll do those dishes if it gets you back to your TV and phone.
The missing piece here is this: while this article identifies ‘tricks’ that might work for some, it doesn’t explain why these tricks work at all. Why does breaking a task down into smaller parts make it easier to complete? Why does limiting your environment also seem to produce noticeable results?
2. Procrastination is Due to a Lack of Self-Compassion
In a 2022 article from the Greater Good Science Center by Fuschia Sirois, procrastination is framed as a consequence of low self-compassion. The article suggests that:
- Cause: Procrastination is linked to difficulties in managing negative emotions, often exacerbated by negative self-talk and a lack of self-forgiveness.
- Effect: Individuals with lower self-compassion are more prone to procrastination and experience higher levels of stress.
- Solution: Cultivating self-compassion can serve as a protective factor against procrastination by reducing negative feelings and judgments that lead to task avoidance.
Cause: Like the previous article, this framework proposes that the root of procrastination stems from negative feelings surrounding a given task. It suggests that we procrastinate to avoid those negative feelings by seeking out avoidance mechanisms that make us feel better in the short term. The author explains that self-criticism and negative self-talk backfire—amplifying negative emotions tied to a task and making procrastination even more appealing.
While this framework for procrastination has some merit, it still fails to address some key points: Why do the negative feelings surrounding a task seem to amplify so quickly—even when the task is still new to us? Why do we still procrastinate when we’re having a fantastic day and in a great mood? When I’m having a great day, the last thing I want to do is waste it by finally doing the chores I’ve been avoiding.
Effect: The worse you feel about yourself and the more negative emotions you’ve associated with a given task through self-criticism and a lack of self-compassion, the worse you will continue to feel about yourself and the associated task. This creates a self-reinforcing loop of avoidance and negativity.
This I can get behind. The author is correct in identifying the reinforcing loop of avoidance, but they fail to identify the true root cause behind it. There are plenty of days I feel like the biggest loser in the world, yet I still do the dishes despite wanting to burn the house down instead. Forgiving myself for skipping the dishes doesn’t solve the problem—it just strengthens the habit of avoiding them altogether. But instead of strengthening the habit through negative feelings (self-criticism), it’s being strengthened by positive feelings (forgiveness and acceptance).
Solution: The author concludes by suggesting that one take full accountability for their procrastination and acknowledge the negative feelings that arise from it. Then, use self-compassion and self-forgiveness to address these feelings—ultimately, making the cycle of procrastination easier to manage and overcome.
I agree that beating yourself up needlessly is going to reinforce procrastination in a more meaningful way than self-kindness and self-forgiveness, but this solution suggests deep self-reflection in response to each procrastination event. This turns every failure into a paramount event within our mind. Instead of allowing us to simply move on, doesn’t this deep internal analysis refine and optimize the negative feelings we already associate with the task we just failed to complete?
3. Procrastination is Due to a Lack of Motivation
In a 2024 article from Mindful.org by Oyinda Lagunju, procrastination is framed as a consequence of impulsiveness and low motivation. The article suggests that:
- Cause: Procrastination stems from impulsiveness and a preference for immediate rewards over delayed gratification.
- Effect: Motivation to complete a task relies on four elements: expectancy (belief in success), value (importance of the task), impulsiveness (tendency to get distracted), and delay (time until reward).
- Solution: Strategies to combat procrastination include managing energy levels, creating a conducive environment, combining enjoyable activities with tasks, and tackling difficult tasks early in the day.
Cause: Unlike the previous articles, this one frames procrastination not as a consequence of negative emotional association, but as a product of seeking the path of least resistance toward experiences that reward us with positive feelings. This means choosing an immediate reward—like watching TV or playing on your phone—over a delayed one, like completing a task that benefits you later.
This certainly holds true for me. I’d much rather doomscroll for another 30 minutes rather than do the dishes. While doomscrolling isn’t a very enjoyable experience, it’s still better than doing the dishes.
Effect: The article goes on to break down procrastination into four key elements:
- Expectancy: If you expect to succeed at a task, you’re more likely to do it rather than put it off.
Then why do people spend months and years building content channels—books, blogs, YouTube channels—with little or no progress? Their entire experience is defined by prolonged struggle and failure. - Value: If you don’t value the task or the reward it represents, you’re more likely to put it off.
No problems here. Who wants to do something they think is pointless? - Impulsiveness: Simply put, a lack of willpower when facing unknown expectations or rewards relating to a task. In this case, you choose the immediate and familiar expectations found in procrastination activities.
This explains the “how” of procrastination but not the “why.” More specifically, why do we overcome this impulsiveness with some tasks but let it win against others when our willpower is largely the same? - Delay: The longer it takes to experience the reward from task completion, the more likely you are to put it off in favor of more immediate gratification.
This makes sense, but again, why do people like content creators or entrepreneurs push on for months and years with little or no positive reinforcement while they procrastinate endlessly on household chores they could complete in thirty minutes?
Solution: The article concludes by providing four ‘procrastination hacks’: Get rest, control your environment to reduce distractions, mix obligations with vices to reframe tasks, and tackle the hardest tasks in the morning when you’re fresh and rested.
Getting rest is always good advice regardless of the context, but doesn’t explicitly address struggles with procrastination.
Controlling your environment is excellent advice, but reducing distractions is just the tip of the iceberg. There is a far more profound reason controlling your environment can be highly effective—a reason the expert is likely unaware of.
Mixing your vices with your obligations can be beneficial as you’re mentally conditioning yourself to relate the vice with doing the task. The problem here is that the author doesn’t explain why this can be effective, nor does it warn against how you may be refining the habit of indulging in the vice itself. I like to have a stiff drink when I cook dinner and do the damned dishes, but this produces a negative side effect of vehemently resisting completing the task when the vice isn’t present.
Tackle the hardest stuff in the morning before your energy fades. This is good advice and something I agree with fully. I always like to get the stuff that is the biggest pain in my ass out of the way first, so I don’t have to deal with it later in the day when my body wants to start winding down.
Overall, this article presents some decent analysis and strategies, but still fails to completely uncover the real reason behind procrastination, why it persists, and what you can do to truly understand and address it.
We have now thoroughly analyzed some of the top opinions regarding procrastination. We’ve seen what the experts say causes procrastination, why they believe it persists, and what solutions they think will help address the issue.
We’ve pointed out conclusions they got right, conclusions they got wrong, and what they’ve overlooked or failed to address. Now we can explore what really drives and fuels procrastination, why it confirms some of the expert opinions, why it refutes others, and why it fills in the missing gaps we’ve identified.
This brings us to one unavoidable question: If the opinions we’ve analyzed are incomplete and procrastination isn’t just about emotional regulation, self-compassion, impulsiveness, or motivation, then what truly explains it? If none of these expert insights fully answer the question, what does? What force compels you to procrastinate—again and again—despite everything?
The REAL Reason Why You Can’t Stop Procrastinating
The answer we have alluded to throughout this article is one that is as profound as it is simple. It explains why you procrastinate, why habitual procrastination becomes increasingly more difficult to break, and what the experts have missed in their analysis and solutions to the problem.
Your procrastination isn’t just a bad habit driven by negative emotions or a lack of willpower. It’s a behavior that is actively being refined by something fundamental that the experts are probably unaware of.
It’s called the Will to Power—a universal force that is present in all things and refines everything toward its optimal state. Its simple and unchanging behavior makes it easy to recognize in everything we do.
In the case of procrastination, it quite easily explains why habitual procrastination can seem nearly impossible to break. You haven’t just been randomly procrastinating to avoid tasks; the Will to Power has been refining your habits of avoidance into a behemoth of deeply ingrained procrastination cycles.
Think about it for a moment. The Will to Power’s simple behavior of optimizing all things toward their perfected state reveals that you’re not just procrastinating; you’re refining the habit of procrastination itself—making it more prominent over time.
When you’re engaging in avoidance mechanisms like playing on your phone or watching TV, you’re not just procrastinating; you’re refining the avoidance mechanisms themselves. This means that not only is the Will to Power going to make you more proficient at finding ways to procrastinate—it will also optimize those avoidance behaviors to be more and more effective over time.
In short, both what you do—and don’t do—is refined and optimized by the Will to Power. Procrastination? Refining a habit of avoidance. Playing on your phone? Refining the activity itself—turning it into a distraction habit that becomes stronger over time.
While the Will to Power is probably a new concept to you and may seem a bit fantastical as an explanation for procrastination, we’ll take another look at the expert opinions and show how the Will to Power explains what they got right and what they overlooked.
Procrastination is the Result of Negative Emotions Associated with a Given Task
This was one of the primary themes among the expert opinions. Negative emotions can certainly influence procrastination, but the Will to Power explains why these feelings seem to compound over time and ultimately result in habitual procrastination. It’s not just that you’re trying to avoid the negative feelings associated with a task. It’s that the act of procrastination itself is being refined while the negative emotions tied to the task are being optimized as well—both compounding over time. This is why the feelings associated with procrastination—dread, anxiety, avoidance—seem to get heavier and heavier as time goes on.
However, the Will to Power also explains why I still do the dishes every day despite loathing them. I can barely put into words how much I hate doing dishes, but even in the face of all these negative emotions, the habit of doing the dishes has been refined and optimized in the exact same way as procrastination itself. So I do them. The under-the-breath cursing that ensues is also a refined part of the process.
Procrastination is Due to a Lack of Self-Compassion and Self-Forgiveness
Another prominent theme among the articles we’ve analyzed is that negative self-talk, low self-compassion, and a lack of self-forgiveness are what cause and perpetuate habitual procrastination.
The problem with this approach, as described, is that it creates a feedback loop: one in which an individual not only fixates on the negative feelings associated with their procrastination but also conditions themselves to forgive and accept the procrastination habit itself.
When viewed through the simplistic behavior of the Will to Power, we can see why putting extra mental energy into the negative feelings associated with failing to complete a task is unlikely to produce the desired result. By focusing on these negative emotions, we’re only serving to refine and optimize them further. Doing this repeatedly will refine a new habit: one that makes us acutely aware of all possible negative emotions associated with future tasks—making avoiding them seem that much more appealing by comparison.
Additionally, mastering the act of self-forgiveness is likely to have an unintended effect: you refine the habit of dismissing instances of procrastination.
Like I said before, you shouldn’t beat yourself up needlessly—because that, too, will become a refined, habitual response to procrastination. But giving yourself a free pass every time isn’t going to help either. Knowing a free pass is waiting around the corner for every act of procrastination makes it much easier to procrastinate next time. And every act of procrastination, regardless of context, will be refined as a habit by the Will to Power—without exception.
Simply understanding this dynamic reframes the whole process. You don’t need unwavering self-forgiveness and overwhelming positivity to get things done—you just need to recognize the real forces at play. This makes it much easier to understand why you procrastinate, manage emotional responses, and act accordingly. Instead of trying to implement mental tricks to get things done, you now understand the entire procrastination process in a way you never have before.
Procrastination is the Product of Impulsiveness and Low Motivation
The final article posed some key insights regarding procrastination. Namely impulsiveness, low motivation, and how rewards influence procrastination.
The impulsiveness angle fits within the framework of the Will to Power. As a force that seeks to optimize and refine all things, the path of least resistance is often chosen—not as a preference but as an inevitability. Experts describe impulsiveness as a tendency to prioritize immediate gratification, but they fail to explain why it varies across different tasks. The Will to Power does.
While procrastination is optimized by the Will to Power as a habit unto itself, each act of procrastination is unique to the moment and context in which it happens. Some tasks, like doing laundry, are easier to avoid through impulsive procrastination, while others—like paying your rent—are much harder to dismiss due to future consequences. This is because each event is part of a larger cycle being optimized by the Will to Power: your life as a whole.
If you skip the laundry? So, what? You’ll just wear the least dirty thing you have, and your life is largely unaffected. Skip the rent, however, and suddenly the entire path of your life is about to be impacted in a major way—at this point the act moves beyond a simple matter of procrastination because the event itself is far more relevant to the larger cycle (your life) that is also being optimized toward its perfected state by the Will to Power. This is why we often procrastinate on some tasks but rarely on others.
Don’t be fooled, though: if the Will to Power is what optimizes typical behaviors of procrastination, by definition, it must also optimize extreme procrastination behaviors—such as developing a habit of continuously paying your rent late or missing deadlines with work or school assignments—despite their increased impact on your life.
Even when consequences grow, the habit itself is still refined and optimized by the Will to Power—refined procrastination doesn’t disappear simply because the stakes are higher; it persists because the habit is being optimized through repetition.
With this foundational understanding of the Will to Power, we can immediately revisit some of the more tactical suggestions made by the article:
- Mix tasks with vices: This can work—but not without a warning label. If your task is folding laundry and you start doing it while watching TV, you’re not refining the habit of folding laundry. You’re refining the habit of watching TV while folding laundry in the background. It becomes a different behavior entirely. While that vice might seem harmless, the example I gave earlier—having a stiff drink while doing dishes—is not. Yet both are refined by the Will to Power in exactly the same way. And when the vice is missing, resistance spikes. No TV? You don’t want to fold. No drink? I don’t want to clean. That’s the real trap: the vice gets refined, not the task.
- Long-term effort without immediate reward: The Will to Power also explains why people stick with certain behaviors—like building a business, writing books, or creating content—despite long stretches with no reward. Entrepreneurs and artists often refine the habit of creating regardless of feedback. This isn’t about motivation or delayed gratification—it’s about momentum. Their habit of doing has been refined over time. Contrast that with those same creators procrastinating on things like answering emails or going grocery shopping. The difference isn’t willpower—it’s refinement.
- Manipulating Your Environment: This strategy also proves effective for many people, but it’s not simply because you’re eliminating distractions; it’s because you’re limiting the ways in which the Will to Power can further refine your actions. It’s hard for the Will to Power to optimize your habit of doomscrolling when your phone is locked in your car. Instead, it’s forced to optimize what you have in front of you.
- Small tasks leading to powerful outcomes: The Will to Power also explains why routines built on small, consistent actions can snowball into massive life changes. This tactic works—but not because of discipline or dopamine. It works because the Will to Power refines whatever you repeat. Folding your clothes, making your bed, writing one sentence a day—it doesn’t matter how trivial the act is. If it’s repeated, it’s refined. If it’s refined, it becomes easier. And if it becomes easier, it becomes automatic. That’s how small actions become life-changing habits.
And now that we finally see how procrastination operates at a fundamental level, it shows us that we don’t need to try to “beat” procrastination; we simply need to focus on refining the actions we want—no matter how small our starting point may be.
We’re not trying to extinguish a decade of habitual procrastination; we’re trying to refine new thoughts, habits, or reframe our current obligations under a new lens.
For example, I don’t do the dishes because I’m a monolith of willpower. I do them because the dishes are merely a small piece of a larger puzzle. I’m refining toward living in a household that isn’t a mess; I’m refining toward not having to handwash a glass every time I want something to drink; I’m refining toward a standard I’ve set that makes doing dishes a smaller, more manageable part of a larger process being refined by the Will to Power: my life and how I experience it.
And now you understand the REAL reason behind why you couldn’t stop procrastinating. Willpower, self-forgiveness, impulsiveness—all symptoms of what truly drives all our habits and why we form them—the Will to Power.
This is why I wrote The Reason for Everything.
To peel back the layers.
To analyze objectively.
And ultimately show you how the Will to Power’s deceptively simple behavior explains… well, everything.
If you enjoyed exploring how the Will to Power explains procrastination, then The Reason for Everything was written for you.