Dr. Patrick Sanaghan is president of The Sanaghan Group, a consulting firm that has spent 30 years advising senior leaders on presidential transitions, strategic planning, and leadership coaching, mostly in higher education and nonprofits, with work for Shell Oil, Apple, and Google along the way. He has written 15 to 20 books and 50 published articles, and he calls himself a productive procrastinator.

• Why procrastination is an emotional management problem, not a laziness problem
• How chewable chunks make large projects manageable
• Why making progress visible builds momentum
• How reward maps and temptation bundling help you finish tasks you dread
• When an accountability partner is worth the ask
• Why self-criticism fails and self-compassion works

Procrastination is not laziness. Lazy people feel no stress about postponing work. Procrastinators feel plenty, and that stress is the real cost. Research suggests 20 to 25 percent of adults are chronic procrastinators, and the habit can damage careers through missed deadlines, late payments, and unfiled applications.

Dr. Sanaghan nearly stalled on his own dissertation, then learned three strategies from colleagues who finished theirs. First, work in chewable chunks of 30 to 40 minutes with a break. Second, make progress visible, whether through a crossed-off agenda or a row of Post-it notes you crumple as each block ends. Third, build a reward map so every finished milestone earns something you look forward to.

Starting is the hardest part. When a task triggers dread, stepping away brings instant emotional relief, which reinforces the habit. Make starting easier, and about half the time you will keep going.

Temptation bundling pairs something you want with something you avoid, such as music while cleaning or a game on while doing taxes. An accountability partner, used for high-stakes work, adds healthy pressure. Asking for help also breaks the belief that you must do everything alone, as the story of two neighbors trading an hour of garage cleanup shows.

Protect your limited motivation by spending it where you struggle most, whether that is the first mile or the last. Remove distractions, do not wait for inspiration, and treat yourself with compassion. Tomorrow is another day.

• Book: How to Be a Better Procrastinator by Dr. Patrick Sanaghan, available on Amazon, with 101 strategies for managing procrastination
• Company: The Sanaghan Group

Procrastination at the leadership level often signals a gap in how your organization runs. Visit https://www.breakfastleadership.com/leadershipos to schedule your leadership diagnostic for your company.

Note: The Breakfast Leadership Show includes occasional paid partner episodes, in which the guest has paid to appear.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.