The Oxford English Dictionary defines procrastination as the act of delaying something that you should do, usually because you do not want to do it.
I personally disagree with that definition, not because it is wrong, but because it does not tell the full story.
The truth is that sometimes we do procrastinate on things that we REALLY want to do.
Every failing student I know wishes to study more.
Every lonely adult wants to go out and meet more people.
It’s just hard to get to it sometimes. One article called it a self-regulation failure.
When we procrastinate, it’s not so much about “not wanting to do it” as much as it is about “getting ourselves to do it.”
The problem is the drive. There is a difficulty, or inability, to get yourself to do something you need to do. And there are two reasons for this
The first reason is purely behavioral.
It is a straightforward, rational behavior where the potential outcome of an event is not satisfying or valuable enough to you, or the reward is simply not clear, so you hesitate or invest time in other things.
To illustrate, let’s say you were a minimum wage earner working at McDonald’s, barely getting by. Then someone made you an offer: walk 4 straight days, no sleep, from Texas to California, and at the end you’ll get 2 million USD cash.
You will not hesitate. Your response would be, “Absolutely sir, say no more,” and you’d get right on it. You won’t just walk, you’ll run.
But make that same offer to a guy already earning 500,000–1,000,000 per annum. Suddenly, they are trying to figure out whether walking 4 straight days with no sleep is worth 2 million USD.
Same activity, same monetary amount, but different perceived values.
The Solution to behavioral procrastination is simple.
Abandon the goal if the reward does not appear valuable enough or spend some time making the reward crystal clear and real enough to your mind.
Motivation is the driving force behind all human actions. It is the reason why you do anything.
The Second reason why people procrastinate is biological, or better yet, neurological.
And it has to do with a hormone called dopamine…
Now here is where things begin to get really tricky.
Dopamine is your brain’s reward system. It is the hormone responsible for pleasure, satisfaction, and motivation.
Anytime you engage in, or anticipate a pleasurable activity, dopamine is released.
How Exactly does this lead to Procrastination?
Because one of the brain’s main priorities is efficient energy allocation, it prioritizes activities that bring the most pleasure.
Ever wonder why you could binge-watch a TV show or play video games for 3–6 hours, but the minute you pick up a book to read, you start dozing off?
Think about how many times you have needed willpower just to stop yourself from endlessly scrolling on Instagram or TikTok, or eating junk food.
This is because your brain is constantly asking “What activity could bring me the most pleasure right now?”
The more rewarding or pleasurable an activity is, the higher the dopamine released when you engage in it.
On the flip side, think about activities that really make big impacts in your life;
Studying for a degree, learning a difficult skill like coding, eating healthy, going to the gym, training for a marathon, meeting new people, you know, the activities that actually move the needle.
However, because the rewards of these activities are mostly delayed, and most times not even guaranteed, our brains are more reluctant to direct energy toward these “low reward” activities.
So, we just find them harder to do.
Each time you engage in an easy, pleasurable task such as mindless social media scrolling or playing video games; the brain’s reward system is activated by releasing dopamine.
You feel good, causing your brain to want to spend longer on these activities, leading to repeated dopamine spikes.
Over time this leads to dopamine desensitization, which makes your brain less responsive to productive tasks that feel less rewarding, while constantly seeking more of those pleasurable ones.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why you keep unconsciously reaching for your phone, why we keep eating when we’re full.
Why we struggle to turn off the TV way past midnight, even though we have to wake up at 6 am.
How to fix the dopamine problem
- Be intentional about starting and finishing those hard goals.
Do not wait for motivation. Start anyway. Most times, the resistance is strongest at the beginning. Once you get going, your brain begins to adjust, and the task feels less heavy. Finishing tasks also matters. Every time you complete something, you reinforce a pattern that tells your brain that effort leads somewhere. That alone begins to rebuild your drive.
2. Limit time spent on pleasurable, junk activities.
This does not mean you have to completely cut them out, but you have to be honest about how much time they are taking from you. If your brain is constantly fed with high stimulation, everything else will feel dull in comparison. Give your brain some room to reset. Spend less time on social media, reduce mindless scrolling, and be more conscious about what you consume daily. You will notice that the “hard” things slowly start to feel a bit more doable.
4. Break down big goals into chunks; Build Momentum.
Big goals feel overwhelming, and your brain naturally avoids overwhelming things. But smaller tasks feel manageable. Instead of saying “I will study for 5 hours,” say “I will study for 20 minutes.” Instead of “I will get fit,” say “I will go for a short run today.” Small wins build momentum, and momentum makes action easier.
5. Visualize the pleasurable outcome that comes from hard goals.
Your brain responds to what it can see and feel. If the reward is too distant or abstract, it loses interest. Take a moment to actually picture the outcome. The degree, the body, the skill, the confidence, the life that comes with it. Make it real in your mind. The clearer the reward, the easier it is for your brain to justify the effort.
One last thing.
Create a little friction between you and your distractions and remove friction from the things that matter. Put your phone away when you need to focus. Keep your books or work tools within reach. Make the right thing easier to start, and the wrong thing slightly harder to access.
I hope this helps someone out.