Procrastination is a Puzzle

It was 9:45 PM. The house was finally quiet, toys put away, dishes done, my daughter asleep. I sat at my desk with my laptop open, telling myself, “Tonight I’m going to knock out two blogs.”

Fast forward an hour… I was still staring at the blinking cursor. My phone sat next to me, calling my name. I checked emails, scrolled Instagram, even reorganized desk, everything except actually writing.

And then I whispered that familiar excuse: “I’ll just do it tomorrow.”

But here’s the truth: tomorrow turned into the next day, and the next. And those “two blogs a day” I kept promising myself? They never happened.

Sound familiar?

Understanding Procrastination (And Why It’s Not Laziness)

Many moms mistake procrastination for laziness, but it’s actually more about avoiding discomfort. Dr. Tim Pychyl, a leading expert on procrastination, explains that procrastination is a “short-term mood repair.” People procrastinate because they are trying to avoid or manage negative feelings associated with a task.

When I peeled it back, I realized two main reasons kept me stuck:

1. Lack of Clarity. Saying “write two blogs” was so vague that my brain froze. What blog? What topic? Where do I start? Without clear steps, everything felt like one giant, blurry to-do.
2. Fear of Failure. The sneaky one. I wanted the blogs to be “really good,” so I put them off until I felt more prepared. But deep down, I was scared they might not be good enough at all.

Your brain tells you you’ll be “more ready” later, but all it’s doing is keeping you stuck in a loop:

Delay → Pressure builds → Rushed work → Disappointment → More delay.

Why We Procrastinate? Listen on Apple Podcasts (Click Here)

Why “Now” Beats “Later” in Overcoming Procrastination

Content creation taught me this the hard way.

I used to delay filming videos because I wanted everything to be perfect, the right shot, perfect lighting, no background noise, hair and makeup done. But the more I waited for “perfect,” the less content I actually created.

And when I finally did record, I was rushing, second-guessing myself, and often unhappy with the result.

That’s what procrastination does. It convinces you that waiting will make things better, when really, it just steals your momentum.

If you start now, as is, even with imperfect lighting, kids playing in the background, or your hair in a messy bun, you give yourself something priceless: room to improve. Each video, blog, or podcast draft becomes practice. And practice is what builds progress, not perfection and you can also use it as “then” vs. “now” content.

4 Small Steps to Beat Procrastination as a Mompreneur

What’s been working for me isn’t a magic formula, it’s small actions stacked over time:

1. Start, even if you don’t finish. I once heard (from a creator or maybe an author…I honestly can’t remember who) that starting a task the night before and leaving it unfinished can actually help. The idea is that your brain has already begun, so when you return the next day, you’re not starting from zero, you’re picking up momentum with a fresh mind. I’ve been trying this, and it works.
2. Celebrate small wins. This one is tough for me, because if I’m being real? I want huge wins. Like, “land me on a billboard in Times Square” type of wins. But I also know that’s not realistic right now. So I’m learning to clap for myself when I hit publish on a blog, or record a podcast episode, or even just draft an outline. It’s practice both in content creation and in giving myself credit.
3. Don’t aim for perfect, just start. This is another muscle I’m still building. I used to tell myself, “Once the shot is perfect, once the lighting is right, once I feel totally ready…” But the truth is, perfect never comes. Now I push myself to just start, even if it’s messy (it usually is lol). But, messy content still moves the needle. Perfect content that never leaves my drafts does nothing.
4. Tie new tasks to habits you already have. I realized if I waited for big, empty stretches of time, nothing got done. So instead, I started attaching new tasks to things I already do. For example: jotting down content ideas while waiting in the school pickup line or recording a quick voice memo right after the gym. These little habit-pairings make progress almost automatic.

The Moral of the Story

Procrastination isn’t laziness, it’s fear dressed up as “later.” And every time we wait for perfect timing, perfect lighting, or the perfect plan, we’re really just keeping our dreams on pause.