Solving the Procrastination Puzzle: 8 key ideas
The core ideas of Solving the Procrastination Puzzle, each in under a minute, written in our own words. Want the full depth? Get the book.
- IDEA 1 OF 8
Procrastination is needless delay
Pychyl defines procrastination as voluntarily delaying something you intend to do, even though you expect to be worse off.
Not all delay is procrastination; planned or sensible waiting is different from putting off work against your own interests.
- IDEA 2 OF 8
We give in to feel good
Pychyl argues that procrastination is mainly about emotion, not time management.
When a task feels boring, frustrating or difficult, we avoid it to feel better right now, choosing short-term mood repair over long-term goals.
- IDEA 3 OF 8
Tomorrow rarely feels better
Procrastinators often tell themselves they will feel more like doing the task later.
Pychyl explains that this hope is usually false, because the same unpleasant feelings will still be there tomorrow, often stronger.
- IDEA 4 OF 8
You needn't feel like it
Pychyl's key advice is that you can act without waiting for the right mood.
Accepting that you do not feel like starting, and starting anyway, breaks the link between feelings and action.
- IDEA 5 OF 8
Just get started
Getting started is usually the hardest part, Pychyl notes, and once people begin, tasks often feel less unpleasant than expected.
Focusing only on the first small step lowers the barrier and builds momentum.
- IDEA 6 OF 8
Make if-then plans in advance
Pychyl recommends implementation intentions: specific plans such as when I finish lunch, I will open my essay file.
Deciding in advance when and where you will act makes starting more automatic and less dependent on willpower.
- IDEA 7 OF 8
Forgive yourself to stop repeating it
Pychyl describes research on students who forgave themselves for procrastinating before one exam and then procrastinated less before the next.
Self-forgiveness, he argues, reduces guilt and makes it easier to try again.
- IDEA 8 OF 8
Your future self deserves care
Procrastinators tend to treat their future self like a stranger who will somehow handle the work.
Pychyl suggests thinking more concretely about that future self, so today's choices feel connected to tomorrow's consequences.
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