Why we Procrastinate (and how it should shape our 2026 goals)

It’s the end of the year, and like many of you, I follow a personal ritual: reviewing the past twelve months and preparing for the next cycle.

Last year, I introduced the Hoshin Matrix as a structured way to define your goals and the strategy behind them. I adapted it for personal use and created a step-by-step guide to help you fill in each section with clarity and intention. Access the full article here: Welcome 2025.

This time, as we approach 2026, I want to offer a different lens: let’s talk about procrastination, and why understanding it can make your next set of objectives far more realistic, sustainable, and aligned with how you truly operate.

Here’s what we’ll explore:

• What procrastination really is

• What research reveals about why we do it

• Why listening to your procrastination matters (the good and the bad)

• Practical ways to manage it when planning 2026

Let’s dive in! 🤿

The word procrastination comes from the Latin procrastināre:

• pro = forward

• crastinus = of tomorrow

Literally “pushing things to tomorrow.”

Philosophers like Socrates and Aristotle used akrasia to describe the inner conflict between intention and action.

Research over the past two decades has reframed procrastination as an emotion-regulation issue, not a time-management failure.
A leading voice in this field, Fuschia Sirois, has shown in multiple studies and publications that people procrastinate to avoid negative emotions such as anxiety, frustration, or self-doubt, choosing short-term relief over long-term benefits.

In a nutshell:

Procrastination isn’t about laziness. It’s an emotion-regulation strategy.

The science is clear: we procrastinate not because we’re disorganised, but because we’re human.

Understanding this is key.

Procrastination is not a productivity flaw, it’s a signal.

The “bad” side:

Left unmanaged, procrastination creates stress, slows execution, and leaves important goals unrealised.
It can signal fear, perfectionism, low energy, or poor task design.

The “good” side:

Yes, there is one. Procrastination can reveal:

• Misaligned goals

• Difficult, boring or tedious tasks

• Tasks you don’t genuinely value

• Lack of clarity or missing resources

• Situations where you need support, not more discipline

• Projects that require reframing, simplifying, or sequencing differently

• Fear to fear, to feel anxious, so you avoid it

Or simply..

• That it’s not the right time and you only need to find a different moment or space in your life.

If you listen carefully, procrastination becomes feedback, not failure.

The solutions to procrastination need to focus more on how feelings are managed rather than on productivity and time management.

When defining your 2026 objectives, consider:

• Choose goals you truly care about, that are quantifiable and depend on yourself.

• Break goals into visible progress steps. Design the first step you have to take as many times it’s the most difficult.

• Preview what can go wrong.

• Cultivate pacience and don’t get obsessed with difficulties or boredom.

• Remember how bad you feel when you abandon.

• Try to design routines and avoid the trap of leaving it for Monday.

• Reduce emotional friction by making tasks smaller, safer, or more supportive.

• Use procrastination as a diagnostic tool.

• Be kind to yourself. Self-judgement locks you in the cycle. Self-compassion gets you moving.

And mainly…

• Continue passionately visualizing how you will feel when you achieve them.

“You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.“ Quote attributed to Martin Luther King Jr.

See you next week. 👋

Sirois, F. M., & Pychyl, T. A. (2013). Procrastination and the priority of short-term mood regulation: Consequences for future self. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 7(2), 115–127. https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/id/eprint/91793/

Sirois, F. M. (2014). Out of sight, out of time? A meta-analytic investigation of procrastination and time perspective. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 44(7), 509–519. https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/id/eprint/91789/

Sirois, F. M. (2023). Procrastination and stress: A conceptual review of why context matters. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(6), 5031. https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/6/5031

Ramírez, P. (2024). Cómo tener tiempo para todo. Grijalbo.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this newsletter and related resources is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It reflects both researched facts and my personal views. It does not constitute professional advice. Any actions taken based on the content of this newsletter are at the reader’s discretion.