April 2,2025:We’ve all done it – promising ourselves we’ll start that important project tomorrow, or Monday, or next month when the “timing feels right.” While occasional procrastination is normal, for some people, it becomes a destructive pattern.
Research has found that 20% of U.S. men and women are chronic procrastinators, meaning one in five adults regularly delay important tasks despite knowing better. This isn’t just occasional laziness – for many, it’s a deeply ingrained behavioural pattern that affects their work, relationships, and mental wellbeing.
“Most people think procrastination is just poor time management, but it’s actually much more complex than that,” says Howard Smith, Clinical Director at Rehab Bali, a world-class addiction and mental health treatment centre. “After working with hundreds of clients, I’ve identified one particular habit that signals someone is truly addicted to procrastination.”
That revealing habit? Constantly waiting for the ‘right moment.’.
Why ‘Waiting for the Right Moment’ Is a Warning Sign
This seemingly harmless habit – waiting for the perfect conditions before starting a task – is actually a major red flag. Smith explains that genuinely productive people understand there’s rarely an ideal moment to begin anything important.
“When someone consistently says they’re waiting for the right time, what they’re really doing is creating a permanent excuse,” Smith says. “Monday becomes next week, next week becomes next month, and suddenly a year has passed with no action taken.”
According to Smith, this pattern becomes particularly harmful when it transforms into an automatic response. The brain begins to associate starting tasks with discomfort and delays with temporary relief, creating a cycle that gets harder to break over time.
The Psychology Behind ‘Right Moment’ Procrastination
This specific procrastination habit has deep psychological roots. Smith identifies several key factors that drive this behaviour:
- Fear of Failure
For many chronic procrastinators, postponing tasks isn’t about laziness – it’s about avoiding the possibility of failure. By waiting for the “perfect moment,” they protect themselves from potentially disappointing results.
“If conditions aren’t perfect, you have a built-in excuse if things don’t go well,” Smith explains. “This creates a safety net for your self-esteem, but it comes at the cost of never actually making progress.”
- Perfectionism
Perfectionism and procrastination might seem like opposites, but they’re actually closely linked. The need for perfect conditions before starting can paralyse decision-making.
“Many of my clients with perfectionist tendencies struggle most with starting tasks,” says Smith. “They believe that if they can’t do something perfectly, it’s not worth doing at all. This creates impossible standards that no moment can ever live up to.”
- Present Bias
The human brain is wired to value immediate rewards over future benefits, a psychological tendency known as ‘present bias.’ This makes it difficult to choose short-term discomfort (starting a challenging task) over short-term comfort (putting it off).
“When you tell yourself you’ll start tomorrow, you get an immediate hit of relief,” Smith notes. “This creates a powerful reinforcement cycle that trains your brain to repeat the behaviour.”
- Emotional Regulation
Smith points out that procrastination often serves as a way to manage uncomfortable emotions.
“People often don’t realise that procrastination is primarily an emotional regulation problem, not a time management issue,” he says. “The act of postponing difficult tasks temporarily alleviates the anxiety, boredom, or frustration associated with them.”
Howard Smith, Clinical Director at Rehab Bali, commented:
“After working with hundreds of clients struggling with chronic procrastination, I’ve found that breaking free from this pattern requires addressing both the behaviour and its underlying causes. Start by acknowledging that no perfect moment exists – excellence comes from starting imperfectly and improving through action. Try breaking tasks into tiny steps that feel almost too easy to fail at, which helps overcome the initial resistance.
“It’s also vital to recognise the emotions driving your procrastination. When you feel the urge to wait for a ‘better time,’ pause and ask yourself what you’re really feeling – is it anxiety, self-doubt, or something else? Simply naming these emotions can reduce their power. Remember that procrastination is often about avoiding discomfort, not the task itself. With practice and self-compassion, you can learn to tolerate that discomfort long enough to take the first step, which is always the hardest.”