As a coach, I see it all the time: perfectionism fueling procrastination, ADHD traits making time management trickier, and self-criticism keeping people stuck in avoidance mode. It’s not laziness (well, sometimes it is — let’s be real! 😉), but more often, it’s the complex combination of perfectionism, procrastination, and sometimes, ADHD symptoms that makes it harder to get things done.

There’s a ton of research in psychology, neuroscience, and organizational behavior that sheds light on these challenges. These challenges rarely stand alone. More often than not, they overlap and feed into each other in ways that can make progress feel frustratingly out of reach. And the good news? Once you see how these patterns work, you can start to loosen their grip and make progress with less stress.

Perfectionism and Procrastination
Perfectionists set the bar sky-high making it hard to even start a task.Then, when a task feels overwhelming, procrastination kicks in as a way to dodge the discomfort. Before you know it, time disappears, and stress levels spike. Sound familiar? That’s because perfectionism and procrastination love to work together to mess with your time management.

Perfectionism without Procrastination
Not all perfectionists procrastinate. Some are highly productive but at a cost. If you’re constantly tweaking, overworking, or feeling like your best is never enough, you might be paying in other ways:

• Endless refining: You get things done, but only after spending way too much time making everything “just right.”
• Exhaustion: High standards can push you to overwork, leading to burnout.
• Harsh self-criticism: Even when you do great work, you might not feel satisfied, which fuels stress and imposter syndrome.
• Avoiding risks: Fear of mistakes can keep you playing it safe, missing out on creative opportunities or growth.

Perfectionism and ADHD
For many people with ADHD, perfectionism adds another layer of frustration. Missing deadlines, avoiding tasks, or struggling to finish projects often ties back to perfectionist tendencies. Other times, it’s as simple as “I wasn’t in the mood” or “I forgot about it.” Whatever the reason, the result is the same: increased stress, low self-esteem, and that awful feeling of letting yourself down.

What the Experts Say
I love digging into research, and these three experts offer some great insights into the perfectionism-procrastination trap:

Adam Grant: Done Is Better Than Perfect
Organizational psychologist Adam Grant points out that perfectionists often get stuck in endless tweaking mode, leading to missed deadlines and lost momentum. His advice? Shift your focus to progress over perfection. Getting something done at 80% is usually better than spending twice as long chasing 100%. Perfectionism drains time, energy, and motivation—and the cost isn’t always worth it.

Rick Hanson: Your Brain Loves to Focus on the Negative
Neuropsychologist Rick Hanson explains that our brains are wired to dwell on mistakes more than successes. This negativity bias keeps perfectionists locked in self-criticism, afraid of failing, and hesitant to start. His take? Train your brain to celebrate small wins instead of obsessing over flaws. The more you recognize progress, the less perfectionism holds you back.

Timothy A. Pychyl: Perfectionism Fuels Procrastination
Procrastination expert Timothy A. Pychyl says perfectionists often put off tasks because they fear their work won’t be good enough. The solution? Just start. A messy first draft is better than no draft at all. He also suggests focusing on starting, not finishing. Instead of thinking, “I have to finish this,” tell yourself, “I’ll work on this for 10 minutes.” Once you’re in motion, it’s easier to keep going.

Moving Forward
Perfectionism, procrastination, and ADHD can make everyday tasks feel like a battle. But understanding how these tendencies interact can help you shift your mindset and take back control of your time. Start by:

• Celebrating progress over perfection
• Cutting yourself some slack
• Taking small, manageable steps

It’s not about being perfect—it’s about moving forward, even if it’s just one imperfect step at a time.

I'm here for you,
Coach Minda

'New Year's Resolutions and goals in general tend to focus on  lifestyle changes, e.g., eating healthier, losing weight, exercising more, quitting smoking, drinking less or saving money and work  related goals such as improving time management skills,  achieving life-work balance or procrastinating less.

If you want to come up with a goal or two, ask yourself: 

• What would make me feel happier, more satisfied, or more pleased with myself?
• What am I not doing that is keeping me from feeling better about myself? 

Goals can refer to:

• A change in habits (I am going to turn off all devices an hour before bed),
• A specific action/step you will take over a specified time frame (I am going to clean out the garage this weekend or over the next two weekends)
• Multiple actions/steps over a longer time frame (lose weight, learn a new sport, become more effective with my time, be less anxious)

Goals have a few key components:

• Time frame (anything from a week to years)
• Complexity (a few actions to many actions, steps and tasks)
• Challenge (amount of effort/output required, degree of risk)
• Investment (the degree to which you feel a strong commitment or motivation to act on the goal)

Here is an example of a recent goal that demonstrates the interplay of  these components.

A goal written on a piece of paper has no impact. These are forgettable, uninspiring and impossible to realize goals. For a goal to come alive, you must break your goal into chunks, made up of very specific tasks or actions (small steps are much more manageable), and you must make progress every day or at least every week, incrementally, because success comes one step at a time, not all at once in a rush.

You need to make an effort to do something every day to support your goals and reinforce your focus by referring back to your goals. Ask yourself: Is this action in support of my goals?

Breathe life into what you want to accomplish. The more you do that, the more you will find meaning, commitment and focus in your efforts. Be realistic. Envision the steps required to move forward.

Some people are hard-core – they are well prepared, determined and committed to making a change or achieving some measurable result and have specific actions and steps to take within a pre-determined time frame. 

Hard core means:

• Single-minded in the pursuit of their achievements
• Disciplined and in the habit of working hard to get what they want
• Oriented towards a long-term goal such as completing an ironman competition, climbing Kilimanjaro, or saving money for a house

The rest of us inch our way towards change, making gradual refinements over time. Maybe we are not hard core, i.e., very disciplined, determined, single-minded and resolute but we can still make progress on things that are important to us.   

Taking the small steps that add up to something you want to achieve requires motivation, discipline and vision to succeed. You need a mindset to want things to be different and a readiness to change.
 
Goal-oriented people who are focused on accomplishment and achievement have varying degrees of commitment, motivation, engagement and stick to- it-ness. Some goals are harder to reach. Some obstacles are harder to overcome. Discipline and motivation ebbs and flows. The drive to succeed can change. Focus wanes.
 
Making headway on our goals requires that we keep them front and centre and do something daily/weekly to make progress. It is too easy otherwise to forget what we are even trying to achieve.

Ultimately, we achieve our own goals on our own. We also benefit from support along the way.

• If you are interested in becoming more skilful in a sport or a creative pursuit, you need teachers who can provide you with feedback and focus
• If you want to become financially more independent, there is a lot to learn from a financial advisor
• If you need a boost having an exercise buddy is motivating

 
Of course, too, a lot of support can be gained from self-study: reading, listening to podcasts or speaking to others who have been successful in similar areas of interest.
 
There is a puzzling dynamic at work for some people who:

• Have tried many times and failed at achieving their goals
• Routinely undermine their own success
• Are paralyzed by inaction
• Feel defeated and have lost interest in trying anymore

Don’t give up. Seek professional support or a good friend you can buddy up with.

As a coach, I wear a few different hats with respect to goal setting:

• Sounding board – to test out ideas and create vision
• Questioner – to provoke insights, and understand resistance and fear about change
• Planner – co-design goals, steps and timelines

• Strategist - to deal with setbacks, challenges and discomfort along the way
• Accountability cop - to help you stay motivated and disciplined

Changing behavior is not easy, at all. It took me weeks to get into a habit of drinking water and a few summers to build up the confidence, stamina and endurance to bike up to the summit of Mount Royal in Montreal.
 
As a way to build up energy towards making goals, start by reading up on the subject of interest (exercise, diet, finances, procrastination, you name it), reflect on the benefits, and consider the long-term consequences of not making a change. Think hard about WHY you want to make this change or WHY you want to accomplish a particular goal. Talk to people you admire and have already achieved what you want.

Set realistic goals
You might want to lose 15 or 50 pounds, but the key is translating that into a series of smaller and highly doable goals. For example, start with any of the ideas below and gradually add others:

• Take healthy lunches to work
• Climb stairs at work or in the metro/subway
• Plan and prepare meals so you don’t come home starving and eat everything in sight
• Stop buying junk food
• Learn how to relax so when feeling stressed, eating isn’t the first impulse
• Work with a therapist or a coach

Change via the tweak

• Change is not an all or nothing proposition. Small and frequent, or little and often, can result in significant changes for the better.

Recognize when you are slipping back into old ways or not making any progress

• Slipping up or losing momentum is part of the human conditions, so make adjustments and keep on.

I wish you a New Year filled with health, love, joy, fun and success in all your endeavours.

Coach Minda