Procrastination

I put this blog off way too long.

Procrastination is funny like that. It’s not just delaying action; it’s replacing it with something far less important.

I'm constantly working on curriculum, but sometimes I find myself sidetracked by research like how an organization trained an otter to search for dead bodies.

​That’s true, by the way. And now you’re curious too, aren’t you?

Why do we procrastinate? Because our brains love immediate gratification, and hard things don’t always offer that.

At some point, I started claiming that I “work best under pressure.”
I even believed it.

But let’s be honest—what I really meant was, “I refuse to start until the fear of missing a deadline outweighs my desire to scroll endlessly on something else.”

That’s not a productivity hack; it’s survival mode. And survival mode rarely produces our best work.

Procrastination isn’t laziness, though. It’s often fear.
Fear of doing something imperfectly.
Fear of the effort required.
Fear of facing something uncomfortable.

And the problem with waiting until the last minute? It robs you of the luxury of revision, depth, and the chance to do something thoughtfully instead of just done.

The solution? Some will say to break the task into small steps, set deadlines, and hold yourself accountable. Maybe that works for some people.

But for me, the answer is much simpler: Just start.
Even if it’s messy, even if it’s imperfect—just start.
Momentum builds. And action beats anxiety every time.

I put this off way too long. But hey, at least I wrote it, and I hope you enjoy it!

Now, about that PowerPoint…

- Brian Townsend, Eagle 6 Training