How Your Ego Uses Procrastination to Trick You into Thinking You're Productive
Procrastination is often seen as simply putting things off, but it’s a lot more fucking complex than that. It’s not just a bad habit; it can be a subconscious strategic move by your ego to keep you stuck in comfort and familiarity. Procrastination is one of the most deceptive tools your ego uses to keep you from growing and achieving your potential—potential of which would bring with it ego’s greatest enemy—change.
Ego's Desire for Control
Ego is a control freak. It fears uncertainty, failure and being exposed as "not enough." When faced with a challenging task, the ego’s instinct is to create a diversion. Instead of directly confronting the task at hand, it lures you into doing something else that feels "productive" but doesn’t move you forward. You might find yourself tidying up your workspace, responding to emails or organizing paperwork. These tasks feel productive, and your ego convinces you that you’re making progress—when in reality, you’re avoiding the real work.
Procrastination as a Shield from Fear
On a subconscious level, procrastination is a form of self-sabotage driven by fear. Fear that you aren’t good enough, smart enough or resilient enough to succeed. Or possibly even fear that you may succeed. There’s a mind-fuck of an idea for you. But think about it, success brings about new exposure and attention. If there’s a shadow part of you that feels like a fraud, your ego convinces you that others will see you that way. Always remember, ego places no value judgement on change. In ego’s eyes—positive or negative—change is always a threat.
The False Sense of Accomplishment
Procrastination tricks you into believing you're accomplishing something because you get a sense of satisfaction from completing minor tasks. This is the false sense of accomplishment that the ego provides. It makes you feel good about accomplishing little tasks while sidestepping the real work that requires vulnerability and courage. When you deep clean your oven, or organize your miscellaneous wood screws drawer, or go through your closet and clear out all those oily-ass night time shirts instead of working on a project, your ego convinces you that you're making strides. However, this false sense of productivity is nothing more than a distraction that keeps you from tackling what really matters: building your empire.
The Ego's Need for Perfectionism
Perfectionism is another way your ego fuels procrastination. The ego fears judgment and criticism, and it convinces you that unless something is perfect, it’s not worth doing at all. This causes delays in starting projects because you're waiting for the “perfect” moment or the “perfect” conditions to take action. If you’re like me, you find yourself in perpetual research loops; attempting to educate your way to action. This is merely another trick. Procrastination feeds off this pursuit to perfectionism, ensuring that you never start or make meaningful progress because you’re constantly waiting for things to align perfectly—something that never fucking happens.
Procrastination as an Avoidance of Self-Reflection
The more insidious result of procrastination, is keeping us at bay from self-reflection. Facing our fears, doubts and insecurities is really fucking hard, and the ego wants to avoid that discomfort at all costs. It prefers to keep you in the shallow end, focusing on easy tasks that don’t require introspection or growth. By procrastinating, you avoid confronting the parts of yourself that need attention—this is the ego's playground.
Procrastination as an Avoidance of Discomfort
Ego doesn’t feel physical threats. It’s safely tucked away deep in your subconscious. It doesn’t respond to actions, only ideas. If a drunk throws a sucker-punch at you in a bar, your ego isn’t concerned about his intentions. Your conscious body will react accordingly—hopefully to your advantage. It’s not until after the event that your ego will “re-activate” and begin to feel the threat of what that boozehound’s actions really “meant” about you. But the ego is smart. It knows that the body is simple, and discomfort-averse. So it tricks us into alleviating our discomfort with physical remedies. Sex, drugs, alcohol, exercise, relaxation, and so forth. The ego will whisper to us that these distractions help us, because temporarily, they do. But ask yourself, (if applicable) what is this remedy numbing for you?
Breaking the Cycle of Ego-Driven Procrastination
So, how do we break free from this cycle of ego-driven procrastination? The first step is awareness. Recognize when you’re procrastinating and ask yourself, “what deeper fear or insecurity is being triggered here?” Is your ego trying to avoid failure? Are you afraid of being judged? Are you afraid of being seen? Once you identify the underlying fear, you can begin to challenge it. Start by taking small, manageable actions that move you toward your goal, even if it’s imperfect. Fuck that, especially if it’s imperfect. Over time, you’ll prove to yourself that taking imperfect action, is better than staying stuck in the illusion of productivity and perfection. And through repeatedly conquering your ego and pushing through procrastination, you will find strength in the results.
Practical Tips: Ways to Battle Procrastination
There are a million ways to approach a project. In order to find which method works best for you, try a wide variety. You’ll find that most methods don’t work for you. This is wonderful news! Through trial and error and process of elimination, we gain clarity. Just understand that for every approach that fails your objective, your ego will attempt to convince you that the objective itself is a failure. Do. Not. Listen.
Here are some common ways to push through:
Set smaller tasks or “micro-goals.”
Dedicate specific time slots for tasks using a planner or app.
Commit to short bursts of focused work (e.g., 25 minutes with a 5-minute break, also known as the Pomodoro Technique).
Schedule rest time to avoid burnout.
Create a dedicated workspace free from interruptions.
Turn off notifications on your phone or computer. Or, remove your phone completely from your work space while focusing.
Establish realistic deadlines for tasks, even if none are provided.
Attach a small reward to completing a task (e.g., a treat, a break, or time for a hobby). Mine is golf.
Celebrate wins, no matter how small, to reinforce productivity.
Visualize the relief or success you’ll feel when the task is completed.
Remind yourself that progress, not perfection, is the goal.
Consider working alongside someone (virtually or in person) to maintain focus. This doesn’t have to mean coaching, but you get what you pay for.
Identify tasks or steps you’re avoiding and pinpoint why they feel difficult.
