When I talk to adults with ADHD, procrastination is definitely one of the top behaviors that they would like to change. And oftentimes, they tell me, \u201cI know what to do, I\u2019m just not doing it.\u201d This is often followed by, \u201cI just need to do it!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The thinking behind these statements is that, \u201cIf I know what to do and it\u2019s important to do that, then I should just be able to do it. Of course, the assumption underlying this is that the problem is purely one of motivation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
While motivation might be one element, it is almost certainly not the whole story. More often, what\u2019s going on is some kind of resistance, or occasionally indifference to the task itself<\/strong>. I\u2019ll say more about both of these below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But the belief is that by working with me, I can somehow help them manufacture the motivation they need to follow through and stop procrastinating. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I can\u2019t. But I can help them uncover the reasons they are putting off their tasks and then find strategies to help them follow through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, let\u2019s start by defining a few terms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Simply put, procrastination<\/strong> is the behavior of putting off a task you intend to do<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For purposes of this article, I\u2019ll define intend <\/strong>as a task <\/strong>you have on your task lis<\/strong>t, whether that is on a sticky on your desk, in an email you sent to yourself, in a task manager or somewhere else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wherever the task is, you\u2019ve marked a line in the sand, so to speak. That is it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you are procrastinating, it is most often preceded by an internal feeling of resistance <\/strong>to moving toward the task. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Resistance doesn\u2019t look the same in every situation, and I\u2019ll walk through some of the most common forms it takes below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The source of the resistance is what you\u2019ll need to figure out in order to address your procrastination, because trying to manufacture motivation without knowing the reason you\u2019re feeling this resistance will likely be fruitless and frustrating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s like Sisyphus rolling the stone up the hill. You may get partway there, but you\u2019ll likely end up back at the beginning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you don\u2019t see value or reward in doing a task, you\u2019re more likely to procrastinate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And I\u2019m not necessarily talking about an intrinsic reward, like enjoying the task or feeling motivated to do it. Rather, by reward, I mean some payoff or consequence that matters enough to you to make doing the task worthwhile<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, a former client found himself often arguing with his wife because he neglected to take out the recycling. There was absolutely nothing about the recycling that he found intrinsically rewarding, obviously. But he did value being an equal partner and following through on his commitments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So he was by no means indifferent to taking out the recycling. In fact, he discovered that he wanted to do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I know sometimes you may find that you have a task on your list because it\u2019s something you think you should do. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But what if you genuinely can\u2019t find any value in doing the task<\/strong>? If you truly discover that you are indifferent to it, that there\u2019s absolutely no reward, then that\u2019s a different story. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And if that\u2019s the case, consider whether it would be best to drop the task<\/strong> altogether. The beauty of doing that, of course, is that you\u2019ll no longer be procrastinating. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Nice, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n For ADHD adults, another common reason for procrastinating is a lack of clarity about some part of doing the task<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are a few common places<\/strong> where that clarity breaks down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You don\u2019t have the right first step<\/strong>. For example, you might have \u201ctake the bike for a tune-up\u201d on your task list, but you don\u2019t yet know where to take it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Or you don\u2019t know how to do the task<\/strong>. If you put \u201ccreate a budget\u201d on your task list, that may be too vague to act on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Or you\u2019re not clear about your objective<\/strong>. For example, you sit down to write an email to your boss and start putting in everything but the kitchen sink. Then you stop, not because you\u2019re avoiding it, but because you\u2019re not clear on what the email is actually meant to accomplish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you\u2019re missing this kind of clarity, the task comes to mind, and you think, \u201cI need to do that.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n But because the path forward isn\u2019t clear, you keep glossing over it in the moment, and the procrastination continues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beyond a lack of clarity about how to do a task, another common reason ADHD adults procrastinate is fear of failing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I see this fear show up in many different contexts<\/strong>. Sometimes the consequences of failing are relatively minor, and other times they feel much more significant, as in the examples that follow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, I\u2019ve worked with clients who hesitate to start a workout routine<\/strong> because, historically, they\u2019ve never been able to stick with one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But the fear can feel very different when the stakes seem higher. Take writing a report for work<\/strong>, for example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then there are situations with even greater perceived consequences, like starting your own business<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Where is fear of failure getting in the way of moving forward?<\/p>\n\n\n\n The flip side of fear of failure is fear of succeeding. But because it doesn\u2019t make sense for many people as a reason why ADHD adults would procrastinate, this fear often flies under the radar. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But, as you know, performance can be inconsistent for many ADHD adults. And if you also have a history of inconsistent performance, fear of success can breed procrastination, perhaps because<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n So then you may use procrastination to avoid raising the bar on yourself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Where are you playing small because of your fear of succeeding?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another top reason adults with ADHD procrastinate is when they\u2019re feeling unmotivated, lacking the energy to tackle a task. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Even though it may be a task that holds a lot of weight for them<\/strong> because it aligns with their values or supports one or more of their goals<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m sure this happens to you. And this one is really tricky. Because, as you know, you can\u2019t always wait to feel like doing something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What you may do at this critical moment of choice, when deciding whether to do the task or not, is say to yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ll do it later. I don\u2019t need to do that right now. I\u2019ll get to it.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Though I bet you also don\u2019t set a definite day or time when you will get back to it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In fact, if the truth be told, you\u2019re not really intending to do it later in any actual sense. You\u2019re really just saying to yourself, \u201cI\u2019m not going to do it now.\u201d But telling yourself you\u2019re going to do it later just gives you a little bit more comfort, right? <\/p>\n\n\n\n Other times, your procrastination may have to do with a strong emotion, whether related to the task or to the people involved. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Maybe because you\u2019re peeved at your boss, partner, colleague, or someone else. And now you just don\u2019t want to…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whether it\u2019s hurt, anger, resentment, or something else you are feeling, your ADHD-related challenges with managing frustration can also magnify the situation<\/strong>, especially if you have thoughts swirling in your head like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Where do you resist doing tasks because you\u2019re frustrated, hurt, angry, or resentful?<\/p>\n\n\n\n In moments like this, procrastination might feel like the only way you can push back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s probably no surprise that distraction can also be a reason you procrastinate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maybe it shows up when you intend to do one task, but you get pulled into your own thoughts. Or maybe an email pops up. Then again, you may suddenly feel like doing another task that is more interesting or easier. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And the thing you intended to do goes by the wayside. While you definitely made a choice, the shift can happen so quickly that you don\u2019t even notice you abandoned your original task until later<\/strong>, sometimes much later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The last reason I\u2019ll share is that ADHD adults may procrastinate when their brain and body simply don\u2019t have the fuel needed to stay on task. This could be a lack of sleep, food, water, medication, movement, or some combination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You may not initially think of running on empty as a reason you put things off. But I\u2019m sure once you think about it, it makes sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just as a car isn\u2019t going to run well when it\u2019s low on gas, it\u2019s hard to expect yourself to think clearly and follow through when you\u2019re running on fumes<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As you go about your daily tasks, notice when you are not doing something you said you were going to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Refer back to this list, and try to figure out if one or more of the above reasons is the cause of your procrastination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then stay tuned for the next post, where I\u2019ll offer you solutions.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Note: This article was originally published on March 8th, 2024, and fully updated on January 8th, 2026.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" ADHD procrastination is more complex than it looks. Discover the 8 reasons you may resist doing a task and why motivation isn\u2019t the answer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":18840,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[736,727],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18837","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-adhd-follow-through","category-blog"],"yoast_head":"\nWhat Is ADHD Procrastination?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Internal Resistance Triggers Procrastination in ADHD Adults <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
ADHD Adults Procrastinate When They Do Not Value a Task <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Being Indifferent to Doing a Task Can Cause ADHD Procrastination <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
ADHD Adults Procrastinate When Unsure How to Do a Task<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Fear of Failure Fuels Procrastination for ADHD Adults<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Fear of Success Can Drive Procrastination <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Why ADHD Adults Procrastinate When Feeling Unmotivated<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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When Procrastination Is Driven by Frustration<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Why Procrastination Happens When You\u2019re Distracted<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Neglecting Self-Care Leads to Procrastination for ADHD Adults<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Procrastination and Next Steps for ADHD Adults<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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