Procrastination is a universal human experience. It is the gap between intention and action, the frustrating habit of delaying important tasks despite knowing we will be worse off for it. We tell ourselves we’ll start tomorrow, next week, or when we "feel like it." But this "thief of time," as the saying goes, robs us of our potential, creates unnecessary stress, and stands as a formidable barrier to achieving our goals.

But procrastination is not a character flaw or a sign of laziness. It is a complex emotional response, a way of coping with challenging feelings associated with a task, such as boredom, anxiety, or self-doubt. To defeat it, we don't need more willpower or self-criticism. We need smarter strategies and a deeper understanding of our own psychology.