You aren’t lazy! You’re protecting yourself.

In the fall of 1830, the French author Victor Hugo was facing a crisis.

He had promised his publisher a new book twelve months earlier, but instead of writing, he had spent the year entertaining guests, pursuing side projects, and generally doing anything but writing. The publisher was furious. He gave Hugo an impossible ultimatum: Finish the book by February 1831—less than six months away—or face a massive penalty.

Hugo didn’t just need discipline; he needed a radical intervention. He collected all his formal clothes, locked them in a chest, and gave the key to an assistant with instructions not to return it. Left with nothing to wear but a large, knitted grey shawl, he was physically unable to leave his house to socialize.

With his distractions removed and his back against the wall, he wrote furiously. On January 14, 1831, weeks ahead of schedule, the ink dried on the final page of now legendary “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”.

Remember your 2026 goals and resolutions?

We are already weeks into the year. If you feel resistance creeping in, you aren't alone. Hugo’s story highlights a truth we often ignore:

We don’t procrastinate because we don’t know how to work. We procrastinate because we are fighting a feeling 👇

Procrastination is often a mask for deeper emotional states—fear, uncertainty, or perfectionism. It is not a character flaw; it is a mechanism your brain uses to protect you from discomfort.

You are caught between the pain of what needs to be done and the temporary relief of avoiding it. That relief is deceptive. It steals your power because waiting doesn’t resolve the tension; it compounds it.

To break the cycle, you don't need a better calendar. You need to change the story you are telling yourself.

Your brain won’t move without a purpose that pulls—not pushes.

Ask yourself: What is the cost of waiting?

If the answer is just "my boss will be mad," that’s weak fuel. Dig deeper. "If I delay, I stall my own growth." Your WHY has to hit you in the gut, not just your head. I will talk more about WHY and Purpose next week.

We often stall because we label a massive project as a single task (e.g., "Write the Proposal"). This big task looks like a threat to the brain, so it hits the brakes.

The Fix: Replace "Write X" with a checklist of sub-steps (outline, list sources, draft intro). Make the steps so small they feel trivial. Your brain will resist much less smaller tasks (that will eventually lead to completion of the large task)

Tim Urban’s famous metaphor reminds us that when rewards are far away, the brain defaults to what is easy and fun now.

The Fix: Bring the reward closer. Work in tiny sprints (15 - 30 minutes) and "bank" a visible win—one paragraph, one email draft—before you allow yourself to check your phone.

This is what I do every day! I set mu watch to 30 min. It gives me focus, and creates this competition with myself to see how much I can get done in that short time.

Forget big. Forget perfect. What is ONE bite-sized step you can do in the next 5 minutes?

The secret is starting. Momentum is magic. Your brain loves movement—every little win rewires your story from “I can’t” to “I’m doing.”

You cannot think your way out of a slump; sometimes you have to move your way out.

If you are frozen, stand up. Pump your fists. Breathe deep and fast. Speak out loud: “I decide to act NOW!” This isn't woo-woo; it’s biology. Change your chemistry and watch your brain follow.

Willpower is a battery that runs out; your environment is a structure that stays put. The easier it is to get distracted, the more willpower you burn trying to stay focused.

The Fix: Increase friction for distractions and decrease it for work.

Procrastination is a choice, not a fate. You have greatness to unleash—don't bury it under delay.

Here is your 3-step challenge to do RIGHT NOW:

Remember, every second you wait is a second stolen from your potential. Procrastination isn’t your enemy — complacency is. The moment you decide enough is enough, you shift from victim to victor.

You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to be moving. Leadership is about action. Take that first step, no matter how small, and the path reveals itself. Power lives in your choices—choose to rise, choose to act, choose to become the person who gets shit done.

Your breakthrough is waiting on the other side of action. Go claim it. I’m with you ✊

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