The Procrastination Matrix Will Help You Finally Get Things Done

I know what I should be doing. I even know what I want to do. But I’m not doing it.

If you’ve ever heard these words come out of your mouth, or if you work with clients who aren’t taking action, then my Procrastination Maxtrix is for you.

Unpacking the reasons why someone isn’t taking action is at the heart of the work I do with my clients — and myself. All human beings procrastinate at some point, on something. As a woman with ADHD, sometimes it seems like procrastination is part of my DNA. I’ve spent many years digging into it and unpacking it.

To start, it’s important to recognize that not all delay is procrastination. Sometimes there are legitimate reasons to delay taking action.

That said, when it is procrastination, then it helps to understand what’s causing the procrastination. Sometimes the answer is simple: fear.

More often, it’s more complex. Especially for neurodivergent people, procrastination can be a complex web that involves issues unrelated to the task you’re procrastinating.

The Procrastination Matrix is a tool I created over several years that helps get to the bottom of procrastination.

What is The Procrastination Matrix?

The Procrastination Matrix involves a set of conditions (or factors) that influence task motivation — the driving force we need to do a task. Although I look at this through a lens of neurodivergence and ADHD, these factors can apply to anyone.

How Does The Procrastination Matrix Work?

The Fuel Tanks That Power Motivation and Action

Think of these factors as “fuel tanks” that power our motivation and drive to action.

When all the tanks are full, we take action with ease. The more tanks that are depleted, the harder it is to take action and the more likely we are to procrastinate.

As you go through them, give each a ranking from 0–10, with

• 0 being you don’t have this at all and
• 10 being that tank is full.

8 Elements of The Procrastination Matrix

I’ve been working with and developing this matrix for several years, and it’s always evolving.

Here are the current elements of the matrix:

(1) Clarity/Certainty

CLARITY/CERTAINTY:
How clear are you about the specifics of what you need to do?

How clear are you about what you need to do?

I have found that in most cases when someone says I know what I need to do… they actually don’t know what they need to do.

At least they don’t know specifically what they need to do. They may have a general idea of the task, but they aren’t clear on the specific components of it, or how to do it.

The nervous system likes specifics. Lack of clarity or specificity is the primary reason we don’t take action or make necessary changes.

Sometimes the uncertainty around a task keeps us from taking action. Other times, it’s general life uncertainty — for someone with limited bandwidth, a task that might be “objectively” simple can feel amorphous, and require more specifics than might seem necessary.

How to Create More Clarity

Specifics around the task include:

• Your ultimate outcome: if the task is part of a larger project, what result do you want to achieve with this task?
• The specifics of the task.
• The various elements of the task.
• Why you’re doing it.
• How to do it.
• What skills you need.
• The time frame.

Consider this in the context of exercise: it’s easier to procrastinate if you know you need to “exercise” than if you have clarity about what you’re going to do. What, specifically, will your “workout” involve?

• What specific exercises?
• How many sets?
• How many reps?
• What weights?
• For how long?
• How much rest between sets?
• What’s the warm-up?

The brain likes specific actions, especially when it’s dealing with something new. It will gloss over actions that aren’t specific.

(2) Comfort

COMFORT:
What’s your level of comfort with the task? How safe do you feel in doing this task?

What’s your level of comfort with the task?

How safe do you feel in doing this task?

“Comfort” in this context might mean “familiar” — the things you do with ease.

Usually, I distinguish between “comfort” and “safety.”

In this matrix, however, comfort also means a feeling of safety — specifically, nervous system safety.

The nervous system’s job is to keep us safe. If something doesn’t feel safe on a visceral level, the nervous system can shut down the mind and/or body to keep us away from the danger.

In effect, our nervous systems can get hijacked, putting us into one of the 5 fear responses: fight, flight, freeze, faint, fawn.

This might show up in the form of headaches or other physical pain, or extreme fatigue.

Comfort and clarity exist in dynamic tension with each other. The more uncomfortable or unsafe we feel, the more specificity we need around a task.

If you generally feel safe or have a high degree of comfort around a task, you will likely need less specificity.

(Make sure to read the disclaimer at the end of this essay for more on this.)

Going back to our workout example, for some people, the instruction to do 5 sets of 5 back squats is enough clarity. Others need to have more specific instruction about warm-up drills, rest periods, and what weight to load on the bar. The difference is in their comfort level with the movement.

(3) Capability

CAPABILITY:
What is your level of ability/skill/strength to do the task?

What is your level of ability/skill regarding the task?

Capability includes skill and knowledge about how to do the task, as well as the physical strength or stamina necessary to do it.

Clarity about the task is important, but it’s not enough to get you to take action if you don’t have the skills necessary to do the task.

For example, telling someone to do barbell snatches, even if you give them specific weights and rep schemes, won’t help if they don’t actually know how to do the movement, or if they don’t have the strength to do it at the prescribed weight.

(4) Confidence

CONFIDENCE:
What is your confidence level of your ability to do the task?

What is your confidence level around your ability to do this task?

In essence, this is a subjective measure of capability. You might objectively have the skills and strength to do the task, but if your confidence in that ability is low, you will procrastinate.

Low confidence leads to low motivation, which — especially for neurodivergent people — can be a barrier to taking action.

If your confidence is low, you want to look for ways that you can boost your confidence leading into the task.

Staying with our workout theme, if you have low confidence on your ability to lift a certain weight, you can start with sets at a lower weight. If you aren’t confident in your ability to do a specific movement, you can break down the movement into its parts and start with something easier.

(5) Capacity

CAPACITY:
What is the level of your available resources or bandwidth for the task?

What is the level of your available resources to handle the task?

Capacity refers to the resources necessary for the task. These can include time, money, space, equipment, and anything else pertinent to the current task.

It also includes nervous system resources, and therefore integrates with the comfort factor.

A big element of capacity for those of us who are neurodivergent is executive function, which includes decision-making, focus, attention, and frustration tolerance.

I often refer to this as “bandwidth.” On your phone, the more apps you have running at once, the more quickly your battery will drain, and the slower your phone will work. Your brain is the same way.

Regardless of how you feel about the task at hand, the more you have going on in your life in general the less bandwidth is available for that task. Everything you need to think about or focus on draws from the same fuel tank.

It’s important to note that when you’re self-assessing, you’re going on your belief of what is necessary.

For example, if you believe the specific workout you have planned will take more time than you believe you have, or be extremely taxing on your nervous system, it will be harder for you to self-motivate to do it — even if that belief is wrong. This is where the next element plays a pivotal role.

(6) Community/Coaching

COMMUNITY/COACHING:
What level of support do you have in doing this task?

What level of support do you have in doing this task?

Everyone needs support systems.

Do you have the support of a coach or community in doing this task? Do you have people to lean on or who can help you? How supported do you feel?

Support from a coach or community can counter a deficit in perceived lack of capability or capacity.

For example, if your workout includes a heavy lift that you don’t feel confident you can do on your own, having someone available to spot you can make the difference in whether you do the workout at all.

(7) Container

CONTAINER:
Do you have a defined space conducive to doing this task?

Do you have a defined space suitable for doing the task?

When we plan our tasks, we often think about time-blocking; we rarely think about space allocation. This is a crucial oversight — especially for those of us who have ADHD.

Many times, what keeps us from doing a task is not having the right space or environment for the task.

It’s vital to create space for your best work.

Some things to ask as you consider the “container” or the environment you need to do the task.

• Does the environment/space suit the task you need to do?
• Does the space offer the equipment or other resources you need?
• Does the space offer the right amount of ambient stimulation or lack of stimulation (depending on the task)?

Keeping with our example of a workout, if you’re going to do a weightlifting workout, do you have access to a gym with the right equipment?

If your task involves making phone calls, do you have a quiet place where you can make those calls without interruption?

Related: 5 Reasons to Use the Gym as Your Writing Space if You Have ADHD

(8) Context

CONTEXT:
How clear are you on the bigger reason or purpose for the task, or why the task is necessary?

How clear are you on the context for the task?

Context refers to the bigger purpose behind the task. It’s the big WHY:

What’s the reason you’re doing this task? Why is this task necessary?

Beyond the reason for the task itself, sometimes we might need clarity on the reason you’re doing it in the way it’s laid out. This is especially the case when we believe elements are missing; we might not realize they are coming in a specific sequence.

Sometimes we’re just missing the bigger context of what’s coming next that we might not see.

Understanding the reason for a task can free up the part of our system that is resisting the task.

For example, if you don’t set up your own workouts, you might resist a workout for not including certain movements unless you’re aware that they are coming in tomorrow’s workout.

Disclaimer: The Procrastination Matrix Isn’t Linear

As you go through the Procrastination Matrix, be careful about falling into the trap of believing that the matrix is linear.

The factors that motivate or hinder action are rarely straightforward. This is especially true for people with ADHD or other forms of neurodivergence.

The brain and nervous system are complicated; so much of how they operate are beyond our conscious control.

In my Holistic Productivity framework, we always look at the big picture of a person’s life to understand the context in which action or inaction is happening.

This means that for each factor in the matrix, we must look at that factor as relates to the specific task and also as relates to the person’s life in general.

For example, if you are going through a period of high stress and uncertainty, a task that ordinarily might be well within your comfort zone might suddenly feel unsafe.

In this situation, you might need more specifics than usual to have clarity about the task. You might need more support from a community or coaches to do things that you otherwise could do on your own.

Consider how when you’re physically sick or injured, you have less strength to lift heavy; you don’t have the capacity or endurance to run a marathon. In the same way, under periods of high stress tasks that are usually well within your capability and capacity might feel too big for the fuel you have available.

Use The Procrastination Matrix to Unpack Your Procrastination Patterns

Think of one task you’re resisting or procrastinating. Or, if you’re a coach or trainer, consider a client who resists or procrastinates on a task.

Review the task in the context of The Procrastination Matrix to see where the holes are.

Once you see which tanks are low, recalibrate these elements. Remember to think beyond the task itself. For example, boosting your confidence before you tackle a task can overcome a lack of clarity around some elements. Having support can compensate for lack of skill or strength. It can also ground the nervous system, creating safety that helps us perform better.

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Do you struggle with procrastination? I help neurodivergent women heal from chronic overwhelm and procrastination, so they can own their brilliance on their terms. Contact me to learn more.