Week 124: Procrastivity: The Sneakiest Form of Procrastination

There’s a sneaky kind of procrastination that wears the perfect disguise of productivity. Experts call it procrastivity.

It’s when you're drowning in to-dos, feeling overwhelmed by big, complex, high-stakes tasks—and instead of diving in, you default to checking your inbox. Replying to messages. Clearing notifications. Reorganizing folders. Ticking off the easiest checkboxes on your list.

And on the surface, it feels like work. After all, you're busy, responsive, online. But if you pause for a moment and ask yourself: “Am I doing the work that really matters right now?”, the answer is often a quiet no.

I’ve caught myself in this loop more times than I’d like to admit.

It's a psychological crutch—we reach for low-effort tasks to soothe the discomfort of high-effort demands. It’s avoidance dressed up as efficiency.

The brain gets a quick dopamine hit from replying to emails or slacking back a teammate. But real progress? That requires sustained focus, discomfort, and the courage to face what we’re avoiding.

So, how do we break the cycle of procrastivity?

Here are a few ideas that have helped me (and my teams):

Name it to tame it: Awareness is powerful. The moment I realize I’m defaulting to "busy work," I gently ask myself—“What am I avoiding?” Usually, the real task is sitting uncomfortably in my peripheral vision.

Prioritize your day before your inbox does: Start your workday by identifying your 1-2 critical tasks—before opening your inbox. This small shift helps anchor your energy on outcomes, not just activity.

Timebox your email-checking: Instead of letting email be your all-day companion, create designated windows for it. You’ll be surprised how much more focused (and less reactive) you become.

Practice discomfort: High-impact work often begins with uncertainty. Embrace that messy first draft, that open-ended brief, that tough conversation. That’s where the real growth—and real results—live.

Procrastivity is so insidious because it gives us the illusion of progress while quietly draining our time and momentum. But when we spot it, call it out, and gently redirect our attention, we reclaim our ability to do meaningful work.

So the next time you find yourself buried in emails, ask yourself:

“Is this my most valuable use of time right now?”

Sometimes the most courageous thing you can do at work is close your inbox—and begin.

Would love to hear from others—what’s your favourite way to catch yourself when you’re caught in a loop of procrastivity?

#Leadership #Productivity #Procrastination #WorkHabits #SelfAwareness #TimeManagement