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Yet to Decide

Why we put things off, and the smallest step that helps

Putting things off isn't laziness. It's usually about how a task makes us feel right now. Knowing that makes it easier to be kind to yourself, and to start.

Facts last checked: October 2026

You're not alone

About 1 in 5 adults describe themselves as chronic procrastinators. Ferrari, via APA (2010)

It's about feelings

We often delay just to feel better right now. It works for a moment, and our future self pays for it. Sirois & Pychyl (2013)

Putting things off is strongest when a task feels unpleasant and its reward feels far away. Making the reward feel closer helps. Steel, Psychological Bulletin (2007)

The smallest step that helps

Writing a simple plan, "When ___, I will ___", makes people noticeably more likely to follow through. Researchers found this across 94 studies. Gollwitzer & Sheeran (2006)

Fresh starts help too. A Monday, a birthday or the 1st of the month makes people more likely to begin. Dai, Milkman & Riis (2014)

One small step for today

Write one line for the thing you keep putting off: "When ___, I will ___."

Work out your own

Put in your own numbers. They stay on your phone. More on this topic

Your numbers

Common answers are filled in. Change the ones you know.

What does waiting cost you most?
out of 10
How often is it on your mind?
out of 10
out of 10
months

How much it weighs

Weighs 7 out of 10

It weighs 7 out of 10, and it's on your mind every week

Over a lifetime, people regret what they didn't do far more than what they did. Unfinished plans keep coming back to mind. Writing down when you'll take the first step helps quiet them.

Your small stepPick the day you'll take the first small step on it, and write it down.

When will you do it?

Add to my Delay Statement
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How we worked this out
  1. How much it matters: 7 out of 10.
  2. How much you'd regret it at 80: 7 out of 10.
  3. Weight: (7 + 7) ÷ 2 = 7 out of 10.
  4. On your mind: every week.
  5. How scary starting feels: 5 out of 10. It changes the words we use, not the weight.
  6. Waiting for 6 months.
  7. There are no rupees here on purpose. Some things are better weighed than counted.

Sources

  • Pink, The Power of Regret (2022): More than 16,000 people in 105 countries sent in their regrets, and four kinds keep coming up: foundation ("If only I'd done the work"), boldness ("If only I'd taken the chance"), moral ("If only I'd done the right thing") and connection ("If only I'd reached out"). Young people regret what they did and didn't do about equally, but with age, the chances not taken pull ahead.
  • Gilovich & Medvec, Psychological Review (1995): In the short run people regret what they did; over the long run they regret what they didn't do.
  • World Happiness Report 2025 (Gallup World Poll) (2025): Researchers measure how people feel about their lives with a simple 0 to 10 rating. India scored about 4.4 in 2025.
  • Masicampo & Baumeister (2011): Unfinished goals keep popping into your head. Making a specific plan for them quiets those thoughts.

Sources

Read next

Make my Delay Statement

We show what waiting costs on your own plans. We never tell you what to buy or invest in. Rules and averages change, so check the official pages before you plan anything.