A 5-minute procrastination check
There's a task stuck in your head and it's still not done.
Find out what's likely getting in the way and what to do next to get moving again.
If you keep asking yourself “Why can’t I get myself to do this?”, “Why can’t I get this done?” or “Why do I keep putting this off?” despite having tried common productivity advice, it may be worth understanding what’s getting in the way before trying yet another solution.
Bring one specific task you’re putting off. Answer the questionnaire to get an explanation of what may be maintaining the delay and a concrete next step.
Most people finish in under 5 minutes.
The eight patterns
Which one is holding you back?
- Perfectionism
It isn't finished because it isn't good enough yet.
- Keeping the door open
Not quite giving it your full shot, so the result doesn't quite count.
- Overwhelm
There's no visible place to start, so it feels endless.
- Avoiding the unpleasant
You know exactly what to do. It's dull, so you don't.
- Pulled away
You mean to start, and something nearer wins.
- Running on deadline
Little happens until the deadline gets close.
- Resisting the "should"
You resist it because it's expected, not because it's hard.
- Planning instead of doing
The planning is genuinely more interesting than the work.
What you get
The questionnaire takes about five minutes and it gives you:
- A likely pattern behind why this task is stuck.
- An explanation of what may be making it hard to act.
- One practical next step that fits what seems to be going on.
The idea is simple: understand the problem better, then try an intervention that fits.
Unstuck isn't a personality test. It was shaped by research on procrastination, motivation, self-regulation and emotion regulation and uses that research to help you understand better what is happening in a particular situation.