Why Procrastination Disguised as Planning Keeps You Stuck.
We’ve all said it.
“I’ll do it when the timing is right.”
We convince ourselves that once we have more experience, more confidence, more money, more time, then we’ll take the next step.
We tell ourselves we’re being smart,
that we’re planning,
preparing, ensuring everything is just right.
But the truth:
- Waiting for the perfect time is just procrastination dressed up as strategy.
- Over-preparing doesn’t get you ahead, it keeps you stuck.
- Perfect doesn’t exist. Execution does.
I’ve seen this play out over and over again, especially in my own life, as well as with high-achieving, capable women who want to make a move but get caught in the perfection trap.
Table of Contents
How Procrastination Masquerades as Productivity
How to Break the Cycle and Take Action
Final Thoughts: The Only Right Time Is Now
The Illusion of Readiness
In project management, there’s a concept called the critical path, the sequence of essential steps that must be completed for a project to move forward. If one task is delayed, the entire timeline gets pushed back.
The same thing happens in life.
I’ve worked with brilliant, driven women who tell me they need:
Another certification.
A more polished LinkedIn profile.
Just a little more confidence before they take action.
But what actually happens?
They delay, rethink, tweak, and adjust endlessly, and nothing gets executed.
Take Sarah, one of my coaching clients.
Sarah was a senior manager who had outgrown her role but kept postponing applying for leadership positions.
Her reasons?
“I need to redo my résumé.”
“I should complete this additional course first.”
“I’ll do it after I finish this big project.”
She was constantly preparing but never executing.
After a few coaching sessions, we uncovered the real issue: fear of rejection masked as “waiting for the right time.”
Once she recognised the pattern, we set a hard deadline in her phone calendar:
⇢ Monday: Block 45 minutes to finalise the résumé.
⇢ Tuesday: Block 1 hour to apply for three jobs.
She set a timer for each task to prevent overthinking, even if she felt unprepared.
She landed two interviews within two weeks.
Here’s the kicker: She didn’t even need that extra course. The moment she took action, she realised she had always been ready.
This is the pattern I see all the time, and maybe you’re caught in it too.
Why Perfection Feels Safe
Let’s be honest: women, especially in corporate environments, are conditioned to play it safe.
We’re taught to be polished, prepared, and competent at all times.
We’re told to triple-check our work, avoid mistakes, and never take risks that could make us look uncertain.
So we become perfectionists.
And perfectionism, though it seems like a strength, is actually a high-functioning form of fear.
Because here’s the truth:
- If you don’t take action, you don’t risk failure.
- If you never put yourself out there, you never face rejection.
- If you keep waiting, you never have to deal with being imperfect.
But here’s the hard truth:
If you never start, you’ve already failed.
How Procrastination Masquerades as Productivity
Think about the last time you delayed something important.
Maybe you:
⇢ Spent weeks tweaking your résumé instead of sending it out.
⇢ Researched every possible tool before offering your first service.
⇢ Took yet another course instead of applying for that leadership role.
⇢ Rewrote your LinkedIn bio ten times but never reached out to a single connection.
It felt like progress, right?
But in reality, it was a comfort zone disguised as productivity.
In project management, we call this scope creep, when a project keeps expanding with unnecessary additions, leading to delays and inefficiency.
Perfectionism is personal scope creep.
– Renie Fernandes
Instead of executing, we keep adding, changing, adjusting, believing it’s making us more prepared, when in reality, we’re just avoiding the discomfort of action.
The Cost of Waiting
What’s the real price of waiting for the perfect time?
Missed Opportunities
⇢ Every time you hesitate, someone else is taking action.
⇢ Every day you wait, someone less qualified is moving ahead.
Eroded Confidence
⇢ The longer you delay, the more you doubt yourself.
⇢ Waiting doesn’t make you more ready, it just makes you more anxious.
Mental and Emotional Drain
⇢ Overthinking is exhausting. And yet, we do it endlessly, thinking it’s helping.
⇢ Spoiler: It’s not.
Every time you delay, you reinforce the belief that you’re not ready.
Every time you choose planning over action, you’re strengthening your fear rather than your capability.
And every time you wait for the perfect moment, someone else, less qualified but more willing to act, is moving ahead.
How to Break the Cycle and Take Action
1. Set a Decision Deadline
⇢ Give yourself a hard deadline to make a move.
⇢ Example: “I will apply for three jobs by the end of the week.”
2. Use Your Calendar as Your Best Friend
⇢ Instead of saying, “I’ll do it soon,” schedule it.
Block time for focused work (planning, research, writing).
Block separate time for execution (sending applications, making calls, launching).
Use your timer.
⇢ Example:
- Monday 7:00–8:00 AM – Research job openings.
- Tuesday 7:00–7:30 AM – Apply for three jobs.
- Friday 7:00–7:30 AM – Follow up on applications.
Your iPhone or Android calendar isn’t just for meetings, it’s your accountability partner.
3. Adopt the ‘Beta Mindset’
⇢ Treat your next step as an experiment, not a final decision.
⇢ Example: Instead of waiting for the perfect business idea, sell one offer and refine it based on feedback.
4. Limit Your Research Time
⇢ Set a strict time limit on planning.
⇢ Example: “I will research for 2 hours, then act.”
Otherwise, planning becomes procrastination.
5. Embrace Imperfect Action
Progress beats perfection.
What small step can you take today?
✔︎ Post that LinkedIn update.
✔︎ Send that proposal.
✔︎ Book that networking call.
Done is better than perfect.
6. Track Execution, Not Just Planning
At the end of the week, make it a habit to track your execution. Instead of measuring how much you’ve prepared, track how much you’ve actually done.
For example, X I researched leadership roles, isn’t really an execution, it is still part of your planning activity.
✔︎ I applied for three leadership roles. Now that is part of the execution.
Book Recommendations
If you love reading like me, or even better, listening to an Audiobook on the go, these three books are bound to change you.
- The 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins – Perfect for women stuck in the waiting game, needing a quick way to break free. This book is a game-changer for you if you overthink and struggle with taking action. Mel Robbins introduces a simple, science-backed technique: countdown 5-4-3-2-1 and move. I am living proof that this technique works. No overthinking, no hesitation, just action.
- Atomic Habits by James Clear – Perfect for women looking to create lasting change without feeling overwhelmed.This book teaches how small, consistent actions lead to massive results. If someone struggles with perfectionism or waiting for the “perfect” time, Atomic Habits shows how tiny steps taken today build unstoppable momentum.
- The War of Art by Steven Pressfield – Perfect for women in corporate or business who keep delaying their next move. This book calls out Resistance, that inner force that keeps us from starting, whether it’s fear, self-doubt, or perfectionism. Pressfield’s no-nonsense approach helps push past procrastination and actually do the work.
Final Thoughts: The Only Right Time Is Now
If you’ve been waiting for the “perfect” time to start, this is your sign.
Not next week. Not next year. Not when you feel “ready.” Now.
- Apply for that job.
- Send that email.
- Make that call.
- Start before you’re ready.
You’ll figure it out along the way.
So ask yourself:
Where am I mistaking procrastination for planning?
And then, do the thing.
You’ve got this. I’m rooting for you.
– Renie Fernandes
Feeling a little lighter after reading this?
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