The big mistake people make when they try to solve their procrastination problem is assuming that they’re something wrong with them – they’re weak, lazy, undisciplined, etc. Then they beat themselves up trying to solve that problem.

This article about how musician Hayley Williams was blocked for a couple of months perfectly illustrates that:

“The ‘Now’ band released their self-titled fourth record this week, and lead singer Hayley admits the pressure of coming up with ideas for songs got to her, and she had to take time out.

She said: ”I was in this crazy depression about [the album]. I moved out of my house into my mom’s apartment because I didn’t want to be by myself.

”But at the same time, we had not taken any time off since I was 16. We weren’t used to waking up in our own beds every day and doing nothing, or maybe doing the same thing every day.

”It was the wildest time of my life, and it was also the most boring time of my life.

”I needed to sit back and just waste away for a minute in order to get to know myself. That, in the end, is what helped make the record so exciting.

”I wasn’t writing about life on tour or what it’s like to be in a famous band. I hate it when people write about that stuff, because that’s not relatable.””

She probably also suffered from Situational Perfectionism after her terrific early success.

Remember procrastination is always caused. Skip the shame, blame, and self-recrimination and go right to problem solving and you’ll start to recover almost immediately. (Williams’s solution was to start working with a new producer who inspired her.) The 7 Secrets of the Prolific will guide you along the way.