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Most students don’t realize that the way they think about a task plays a huge role in whether they procrastinate.
In Part 1, we talked about how saying I have to creates resistance, triggering an internal standoff.
But there’s another trap students fall into: focusing on finishing.
When students think...
"I have to finish writing this essay"
or
"I have to finish my math homework"
...their brain registers the entire task at once, and that feels overwhelming.
The bigger the task feels, the harder it is to start. And if they don’t start, they procrastinate.
The solution?
Stop focusing on finishing.
Instead, focus on starting.
Why Overcoming Procrastination Matters
Procrastination is a self-regulation failure that affects stress, health, and well-being.
According to peer-reviewed research, procrastination is “a common form of self-regulation failure that is linked to negative outcomes.”
"When it becomes chronic, it leads to “higher stress, use of less adaptive coping strategies, poor health behaviors, poor quality sleep, and a greater number of physical illnesses and symptoms."
Shifting from I have to to I choose to and from I have to finish to I’ll just start helps students break the procrastination cycle.
They lower stress, improve self-discipline, and develop healthier coping mechanisms.
For parents and educators, teaching these strategies helps students build resilience and protects their stuents' mental and physical health for years to come.
You can learn more strategies like these in my semester success blueprint course or by taking my executive function coach certification course.
Why Students Struggle with Procrastination
1. Finishing feels overwhelming.
If a student thinks about writing a whole paper, it feels like a mountain.
But writing one sentence?
That’s manageable.
2. They don’t trust momentum.
They assume that if they don’t feel like working, they’ll stop after a few minutes.
But the reality is, once they start, their brain engages, and they want to keep going.
3. They overestimate effort.
Before starting, they imagine the work will take forever and be exhausting.
But once they start, they often realize it’s not as bad as they thought.
How Parents and Educators Can Help Students Manage Procrastination
Helping Students Overcome Procrastination at Home
At home, a mom watches her son avoid his history paper.
He sighs, slouches in his chair, and mutters, I don’t want to do this.
Instead of pushing him to finish, she says,
“Do you want to choose to just start for two minutes?”
Reluctantly, he opens his laptop and starts to work.
Two minutes pass.
Then, five minutes.
And then, fifteen minutes.
After 30 minutes, he’s still typing away, fully absorbed in the work.
Helping Students Overcome Procrastination at School
In a classroom, a teacher sees a student staring at their math worksheet.
Instead of saying, You have to finish your homework, she says,
“Why don’t you just try one problem and see how it feels?”
The student shrugs and gives it a shot. Thirty minutes later, the worksheet is almost done.
This works because it shifts the focus from an overwhelming finish line to an easy starting point.
When parents and teachers frame tasks as something small—just two minutes, just one sentence, just one problem—it bypasses resistance.
And once students start, their brain takes over.
Why Focus On Starting, Not Finishing, Works
The moment students say I have to finish this, they feel trapped by the size of the task.
But the pressure disappears when they say I’ll just start for two minutes.
That tiny action releases dopamine, which fuels motivation.
And once motivation kicks in, procrastination loses its grip.
For parents and educators, this means avoiding language that makes tasks feel like a marathon and instead offering small, easy steps to help students take the first move.
Because once they start, they almost always keep going.
Hope this helps 🤙🏻
P.S. If you want to work on executive function skills with your students, consider joining hundreds of other educators and parents who have completed my Semester Success Blueprint Course. In less than 2 hours, this comprehensive course will teach you and your student the system I developed to help hundreds of students learn how to manage school effectively and raise their self-awareness and engagement with school.
About Me
Hey! I'm Sean 👋
I'm a former public school special education teacher who realized that executive function skills are more important than knowing when George Washington crossed the Potomac.
Since then, I've made it my mission to teach anyone who will listen about how to develop these key life skills.
In 2020, I founded Executive Function Specialists to ensure all students with ADHD and Autism have access to high-quality online executive function coaching services. We offer online EF coaching and courses to help students and families.
Realizing I could only reach so many people through coaching, in 2021 I started the Executive Function Coaching Academy which trains schools, educators, and individuals to learn the key strategies to improve executive function skills for students.
In 2023, I co-founded of UpSkill Specialists, to provide neurodivergent adults with high-quality executive function coaching services.
When not pursuing my passions through work, I love spending time with my family, getting exercise, and growing my brain through reading. You can connect with me on LinkedIn.