Have you ever found yourself delaying taking action. Perhaps a decision needed to be made, you needed to have an uncomfortable conversation, send an email, pick up the phone and make an important call.

Perhaps you call yourself lazy. Maybe you describe yourself as a procrastinator. In a July 13th article, this year, McClean hospital, (a leader in psychiatric care, research, and education and the largest psychiatric teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School), shed some light on why we procrastinate:

Most of us can relate to the boredom, frustration, and stress procrastination can cause. It’s important to realize that putting off projects is not a moral failing. Instead, it’s a very human tendency to avoid unpleasant feelings.

If we find ourselves frequently procrastinating, we’re likely caught up in an unhelpful cycle. We delay an activity to avoid stress, only to experience more stress when we confront the issue at the last-minute.

If we step back and consider the reasons we procrastinate, we can break this cycle. We can change our behaviors, try different approaches, and find the strength to get it all done.

In my case, this is what I did — and I found out perhaps this is something called Delayed Life Syndrome (DLS). It’s the belief that life hasn’t truly started yet, that it will only begin after a certain milestone: more money, the right opportunity, the right timing. The problem is, life keeps getting postponed while waiting for “later.” In the meantime, self-care, relationships, and even small wins are neglected because they don’t feel real or important until that future arrives. The danger of DLS is that it traps you in a waiting room — perpetually preparing for a life that never quite begins. My thinking went something like…

If I put this off, maybe I get to stretch time… maybe I get to live longer.

It’s a fascinating trick of the mind. But the truth is, delay doesn’t extend life — it just shrinks opportunity. Very painful lessons for me.

Proverbs 24:34 (TPT) says – “If you put off until tomorrow the work you could do today, tomorrow never seems to come.”

When I was a child, my grandmother used to say, “Don’t leave for tomorrow what your two hands can finish today.” At the time, I thought she was just talking about chores. But now I see she was handing me a spiritual law in disguise.

Think about all the times we’ve said, “I’ll deal with this tomorrow”:

• clarifying a vision with a team,
• facing the fact that the wrong person is in the wrong role,
• or addressing a client who keeps draining energy.

And then tomorrow never arrives. Instead, the misalignment grows roots and keep us magnificently STUCK!

It reminds me of Scarlett O’Hara in Gone With the Wind — forever saying, “I’ll think about that tomorrow.” Charming on screen, disastrous in business.

In essence: 

• If you delay getting clear about your goals, your next steps, or a decision, you are also delaying the opportunity to act on that situation and benefit from it.
• The longer you wait to understand or decide, the more the window for taking advantage of a favorable situation may close.
• This highlights the importance of making timely decisions and working towards understanding a situation fully so that you can act when the right moment arrives.

In my case, this is what I am doing. I’ve realized that thought-shifting is the practice that helps me deal with my own delays. The truth? It’s not easy. Negative thoughts have shovels built in — they’ll dig you deeper into the mood you’re in. And let’s be honest: sometimes the heaviness feels more “real” than the lighter thoughts we’re told to reach for.

But I’ve learned that I don’t need to leap from despair to joy in one dramatic jump. That’s impossible, and it feels fake. Instead, I reach for the next best thought — the one that offers just a little relief. From heaviness to irritation. From irritation to frustration. From frustration to a sliver of hope. One step at a time, thought by thought, I slide back into alignment.

That’s my practice. It’s gradual, it’s imperfect, but it works. And it keeps me from staying stuck in the waiting room that Delayed Life Syndrome creates.

Practical ideas you can choose from

• Embrace small joys: short walks, a hobby, a call with someone you love.
• Practice gratitude: reflect on what you already have instead of waiting for “someday.”
• Break down goals: divide the big, vague future into tiny steps that build momentum.
• Celebrate small victories: let progress feel rewarding.
• Take immediate action: use the 72-hour rule — if you think of it, do something toward it within three days.
• Challenge beliefs: notice when fear or “not yet” is running the show.

Reflection Prompt:
Where are you “Scarlett O’Hara-ing” your own business? What’s one piece of clarity you’ve been postponing that could unlock opportunity right now?

Next Step: The first move isn’t more hustle. It’s a Clarity Conversation™. Together we uncover where misalignment lives, so your goals have a foundation strong enough to stand.