Fear is the primary reason why we procrastinate. We have so many options that we become afraid of making the wrong decisions. Instead of fulfilling our goals in time, we find ourselves delaying our work.

Controlling Our Lizard Brain

Our lizard brain is that primitive, overly cautious mental part. It puts on the brakes and tells us to think a hundred times before making decisions, especially when we’re thinking of doing something different.

For instance, the idea of pursuing that business idea compels our lizard brain to obsess over details and read that hundredth business book before actually starting.

You cannot reason with it, but you can soothe and silence it to a certain extent. Harvard Professors Robert Kegan and Lisa Lahey have developed a process for quieting the lizard brain by posing the following questions. Answer them in your journal to help you recognize your procrastination and know how to approach it.

The First Big Three Questions

What are your goals?

What actions will help you achieve your goal?

What behaviors stall your efforts? What are you doing instead of taking action?

If you're still gathering more information, although you already know what to do, you are procrastinating.

The Second Group of Questions

What do you fear most about taking action today on what you want to do?

Example: If I focus on my career, my relationship with my child might take a backseat. My role as a mom would suffer, and our relationship could get shallower.

Looking at your fears, what are your hidden, competing commitments preventing you from taking action?

Example: I am committed to knowing my child, inside out. I am a pillar of support.

The Third Group of Questions

How correct are your assumptions?

Example: If I pursue my career, I will be out of touch with my child. I will not be the best mom my kid deserves to have.

How can you quiet the lizard brain by mitigating risk?

Example: I can block time in my schedule to connect with my child every day. This is what my schedule would look like.

By identifying our fears, competing commitments, and assumptions, we tame our lizard brains so we can go from ideas to action. We need to stop inaction because time will pass whether we take action or remain in the same position we were at a year ago. Remember: time is a limited resource.

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