Laziness or procrastination?

  If there’s something that seems to haunt anyone with ambitious goals - or even just a few simple tasks to do - it’s the infamous procrastination. And no, it’s not the same as laziness.
Before I share my own experience, I just want to bring up a few things I’ve found that really made me think.
  First: procrastination is not, as many say, disguised laziness. And laziness, in turn, isn’t a personality trait. It’s a pattern. A repeated behaviour, often unconscious, driven by a number of factors - one of them being the way our brain works.
  Our brain is wired to keep us comfortable, safe, and away from any effort that seems even remotely “threatening.” Procrastination often happens because we associate a given task with some kind of discomfort (mental, physical, emotional), and so, to protect us, the brain postpones the action. It swaps it out for something more comfortable, more immediate and/or more familiar. It might look like self-sabotage, but it’s really just self-preservation.
  Another curious fact: the brain doesn’t distinguish between truth and lies. If you constantly tell yourself “I’m terrible at this,” your brain will believe it and act accordingly. But the opposite is also true - if you start repeating that you’re good at something, even if you don’t feel it at first, your brain might start to align with that idea. That explains why so many personal development techniques talk about affirmations or positive visualizations. At its core, it’s about retraining the brain.
  Now… all this sounds great in theory. But in practice?
  I’ve read articles on the subject, watched videos full of tips on how to beat procrastination, and even tried methods like the “pomodoro” technique. I won’t say none of it worked, because maybe the problem is me. Maybe I wasn’t consistent. Or maybe what works for some just doesn’t work for others. The truth is, procrastination is still a regular presence in my life - especially when it comes to my creative projects.
  I’ve written two books and I’m halfway through the third. And the pattern keeps repeating itself.

I started the first book in 2021. At first, I was excited, but because of school and life, I kept putting it off. By the end of 2023, I had around 20,000 words written and a massive sense of frustration for having dragged it on for two years. Then, in December, I decided: “I can’t keep doing this. It’s almost done. I’m going to focus and finish it.” I spent the entire month writing, almost every day. I entered January with the same mindset, and even though I kept thinking “there’s just a little bit left,” I still spent another 15 days writing until 2 or 3 in the morning every night. But I finished the book. And it was one of the best feelings of my life.

The second book? Same story. I had the idea in June 2024. Wrote between 10,000 and 15,000 words (again with the 15,000 words!), and - as always - I stopped. The motivation vanished. But in December (again with D
ecember!), I had that same spark: “I’ve done this before. I’ll do it again.” And so I did. A month and a half, fully focused. Several hours a day. And the second book was done.
  Now, with the third book - guess what? I’ve already written 15,000 words (again, the same pattern). And I stopped. It’s been a month and a half without touching it. Zero productivity.
But this time, at least I started a blog - which I’ve been doing daily for a whole month now without missing a single day. That proves I can stick to a routine.
Still, the doubt remains: why am I able to focus so deeply at times, and at others, I feel like I can’t do anything? Why this swing between obsessive focus and total apathy?
I don’t know. Honestly, I don’t.
  Maybe it’s a natural cycle. Maybe my brain really needs those periods of rest to recharge creatively. Maybe I struggle with long-term projects because I lose the initial spark.
Or maybe… maybe I’m just trying to find a logical explanation for something that’s more emotional than rational.
  This text isn’t meant to give you answers. I’m not a productivity coach. I’m not a psychologist. I’m just another person dealing with this - some days more than others. And sometimes, just writing about it already helps. Maybe someone reading this will relate and think, “Huh… guess it’s not just me.”
  If you want tips, Google is full of them. Some of them might even work for you.
As for me… I’m still trying to figure out what works. But I promise that once I do, I’ll come back and share.
Until then, we carry on. Even if it’s clumsily.
  And you? Do you also feel stuck between bursts of deep focus and phases where you can’t seem to do anything at all? How do you deal with it?