Procrastination haunts all of us. (OK, maybe not Elon Musk as much.) And sometimes, procrastination lurks in the shadows, hidden from our awareness.

As much as I try to be productive, there are still times when I waste time by not focusing on the task that matters most.

For example, sometimes when I sit down to write my weekly newsletter in my note-taking tool, I'll start modifying the formatting and colors of my notes. In the moment, it feels like I'm busy, but I'm not doing what I intended to do. I'm procrastinating.

Another example is cleaning my desk when I really turned on my computer to prepare my taxes. Or doing the dishes when I still need to fix the dishwasher leak.

This is called "creative avoidance" and it stems from our subconscious mind finding ways to avoid something that might make us feel uncomfortable. Writing a newsletter takes mental concentration, preparing taxes is a slog, and fixing a dishwasher leak requires focused problem-solving.

The ironic part is that after I'm finished working on something that took effort or put me outside my comfort zone, I feel energized and alive. "No pain, no gain" as they say.

Being aware of creative avoidance is one way to ward off procrastination.