Repeated procrastination can have more than one contributor. Record the repeated behavior and the conditions around it before choosing an explanation. An unfinished task alone cannot distinguish an avoidance pattern from inaccessible instructions or depleted capacity.
A worked situation: Administrative forms
Fictional example. A student postpones every administrative form. Some forms are confusing; another is straightforward but exposes a missed deadline. One explanation should not be assigned to all three.
Work through these questions: Administrative forms
| Question or field | Fictional completed example |
|---|---|
| Task pattern? | Administrative forms |
| Missing information? | Which supporting document is required |
| Capacity constraint? | Work shifts |
| Avoided outcome? | Admitting a missed deadline |
| Available next move? | Ask the office one specific question |
A cause cannot be read from the delay alone
Compare at least two delayed tasks. For each, record whether instructions were clear, required inputs existed, and capacity was available. Similar outward delay can accompany different circumstances. Kerub’s payoff question can test an ordinary episode, but it cannot establish why a chronic pattern exists or rule out a condition that needs professional assessment.