How to Stop Procrastinating While Planning Finances: 7-Step Guide

Introduction: The Weight of “Later”

Every week, I hear a version of this from one of my clients:

“Taresh, I know I need to start investing… but I’ll just get to it next week.”

Or this one:

“I’ll create my budget after this month ends. Things are a bit crazy right now.”

Sound familiar?

As a CFP who has worked with hundreds of clients across India—senior professionals, working couples, solo mothers, and retirees—I can tell you one thing for certain: procrastination is often the biggest reason why people delay achieving financial freedom.

It’s not that they lack intelligence, income, or intent. What they lack is activation.

This blog is my 7-step guide to help you conquer this invisible enemy—procrastination—and start planning your finances with purpose.

Let’s begin with a personal story…

Step 1: Identify Your “Frog” (The Task You Keep Avoiding)

In 2016, a client named Rishi walked into my office, visibly anxious. A VP at a multinational company, he earned well but hadn’t made any investment except for one LIC policy from 2005. His exact words?

“I just don’t know where to start. So I don’t start at all.”

We looked at his situation and pinpointed his “frog”—a huge, intimidating task he kept postponing: creating a comprehensive financial plan. It seemed too big. Too risky. Too complicated.

That’s how procrastination thrives—it feeds off vagueness.

So, your first step is to ask:

What is my ‘frog’? Is it creating a budget? Meeting a financial planner? Starting SIPs? Buying insurance?

🟢 ACTION: Write down your top 3 most avoided financial tasks. The one you fear the most? That’s your frog.

Step 2: Prioritize Like a Pro – Not All Tasks Are Equal

I met a newlywed couple, Simran and Neeraj, who said, “We’ve been spending hours tracking every ₹10 expense.” But they hadn’t started a retirement fund or built an emergency corpus.

They were “busy” but not effective.

This is classic financial procrastination in disguise. We do “easier” tasks to avoid the meaningful ones.

Instead, I asked them:

“What ONE financial task would give you peace of mind if it was done this month?”

Their answer: “Knowing our future is secure.”

So we dropped the ₹10 spreadsheets and started with retirement SIPs and term insurance.

🟢 ACTION: Ask yourself: “Which ONE financial task will create the biggest positive change this month?”

Step 3: Apply the 80/20 Rule – Focus on the Financial Tasks That Matter Most

Let’s be honest. You don’t need to do everything to build wealth. You need to do the right things, consistently.

One of my clients, Arvind, was obsessed with penny stocks and checking his portfolio five times a day. But he had no term plan or health insurance. His 80% of time was going into activities that gave him 5% of results.

We flipped the script.

We applied the Pareto Principle—the 80/20 rule—to his finances. He dropped the distractions and focused on three main areas:

1. Solid SIPs in mutual funds

2. Adequate risk protection

3. Clear goal-based investing

Within a year, not only was his portfolio healthier, so was his mindset.

🟢 ACTION: List your top 5 financial activities. Which 1 or 2 give you the most progress? Do more of that. Let go of the rest.

Step 4: Use the ABCDE System to Organize Financial Tasks

Let me break this down using my own coaching calendar:

A Tasks: Preparing a client’s retirement strategy

B Tasks: Reviewing market performance (important but not urgent)

C Tasks: Attending an optional webinar

D Tasks: Delegating document collection to my team

E Tasks: Deleting junk emails

This simple system saved me from mental chaos and helped me stay on track.

Now imagine using this for your financial life. You’d never miss your tax deadlines, forget a SIP date, or delay insurance renewals again.

🟢 ACTION: Every Sunday, list 10 financial tasks. Label them A to E. Start your week by doing the “A” tasks first.

Step 5: Plan Your Day (and Week) in Advance – On Paper

I once coached a single mother named Anita who had three jobs and zero savings.

When I asked, “When do you plan your week’s finances?” she replied, “I don’t. I just try to survive.”

So we introduced a Sunday ritual: 15 minutes of sitting down with her planner to do three things:

1. Review expenses

2. Prioritize savings

3. Prepare for upcoming bills

In 3 months, she had an emergency fund. In 6 months, she was investing.

Planning doesn’t need hours. It needs intention.

🟢 ACTION: Pick one day (e.g., Sunday) and one time slot (e.g., 9:30 am) for your “Money Planning Hour.” Stick to it religiously.

Step 6: Take Action – Don’t Wait for Perfect Conditions

A young IT engineer, Abhinav, told me, “I’ll start investing when the market stabilizes.”

I smiled and said, “When do you think that will happen?”

He laughed. “Maybe never.”

Exactly.

Perfection is procrastination in a tuxedo.

I advised him to start a SIP of ₹5,000 immediately. He hesitated, then agreed. Years later, he still thanks me.

Progress beats perfection every time.

🟢 ACTION: Do one imperfect thing today. Open that SIP account. Book a free consult. Download a budget app. Action cures fear.

Step 7: Break Big Tasks Into Salami Slices or Swiss Cheese Chunks

Financial planning can feel like climbing Mt. Everest. That’s why people never start. But what if you didn’t need to climb the whole mountain in one go?

One of my favorite tools is the Salami Slice Method—cutting big tasks into paper-thin slices.

Another is the Swiss Cheese Method—punching small holes into a big task by doing something, even if small.

🟢 Example:

Want to create a WILL? That’s overwhelming.

So we break it into:

1. Write down names of legal heirs

2. List major assets

3. Decide who gets what

4. Book a call with a legal expert

Now it’s manageable.

🟢 ACTION: Pick one big task. Break it into 5 small steps. Do Step 1 today.

The Hidden Enemy: Emotional Procrastination

Many people don’t procrastinate due to laziness—they procrastinate due to fear.

• Fear of making a wrong decision

• Fear of talking about money with a spouse

• Fear of facing the truth (like debt)

I remember working with a divorced woman named Pratibha. She had inherited ₹40 lakhs but hadn’t touched it for a year.

Why?

“It feels like touching it will make me admit he’s gone,” she said.

Together, we worked through her grief, created a plan to honour his legacy, and finally invested in a way that gave her both growth and emotional peace.

Your financial life is deeply connected to your emotions. Addressing one helps heal the other.

🟢 ACTION: Ask yourself—am I avoiding a task or the emotion behind it? Journal. Speak to someone. Get support.

The Power of Self-Discipline and Boundaries

You don’t need to be motivated every day. You need to be consistent.

That’s what separates those who succeed financially from those who always feel “behind.”

Create boundaries:

• No financial decisions after 9 PM

• One Money Hour per week

• One finance meeting per month with spouse

• No new investments without a 24-hour review rule

🟢 ACTION: Create 3 financial boundaries that support your discipline. Write them on a sticky note and place it on your desk.

Bonus Tip: Make It Social and Accountable

We procrastinate less when others are watching. This is why group coaching, accountability partners, or even social media updates help.

Create a “Finance Buddy System.” I’ve had couples, friends, and even parent-child duos plan together. It works wonders.

🟢 ACTION: Share this article with your partner or friend. Ask them to review one point with you each week.

Final Thoughts: Progress, Not Perfection

Let me end with a quote I live by:

“You don’t have to get it right. You just have to get it going.”

Financial planning isn’t about having all the answers on Day One. It’s about showing up, doing one thing, and trusting the journey.

As your coach and guide, I urge you:

Eat your frog today.

You deserve the clarity, confidence, and freedom that comes from facing what you fear.

And if you need a nudge? I’m right here.

✅ Want to start your journey?

Book your free 1:1 Financial Clarity Call with me:

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Download your Sample Financial Plan: taresh.kit.com/sample

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