Putting things off works like the laundry chair. It starts with one hoodie and ends up holding your whole week.

Delay does not stay a single act. One postponed thing makes the pile easier to add to, because the space is already spoken for and one more makes no visible difference. By the time it is obvious, a small task has grown into a project, and the project is heavy enough to postpone again.

Catch it at the first item. Anything that would take two minutes, do as it appears rather than filing it for later. For what has already gathered, set a timer for fifteen minutes and clear what you can, since these piles shrink much faster than they grew.