“Later” is where most plans go to die quietly.

Deferring something does not feel like refusing it, which is the whole difficulty. A refusal gets noticed and produces some kind of response, while an indefinite postponement produces nothing, and the plan simply stops without anybody registering a decision. Most abandoned intentions were never actually declined.

When you catch yourself deferring, make it explicit in one direction or the other. Either put it in the calendar with a date, or admit you are not going to do it. Both beat the third option, which is carrying it around indefinitely.