How do you stop procrastinating even when the little tricks like starting small don't work?

When surface tactics fail, the root cause has not been identified. Look deeper:

(1) Fear of completion or being judged finishing the thing is what threatens you, not starting it

(2) Perfectionism masking as high standards practice 'done is better than perfect' in low-stakes situations

(3) Depression or anhedonia if you've lost enjoyment in things you used to like, seek professional support

(4) Novelty deprivation a flat, monotonous environment depletes dopamine; deliberately introduce new environments or approaches.