Procrastination, a term we’re all too familiar with, is often the invisible barrier that stands between you and your goals. It’s the act of delaying or postponing activities or tasks that you know shouldn’t be put off.
Despite its prevalence in our lives, procrastination goes beyond the simple delay of tasks — it’s a habitual and self-defeating pattern that can lead to stress, poor performance, lowered self-esteem, and even health issues.
This blog post will offer you methods to break free from the grips of procrastination and, instead, empower you to take control, develop effective strategies, and feel good about your productivity.
Why Do You Procrastinate?
It’s important to understand that at its root, procrastination is primarily about avoiding some kind of discomfort. This discomfort could manifest as emotional pain, fear of the unknown, fear of failure, or even fear of success. Whatever form it takes, it’s something your subconscious perceives as dangerous or potentially harmful.
According to research conducted by Dr. Fuschia Sirois from Durham University, the tendency to procrastinate is directly linked to your psychological responses to stress. Her findings suggest that procrastination is essentially a maladaptive coping strategy to protect you from perceived danger.
However, rather than acting as a beneficial survival strategy, procrastination can exacerbate the initial feelings of discomfort and lead to a vicious cycle that may create additional stress and anxiety.
By realizing that chronic procrastination is not just about laziness, but rather a protective response, you can start to develop constructive strategies to tackle this behavior.
Methods to Help You Stop Procrastinating
Let’s explore several practical and proven methods to stop procrastination. These strategies are designed to help you overcome the psychological barriers that lead to procrastination, which will enable you to manage your time more effectively and boost your productivity.
Remember, overcoming procrastination is a gradual process, and it’s okay to take small steps towards your goal. Be compassionate and patient with yourself — it takes time to change a long-standing tendency that has been largely unconscious up until now.
1. Identify What You’re Avoiding by Procrastinating
The first step towards defeating procrastination is to identify what you’re avoiding by procrastinating. Often, the task you’re postponing isn’t the true issue — it’s the emotions or potential outcomes associated with it that you’re trying to dodge.
Here are some common examples:
Fear of Failure: If you’re worried that you won’t succeed in the task at hand, you may put it off to avoid any potential disappointment or embarrassment.
Perfectionism: Procrastination can also stem from a desire to ensure everything is done perfectly. This fear of making mistakes and not meeting your own high standards may lead you to delay tasks indefinitely.
Feeling Overwhelmed: When the task feels too daunting, it’s easy to push it aside and tackle something else that feels more manageable or comfortable.
Low Self-Esteem: If you struggle with feelings of inadequacy, you may be avoiding tasks that challenge your capabilities. This can lead to a cycle of self-sabotage and procrastination.
Recognizing the true source of your avoidance is crucial. Once you’ve pinpointed what you’re running away from, you’re better equipped to confront it and find solutions to manage these fears or negative feelings.
2. Take Steps to Deal with the Underlying Issue
Taking steps to deal with the underlying issue involves addressing the emotions or fears that trigger your procrastination habit.
Here are some strategies you can employ:
Face the Fear: Acknowledge what you are afraid of and confront it head-on. The acknowledgment of fear can be empowering — it allows you to understand that it’s okay to feel fear, but you should not let it control your actions. Reflect on past experiences where you have faced similar fears and remind yourself of the strength and resilience you demonstrated in those circumstances.
Seek Support: Sometimes, the best way to cope with fear or emotional pain is to talk about it with someone you trust. This could be a friend, family member, mentor, or professional counselor. Don’t underestimate the healing power of sharing your feelings and fears with others. It can help to reduce their intensity and make them more manageable.
Develop Self-Compassion: Be kind to yourself. Remember that everyone experiences fear, pain, and failure at some point. It’s not a reflection of your worth or abilities. Treat yourself with the same kindness and understanding you would offer to a friend in a similar situation.
Develop a Growth Mindset: Embrace each task as an opportunity to learn and grow, rather than a potential failure. A growth mindset can help you see challenges as opportunities for personal development, making them less daunting.
Create a Plan: Break down a big task into smaller, manageable parts. This can make it seem less overwhelming and reduce the fear or emotional pain associated with it. Each small victory can boost your confidence and motivation, propelling you forward one step at a time.
Overcoming the underlying feelings and fears that lead to procrastination is a process that takes time. Don’t be hard on yourself — instead, celebrate each small victory and keep moving forward.
3. Find Your “Why”
Finding your “why” — the real reason you want to accomplish a particular task or goal — can be an incredibly powerful motivator to overcome procrastination. Often, we procrastinate not because we’re lazy, but because we lack a strong connection with the purpose behind a certain task. It’s easy to push something to the side when it seems irrelevant or unimportant to you.
To find your “why,” take some time to reflect or journal on your personal and professional goals. Ask yourself why you want to accomplish this task and how it aligns with your broader aspirations. Do you want to complete a project because it fuels your passion? Or because it will help you level up in your career? Or perhaps it contributes to your personal development or well-being?
The most meaningful and important tasks typically come with some level of resistance because they require you to step out of your comfort zone. But it’s precisely those tasks that hold the most potential for significant growth and fulfillment. So find your “why,” and let it guide you through moments of procrastination.
4. Make Sure Your Goals Are Reasonable
Unrealistic goals can be a significant barrier to avoiding procrastination. When you set unrealistic expectations for yourself, you’re setting yourself up for failure and disappointment. This can lead to feelings of defeat and demotivation — two prime ingredients for procrastination.
Instead, set reasonable goals that are achievable within a specific timeframe. If a goal is too big, break it down into a series of smaller goals. This will help you create a clear path towards achieving your goals and provide opportunities for regular successes along the way.
Also, be mindful of setting too many goals at once. Trying to do too much can lead to feeling overwhelmed and stressed, and cause you to fall into the procrastination trap. Focus on one task or goal at a time, prioritize them based on importance, and give yourself realistic deadlines to complete them.
5. Break Your Goals into Manageable Tasks
Breaking your goals down into smaller, more manageable tasks can make them feel less daunting and more achievable. This strategy is especially helpful when faced with a large or complex task that may trigger procrastination.
Start by outlining each step necessary to complete the goal, no matter how small. Then, assign a timeline for each small task and set deadlines for their completion. You can also consider using a task management tool or app to keep track of your progress and stay accountable.
As you complete each task, celebrate your successes and use that momentum to propel you forward towards the next one.
6. Manage Your Energy, Not Your Time
Traditionally, the emphasis has been on efficient time management techniques as the key to achieving your goals. However, shifting your focus to energy management can be even more beneficial.
Here are some ways to effectively manage your energy:
Identify Productive Periods: Recognize when you are most productive and line up your most demanding tasks for these times. This alignment of energy with work requirements leads to more self control and effective task completion.
Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle: Regular physical activity, a balanced diet, and adequate sleep can noticeably enhance your energy levels and, in turn, your productivity.
Manage Your Mental Health: Negative emotions, stress, and anxiety can significantly drain your energy. Incorporate stress-relief techniques like meditation, deep-breathing exercises, or yoga into your daily routine. These practices not only help maintain a positive mental state, but can also boost your focus and concentration.
Take Breaks: Your energy levels tend to dip after extended periods of sustained focus. Take regular breaks to recharge and refocus your mind. This will help you maintain a consistent level of productivity throughout the day.
By managing your energy effectively, you’ll be able to maximize your work output and avoid procrastination caused by low motivation or burnout.
7. Make It Easy to Take Action
Making it easy to start on your tasks not only eliminates the initial resistance often associated with beginning a task, but it also sets the stage for a consistent and productive work pattern.
Here’s how you can achieve this:
Use the 2-Minute Rule: If a task can be completed in two minutes or less, do it immediately. This avoids accumulating small tasks that can lead to procrastination and reduces the chances of feeling overwhelmed.
Remove Obstacles: Identify and remove any potential hindrances that may delay your start. This could involve cleaning up your physical workspace, disabling digital distractions such as social media notifications, or utilizing website-blocking tools.
Set Up Positive Triggers: Establish triggers that prompt you to begin your tasks. For example, if your goal is to write daily, keep a notebook and pen within your sight. If you plan to exercise in the morning, prepare your gear the night before. When it’s easy to start, you’re more likely to do so.
Create a Productive Environment: Design an environment that promotes focus and productivity. This could involve playing soothing music, ensuring adequate lighting, or setting an ideal room temperature. Creating a conducive and pleasant workspace can help you stop procrastinating more effectively.
8. Make It Hard to Procrastinate
By making procrastination more challenging, you can motivate yourself to start tasks sooner and achieve your goals more efficiently.
Here are a few methods to implement:
Utilize Parkinson’s Law: According to Parkinson’s Law, work expands to fill the time available for its completion. Apply this concept by setting shorter deadlines to complete tasks, thereby making procrastination less tempting.
Public Commitment: Publicly declare your goals and commitments, either on social media or within your community. The fear of not meeting public expectations can serve as a strong motivator.
Rewards and Penalties System: Establish a system where rewards are given for the completion of tasks and penalties for procrastination. This dual approach provides both positive and negative reinforcement.
Peer Pressure and Support Groups: Surround yourself with peers who share similar goals or join a support group. Peer pressure within a supportive community can be a constructive force against procrastination. Online co-working spaces, such as FLOWN, can be helpful for this.
9. Make the Rewards of Taking Action More Immediate
Often, procrastination arises from a disconnection between your actions and their consequences. When the benefits or rewards of completing a task seem distant or uncertain, you may be less motivated to start.
Here’s how you can bridge this gap:
Visualize Your Success: Visualize yourself successfully completing your tasks and achieving your goals. This creates a positive emotional response that can help reduce procrastination.
Track Your Progress: Use a daily or weekly planner to track your progress. Seeing how far you’ve come can provide a sense of accomplishment and motivate you to continue.
Incorporate Immediate Rewards: Establish immediate rewards for completing tasks, no matter how small. This could include taking short breaks, treating yourself to something you enjoy, or engaging in a favorite activity. These small rewards can help keep you motivated and on track.
Create Short-Term Goals: Set short-term goals that lead to your long-term objectives. This helps make the benefits of taking action more immediate, as well as provides smaller milestones for motivation.
10. Make the Consequences of Procrastination More Immediate
On the flip side, making the consequences of procrastination more immediate can also be a powerful motivator to stop it.
Here’s how you can achieve this:
Immediate Loss or Gain: Attach immediate negative consequences to your actions. For example, make a deal with yourself that if you delay work on a project, you’re going to burn a ten-dollar bill, or another unwanted consequence.
Real-time Peer Accountability: Set up a system where you report your daily progress to a friend or colleague in real-time. Knowing that someone is monitoring your actions can act as an immediate consequence for procrastination.
Use a Timer: Set a timer for each task and stick to it. Seeing time ticking away can create a sense of urgency, making you more likely to start and complete your tasks. The Pomodoro Technique can be helpful for tracking your time.
Create an Anti-Procrastination Plan: Have a plan in place for when procrastination strikes. This could involve having a list of alternative tasks or activities that are still productive, but require less willpower and motivation.
11. Develop New Skills
Focusing on skill development helps you cultivate practical abilities, as well as a mindset that is less prone to procrastination.
This can be a powerful strategy to beat procrastination for several reasons:
Increased Confidence: Procrastination can be linked to feelings of self-doubt and a lack of confidence. As you acquire new skills, your confidence grows — making you more likely to tackle tasks without delay.
Adaptability and Problem-Solving: Procrastination can be a result of feeling overwhelmed by challenges. Acquiring new skills enhances your adaptability and problem-solving abilities, which makes it easier to face and overcome obstacles.
Stimulation of Curiosity: Boredom and lack of interest can increase procrastination. Learning new skills stimulates curiosity and makes tasks more engaging. This reduces the likelihood of delaying them.
Personal Growth and Development: Procrastination can hinder personal growth. Developing new skills is inherently tied to personal growth as it fosters a sense of continuous improvement that can counteract procrastination.
12. Give Yourself Permission to Make Mistakes
One common root cause of procrastination is the fear of failure. This is often exacerbated by perfectionism, which can result in task delays or even complete avoidance. It is important to understand that it’s okay to make mistakes — in fact, it’s a powerful way to learn and grow as a person.
The key is to view failure as a stepping stone to learning rather than a stumbling block. It’s important to accept that nobody is perfect and everyone, at one point or another, faces setbacks.
Rather than berating yourself for not living up to your expectations, it’s more beneficial to view these missteps as integral components of your growth journey.
Prioritize progress over perfection by setting realistic goals. This approach alleviates pressure and makes it easier to initiate tasks without the looming dread of failure.
Also, remember to celebrate your hard work and effort, instead of obsessing over the results. This mindset fosters a positive connection between taking action and feeling good about it, which paves the way for overcoming procrastination in the future.
13. Shift Your Identity
One of the most powerful ways to overcome procrastination is to shift your identity. This involves changing how you perceive yourself and, in turn, shifting your habits and behaviors.
Often, we label ourselves in ways that reinforce procrastination. If you constantly tell yourself that you are a “procrastinator” or a “lazy person,” these labels can become self-fulfilling prophecies. Your actions will naturally align with your beliefs about who you are.
To shift your identity, start by reframing these negative labels. Instead of identifying as a “procrastinator,” start thinking of yourself as “someone who takes action.”
Here’s how you can make this identity shift:
Affirmations: Use positive affirmations to strengthen your new identity. Statements like “I am an action taker” or “I am someone who gets things done” can help reinforce your new perception of yourself.
Visualize Success: Picture yourself successfully completing tasks and achieving your goals. This not only boosts motivation, but also helps solidify your new identity.
Celebrate Small Wins: Each time you overcome procrastination and complete a task, celebrate it! Small wins build momentum and strengthen your new identity.
Consistency: Consistency is key when it comes to shifting your identity in your own life. Make a daily commitment to act according to your new identity. Over time, taking action will become a natural part of who you are.
Preventing procrastination is not just about managing your time well or following certain techniques — it’s about fundamentally changing how you perceive yourself.
14. Just Start
One of the most effective methods to stop procrastinating is to just start. Often, the anticipation of a task is far more intimidating than the task itself. You may dread the idea of the task, building it up in your mind until it feels insurmountable. But, once you start, you find the task isn’t as daunting as you had made it out to be.
The trick is to take one small step — one small action.
The 5-Minute Rule: Commit to working on a task for just five minutes. More often than not, once you’ve started, you’ll find it easier to continue. And even if you don’t, you’ve still made progress.
Break Tasks Down: Break large, overwhelming tasks into smaller, manageable parts. This makes starting easier and less intimidating.
Tackle the Easiest Part First: If a task still seems overwhelming, start with the easiest part. This can help you build momentum and make it easier to tackle the harder parts later.
Create a Starting Ritual: Develop a ritual that you perform every time you start a task. This could be as simple as making a cup of tea or clearing your workspace. Over time, this ritual will signal to your brain that it’s time to get to work, making it easier to start.
Just starting a task can often be the hardest part. But once you overcome this hurdle, you’re well on your way to beating procrastination. Start small, start somewhere, but most importantly, just start.
FAQs on Methods to Stop Procrastinating
1. What are the common reasons people tend to procrastinate?
There are several common reasons people procrastinate. These include fear of failure, lack of motivation, feeling overwhelmed, lack of focus, and perfectionism. It’s important to identify the root cause in order to choose the most effective method to stop procrastination.
2. How can I break the habit of last-minute work?
Breaking the habit of last-minute work requires planning and time management. Start by prioritizing your tasks and setting deadlines for yourself. Break large tasks into smaller, manageable parts, and use tools such as planners or apps to keep track of your progress. Also review the many other tips shared in this blog post.
3. Can procrastination ever be beneficial?
Procrastination is typically seen as a negative behavior, but in some cases, it can have benefits. For example, it can allow for additional thinking time or lead to innovative solutions under pressure. However, these cases are exceptions and for most people and tasks, procrastination leads to stress, missed deadlines, and reduced quality of work.
4. How can I help a loved one who struggles with procrastination?
If a loved one struggles with procrastination, you can offer support by helping them set realistic goals, break tasks into manageable parts, and celebrate their progress. You can also encourage them to seek assistance from a professional, such as a therapist or coach, who can provide strategies and techniques to overcome procrastination.
5. Is procrastination a sign of laziness?
No, procrastination is not a sign of laziness. It is often a result of complex psychological factors such as fear, perfectionism, and lack of motivation. People who struggle with procrastination are not inherently lazy — they may just have difficulty managing their time and overcoming obstacles to taking action.
6. Can procrastination be completely eliminated?
While it’s not realistic to completely eliminate procrastination, it can be effectively managed and reduced. By implementing techniques such as confronting underlying issues, making it easy to take action, and breaking them down into smaller parts, you can significantly reduce the impact of procrastination on your life.
Final Thoughts
Procrastination is a complex issue that many of us struggle with. It’s not simply a matter of being lazy or lacking discipline — it’s often a result of deeper psychological issues.
However, by implementing strategic methods such as identifying your triggers, shifting your identity, and making a habit of simply starting, you can significantly reduce procrastination.
Overcoming procrastination is not a one-time event but a continuous process. With patience and consistent effort, you can turn the tide on procrastination and evolve into an action-taker.
After all, every journey, no matter how daunting, begins with a single step. So, take that step today and start your journey to a more productive and fulfilling life.
