Procrastination, as we know, means willingly putting off until tomorrow what can be done today, sometimes against our better judgment.
- Understand the cause.
Knowing what contributes to the cycle of unproductive procrastination can help you make better choices in using time efficiently. To make wise choices in using your time, you need to ask yourself the reasons for your procrastination. Do you switch to a different activity because you can’t stay focused, or is it because you fear you can’t do a good job or you don’t know how to start the project? Go through the list of things that could be contributing to procrastination, and see if you can identify your own unique cause.
- Set it up beforehand.
An easy way to create some momentum on a task is to gather the necessary supplies to complete the task. When it is time to start it, you’re ready to go. If you need to paint the bathroom, buy the paint, brushes, and rollers, and put everything near the bathroom. The setup usually doesn’t take long, but it makes it easier to jump into the task.
- Do something fun first.
Do something you love first as a way to get in the mood to do less enjoyable tasks. Any stimulating activity you enjoy will do the trick. Set a timer for 20 minutes to make sure you don’t get so absorbed in the fun activity that you forget to do the necessary one!
- Create the right work environment.
Instead of wearing earplugs to ensure silence, you may find that you get more done when listening to loud music. If you work best under pressure, but still turn in projects late or exhaust yourself by pulling all-nighters, set your own deadline for completing portions of the project. This way, you can still work under pressure to finish each portion “on time.”
- Do tasks in clusters.
Since it takes mental effort to shift gears, it can be helpful to group several of the same kind of tasks together (sending out e-mails, making shopping lists, doing online research). This way, you can move through several items on your to-do list quickly before switching to something else.
- Define start and end times.
A bounded work period can help reduce overwhelm around a task, especially if it’s an ambiguous one. Try the Pomodoro Technique, or working in 25-minute intervals with 5-minute breaks in between. After four work periods, take a longer break, and repeat. Break each task into smaller steps. When you do this, the smaller steps aren’t as intimidating and facilitate getting started. If a project can’t be completed piecemeal over several days, keep up your momentum by focusing only on the next doable step. Write this step on a sticky note and post it within your line of sight. Put on your blinders and focus on this one step rather than on the task as a whole. When that’s done, move on to the next step in the same manner. Before you know it, you’ll be done.
- Start off with easy pieces before tackling bigger steps.
To keep your brain from getting overwhelmed by the difficult stuff, do the easy parts first. For example, doing that entire sink full of dishes — right this second? Too much. But instead of thinking, “No way, I cannot do this,” try to think, “OK, just the silverware” and then, “Since I already did that, maybe I’ll do the glasses.” If you start small and keep going, you’ll continue to make headway, until — to your amazement — all the dishes will be done.
- Use visual reminders to stay on task.
Another trick is to post a big note near the source of major distractions. For many of us, that’s the TV or our smartphone. If you lounge around watching the tube, the note stares at you and reminds you what you should be doing. Beware, though, that you don’t take such visual reminders and admonishments too far — labelling everything in the house or turning them into arts and crafts projects that eat up time you could have used productively.
- Create a reward for completing a task, if one doesn’t exist.
Some chores don’t provide a reward for completing them. Unless you’re getting a big refund, sending off your tax return on time isn’t much fun. Doing the laundry weekly doesn’t ring anyone’s bell. In such cases, invent a reward to keep you from getting bored. It could be going out to dinner or seeing a movie.
- Don’t squander energy bursts on easy stuff.
When you feel alert and charged up, tackle more demanding tasks — either the ones that you haven’t felt like doing or those that require more mental effort.
- Make it public.
Use social pressure in a positive way, by telling other people about your plans to accomplish something (run a 5k or clean out the attic). Knowing that we may need to answer to other people can be a tremendous motivator. Ask a friend to check in with you about a project at a certain date, so that you have created a deadline.
Bonus Tips: Procrastinate Productively!
You may not ever be able to fully banish procrastination from your life, but when you do, use these tips to make sure the time isn’t totally wasted.
- Set the Table
Accept the fact that there will be times when you are unable to concentrate. This will leave wiggle room for those days when productive procrastination to do a mindless task is a better choice than struggling to work on a priority. For example you may find that tasks requiring your full attention are better planned for the morning, not the afternoon and/or that spending the afternoon ‘tying up loose ends’ and getting ‘mindless’ tasks done is the best way to clear things so you can get on and focus the next morning. Or perhaps clearing your desk the night before starting a project might prevent you being distracted by the clutter and therefore unable to get started on the project.
- Use the Time Smartly Even if You’re Not Working
When we can’t focus on a task, we get confused about how to make good use of our time. Instead maybe ask yourself “What is the healthiest choice I can make?” Lack of exercise generally leads to lethargy and inefficiency, so if you find yourself unable to get started on the chores, maybe take yourself for a walk first. Or if meditation is your thing, reconcile that the extra time you give yourself to meditate will reap positive benefits in terms of helping you to relax enough to give you the final push to be able to finish your work.
3. Be Slow to Switch Gears
Make your best effort to stay focused for at least 20 minutes before you choose to switch gears. Sometimes it takes that long for our mind chatter to quiet down. If you are still as scattered afterward, do something else to use your time productively.
4. Surround Yourself with Positive Role Models
Hang out with people who have their working act together. Seeing the people around you achieve their goals can be the kick in the butt your brain needs to get started. If you need external pressure to stick to a task, enlist a body double — someone who will sit with you quietly while you’re working on a boring chore.
5. Don’t Beat Yourself Up
What we silently say to ourselves about doing the task at hand has a strong impact on how (or whether) we do it. Avoid negative self-talk, and send yourself positive, realistic messages. Instead of saying, “This will take forever, and it’s so late already…” substitute “I might not be able to finish this today, but I can do the first two steps within the next 30 minutes.” The messages you send yourself when you complete a task can be powerful deterrents to future procrastination. They can also diminish the guilt that procrastinators often feel about having missed appointments in the past or having turned in work that doesn’t measure up to their ability.
6. Look Ahead
Finally, stay optimistic and look towards the future. When you have a long list of tasks — none of which you feel like doing — think how good you’re going to feel (or how much you’ll be paid) when the task has been crossed off your list