The reason why you procrastinate is not what you think.
And with a couple of simple steps, you can reduce it from happening. Or better yet, overcome procrastination completely.
Yet, many of us get at ourselves when we procrastinate. We feel like we have lost control. Or we may even feel stressed out and alone because of it.
But the truth is that everyone procrastinates.
For example, think about household chores. Who hasn’t procrastinated on that? And I don’t know about you, but with some stuff, I procrastinate quite a lot.
For most things, it’s not a problem. Because did you know that a degree of procrastination is healthy for you?
That’s right!
There are some benefits to procrastination.
Only the bad type is a real problem. You know, the type that has serious long-term consequences and reduces your self-esteem.
In this article, you will learn everything you need to know to overcome procrastination.
So if you’re ready to kick the procrastination habit, then let’s dive in!
What Is Procrastination Exactly?
Procrastination is the simple act of delaying something on purpose. On purpose is the keyword here. It means you make the conscious choice to stall something until a later moment.
And you’ve probably already done this today.
For example, did you snooze your alarm this morning? Or did you skip something today because you tell yourself you will do it tomorrow?
Procrastinating is a normal thing that everyone does.
And surprisingly, it has its benefits from time to time.
What are the Benefits of Procrastination?
When facing big decisions, like life-changing ones, procrastination can be a good thing.
Perhaps you miss a piece of information.
Or you might need some time to think about it.
The added benefit is that your unconscious mind is always processing information. Even while you’re not consciously thinking about it.
There is also a benefit of procrastination when you work on a big task.
Too often we get caught up in the grind and forget to zoom out. Yet, zooming out sometimes is a good idea to generate clarity so that your work benefits in many ways.
Clarity helps you to avoid failure and complete projects faster.
Want to know another benefit?
Procrastination can improve creativity.
For example, I sometimes get stuck when I’m writing an article. And if I keep writing anyway, this causes lots of frustration.
Yet, when I step away from it, somehow this recharges my creative energy. Often when I get back to writing after a break, I experience a renewed flow of creativity.
Let’s sum up the benefits of procrastination:
- Generates clarity
- Stimulates creativity
- Improves task efficiency
- And can help in making big decisions
So When is Procrastination Bad for You?
Procrastination becomes problematic when doing so has consequences in the future.
This happens when you put off a task to do something more pleasurable instead. The problem is that you know that delaying the task will cause issues down the road. And this often triggers feelings of guilt.
Doing this once or twice might not hurt you much. But when this behavior becomes a habit, it has disastrous consequences.
Working out is a classic example.
Many of us don’t always like to work out and would rather not do it.
Yet we still do it because of the many benefits that come from it. And let’s be honest, it also makes you feel great once you’re done.
Now say you were to skip a workout session because you don’t feel like it.
Not a problem, right?
You’re right, it’s not.
But say you’re skipping the next day too. And then the rest of the week. Followed by months of not working out…
Now you have a problem.
When you are chronically procrastinating, it becomes increasingly harder to get started again.
And over time, this lowers your self-esteem and increases stress. After all, it doesn’t feel good when you choose to skip a workout for something more pleasurable.
Of course, there are other consequences too.
For example, staying late at work to finish a project. If you delay it further, you might have to pull one-nighters to meet the deadlines. And the longer you wait, the harder it gets.
Habitual procrastination is a problem and has big consequences.
Then Why Do We Procrastinate?
In general, the reason that we procrastinate is to avoid tasks that we see as unpleasant.
But what makes a task unpleasant?
Often many factors cause a task to feel more unpleasant:
- Vague goals
- Unclear plans
- Overwhelm
- Impatience
- Distractions
- Challenges
- Exhaustion
You might have quickly skimmed over this list. But I want to challenge you to go back and try to see if you can relate. Because self-awareness is the first step to making change happen.
Another thing to understand is that procrastination is like a snowball.
Because what happens to a snowball that rolls down a mountain?
In the beginning, it’s innocent and has little momentum. You can easily stop it from rolling. But once it starts getting momentum, it quickly grows bigger and becomes unstoppable.
Procrastination is similar.
It starts like something small, like skipping one workout for example.
Then, every setback, distraction, or challenge, makes it more difficult to pick it back up.
This isn’t the right week.
I will start doing it next time.
You increasingly experience more resistance and blockades.
Fortunately, recognizing this pattern is a great step towards overcoming procrastination.
6 Easy Steps to Overcome Procrastination
You have now got the tools to recognize procrastination. And the next step is to overcome it.
You can do that with a simple step-by-step method combined with the pleasure principle. That principle says that we instinctively seek pleasure and try to avoid pain.
But what makes something pleasurable and painful?
That answer lies within the mind and the stories you tell yourself. This happens all the time, whether you notice it or not.
You make up stories about what you find pleasurable. And you also make up stories about the things you want to avoid.
Knowing that you can change the story to stop procrastination.
Now, this doesn’t mean that the task becomes less challenging. But you can certainly alter the meaning of it.
In essence, you’re going to bend your reality.
The idea is to attach a higher sensation of pleasure to do the task. And also, to attach more immediate pain to not doing it.
Here are the steps to do just that.
Step 1: Clarify
The first step is going to remove a part of the mental barrier to taking action.
You have probably set some goals for yourself.
And there might be some goals that you find easier to pursue than others. Why do you believe that happens?
What I’ve found is that there is one major element that causes goals to become fuzzy.
A lack of clarity.
The fastest way to cause procrastination is not knowing what to do.
To avoid that from happening, you need to know what to do and why you do it.
Without this information, it becomes really hard to perform a task when you can do something more pleasurable instead.
Clarity often is a gamechanger.
For example, I take at least two days a year to go alone into nature to generate clarity. And I use that time to think about my goals and dreams and the plan to get there.
It’s one of the best decisions I have made.
So if you procrastinate on something right now, the first step is to clarify exactly what you need to do. And why it is important to you.
Step 2: Simplify
Facing big tasks may cause you to feel anxious and overwhelmed. And there’s a very simple solution to stop this from happening:
Simplify big tasks.
Break tasks up into smaller bite-size chunks.
Taking action becomes much more joyful if you know exactly what you have to do. But there is another benefit of chunking down big tasks.
Because you also feel better once you finish a task — no matter how small it is.
And those small victories stack up the pleasurable feelings. This helps you to keep building positive momentum.
Chunk down your tasks to make it easier and more joyful to take action.
Step 3: Create Urgency
You can create urgency to reduce your chances of procrastinating.
And you do that by attaching a sense of immediate pain to the action of procrastination. On the flip side, you want to attach immediate pleasure to do the task right now.
Here’s how you can do that with two simple questions:
- What joy will you experience if you finish the task?
- What is the long-term consequence of not doing it?
Take working out for example.
One of the joys is that working out makes you feel good about yourself. And over time, it gets you in better shape too.
What’s the consequence of not doing it?
Well, you will regret it and feel bad about yourself. The long-term consequence of this is that it lowers self-esteem and confidence. Plus, you get out of shape.
When you think about these consequences, wouldn’t you at least think twice before skipping your workout?
Step 4: Plan Rewards
Positive incentives are one of the best and also proven methods to stimulate action.
But what makes a good incentive?
The answer: it depends.
Say you have to do a task that you dislike on a Saturday. Yet, you feel more like watching the Netflix series you started earlier this week and love.
Then you can use Netflix as your reward.
If you finish the task first you can then allow yourself to binge-watch the rest of your day. Doesn’t that sound like a sweet deal?
The best rewards are the ones that work the best for you.
Another important thing to mention is that you should reward yourself fast. So if you’re facing a big task, make sure to add multiple small rewards. That way, it’s easier to stay motivated.
For example, I reward myself with a game of chess every time I finish writing a chunk of a new article.
Use rewards instead of punishment to motivate yourself and get stuff done.
Step 5: Set Up a Stimulating Environment
What’s the worst thing that could happen when you finally take action?
Your phone lights up.
You want to know what it is about and so you check it. An urgent update about the coronavirus. Out of curiosity, you read the whole article about it.
Two articles and three cat videos later, you get back to your task.
But not too much time passes before your phone lights up again. It’s a message from the girl you’re dating. Of course, you can’t let her wait…
You get the idea.
But do you also know how long it mentally takes to regain focus?
A whopping 23 minutes and 15 seconds!
Distractions are a massive blocker if you want to tap into your creative capacity and become your most productive self.
And it’s also a major barrier to experience what’s known as the flow state. This state is also known as being in the zone. And it’s this state that makes your work more enjoyable.
In other words, distractions suppress joy and block you from unlocking your creative genius.
Instead, distractions cause pain.
It causes pain because it interrupts the pleasure that you experience when you’re experiencing flow. And on top of that, you need to collect energy to get started on the task again.
Not very beneficial if you want to stop procrastination.
Setting up your environment plays a crucial role to beat procrastination.
A good way is to find a place where you can do uninterrupted work. And then remove anything that can cause interruptions, like your phone.
Creating a good environment helps you to overcome procrastinating.
Step 6: Get It Done
So far, you’ve prepared yourself to beat procrastination.
You generated clarity and have a clear plan. You also attached the meaning of pleasure to taking action immediately and pain to procrastinating further.
Combined with the right environment and zero distractions, it’s time to take action and kick some ass!
At this point, you just have to do it.
Work hard and don’t forget to reward yourself when you’re done like you set out to do.
Extra Tips and Tricks
The six steps to combat procrastination should work in most situations. But of course, everyone is unique. And everyone has to overcome different challenges.
Maybe what you’re looking for is something a little different. And the following tips and tricks might just give you that.
Test these for yourself to see what works for you.
Tip 1: Stop Punishing Yourself
Though you can use pain to stop procrastinating, punishing yourself is not one of the ways to do that.
Instead, getting upset with yourself lowers self-esteem even further.
If you’re reading this because you procrastinate a lot, you actually have reason to feel optimistic. Because the fact that you’re reading, this means you’re seeking a change.
And that’s worth something!
So let’s accept the past for what it is. And instead, start focusing on the good stuff and the path ahead of you.
Tip 2: Start with Your Hardest Task
Willpower is a finite resource that depletes throughout the day.
It’s for this reason that telemarketers call you more frequently in the evening. And it’s also when most people tend to procrastinate on their workout.
In other words, the longer you wait, the more likely you are to procrastinate.
And what is a good strategy against that?
Doing your most difficult task first thing in the morning.
The added benefit to that is that you will feel good about yourself for the rest of the day.
Tip 3: Figure Out Your Next Five Steps
Clarity and simplicity are important steps to overcome procrastination.
And one way to gain clarity is to figure out your next steps. What are the five steps you have to take to achieve your task or goal?
Once you write down your five steps, think about the following questions:
How specific is each of the steps?
Do these steps bring you more clarity?
If your steps are not specific or don’t bring clarity, repeat the process. Figure out your next five steps for each of the steps you specified.
That way, you are chunking them down until you get bite-sized steps. And the benefits of that are clarity and limiting overwhelm.
Tip 4: Use the Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro technique is a simple yet effective way to overcome procrastination.
First, sit down for a task and remove all distractions. Then, set a timer for 25 minutes and work on a task for the duration, without breaks.
Once the 25 minutes are up, take a 5- to 10-minute break.
Then set your timer again for another round. Repeat that for a third-round and then take a longer break of about half an hour.
The Pomodoro technique has many benefits. Think about better self-management, more motivation, and it improves your planning skills too.
Besides, the short duration makes your task rarely feel overwhelming.
And remember how we spoke about rewards? This method has a built-in reward system because of the small breaks you get.
But also remember to experiment with this method.
Though the Pomodoro uses 25 minutes, it’s encouraged to try some different timespans. For example, copywriter Eugene Schwartz used 33 minutes and 33 seconds for each interval.
Tip 5: Surround Yourself with Great People
Motivational speaker Jim Rohn famously said that you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.
This doesn’t mean you should ditch your friends.
But it wouldn’t hurt you to find people with similar dreams you do. Or at least, who are somewhat like-minded in that way.
You may wonder how this helps you to beat procrastination.
Being around people like you improves that whole pleasure principle we talked about earlier.
Seeing other people succeed makes it real. It’s also inspiring and motivating to be around people with similar goals and dreams.
Having a group of like-minded people also makes you less likely to procrastinate. After all, it’s discomforting to admit that you have been procrastinating while the rest moved forward.
And thus, you’re more likely to take action.
Surrounding yourself with the right people will have a positive impact on you.
Tip 6: Find a Buddy
Another way to use social influence to beat procrastination is by getting a buddy. Someone who is on the same journey as you.
When you have someone who holds you accountable, you’re much more likely to show up and do the work. And this works vice versa.
It’s a great example of 1 + 1 = 3.
Besides, doing stuff together can make your journey a lot more fun too.
And who knows what other opportunities might come from it!
Books to Read
After reading this guide, you’re well equipped to overcome procrastination. But what if you want to dive a little deeper?
In that case, I’ve listed my favorite books on this topic for you.
In addition, check out the best books on self-discipline.
Final Words
Procrastination is something that happens to everyone and does have its benefits. But if it becomes habitual and has long-term consequences, then you must address it.
You learned how to do that by using the tailored step-by-step approach. It was tailored to include the pleasure principles from the great Sigmond Freud.
Finally, we ended this guide with some simple tips.
If you enjoyed reading this article, feel free to share this with your friends. And if you’re looking for more related articles, check out these: