I once thought of procrastination as laziness. It wasn’t until I realized I kept procrastinating on important things, despite knowing the negative consequences, that I learned that procrastination is, in fact, a behavioral pattern.
Procrastination is the habit of intentionally or unintentionally avoiding or postponing tasks that require attention. Even though it might feel easier or more rewarding in the short-term, procrastination often leads to increased stress or negative outcomes in the long-term.
It typically takes two forms: active and passive.
Active procrastination refers to when individuals deliberately choose to delay a task, despite being aware of the consequences. Active procrastinators tend to be those who work better under pressure. They thrive in fast-paced and dynamic environments and, in many cases, they enjoy the rush of adrenaline that comes with facing a deadline.
Passive procrastination, on the other hand, occurs when individuals don’t intend to procrastinate or put off tasks but, despite good intentions, get distracted and experience low motivation, leading to postponements. Passive procrastination often results in negative emotions such as stress and anxiety.
The tendency to procrastinate is, in the psychological world, often linked to several emotions, including fear of failure, perfectionism, and low self-esteem. Sometimes, we avoid a task because it brings about feelings of anxiety, overwhelm, or other uncomfortable emotions. In other instances, we put off a task because we find it hard, boring, or too ambiguous.
Procrastination is also linked to the tendency to focus on short-term gratification at the expense of the future. These are times when the immediate rewards of avoiding a task (scrolling on social media, chatting with a friend, watching Netflix) can feel much more gratifying than long-term goals.
Here are 8 Simple Tips to Beat Procrastination and Get Things Done!
1) Identifying Personal Triggers
Understanding what personal triggers lead to procrastination is a powerful first step. You may be stalling or putting off a task due to certain emotions, environments, or even due to certain tasks or activities.
One effective way to identify these patterns is through journaling. Take a few minutes, and write about the areas you avoided for the day. You can journal with the following prompts:
- What task did I procrastinate on today?
- What emotions did I feel when I thought about this task?
- What did I do instead?
You can also ask:
- What situations cause me to feel overwhelmed or anxious?
- Are there particular times of the day when I find myself procrastinating more?
Repeat this over time, and you will gradually be able to clearly see your triggers—instead of being caught unaware.
Read Also: How to Make Good Decisions in Life – 8 Guides
2) Setting Clear Goals
Goal-setting is one of the best ways to combat procrastination. Setting clear and realistic goals is often a good place to start.
SMART is an effective goal-setting framework, which is an acronym for: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. For example, instead of saying, “I want to get fit,” a clearer goal would be, “I will run 5 kilometers three times a week.” This specificity helps remove ambiguity, and it gives you a target you can work toward.
Measurable goals also allow you to track progress which, in turn, helps with motivation. You can make use of the Easy, Attractive, Realistic, and Timely (EART) criteria in setting a goal.
Read also: 12 Simple Techniques to Clear Your Mind
3) Breaking Tasks into Manageable Steps
The issue with many tasks, particularly large ones, is that they may feel too overwhelming or intimidating. In the psychology of productivity, this is one of the quickest ways to give rise to the tendency to procrastinate.
Breaking tasks down into smaller, more manageable steps can help a lot with this. For example, if the task is to write a report, you can break it into smaller steps like:
- Research
- Create outline
- Write section 1
- Write section 2
- Edit and revise
The smaller steps provide momentum. It also helps that with each step, you will also be able to see progress faster, which will help motivate you.
It’s also a good idea to prioritize the steps. Focus on what has the closest deadline, or what will have the greatest impact, first. You can also use tools such as a basic to-do list or use digital planners to help you stay organized.
Related: What to Do When You Struggle with Self-Discipline
4) Creating a Productive Environment
Your environment plays a significant role in either facilitating productivity or making procrastination easier to give in to.
For instance, a cluttered or disorganized workspace can sap your attention. Start by decluttering your space of things you don’t need or require for your task at hand—these include papers, random objects, and items that don’t add value to your workspace.
Remove or reduce distractions:
- Turn off notifications on your phone.
- You may also have to use website blockers if need be.
- Work in time blocks where you focus on deep work, with short breaks in between.
You can try using the Pomodoro technique to keep you focused while avoiding burnout. The Pomodoro technique is a 25-minute work, 5-minute break routine.
You can also apply these to your digital environment. Keep your files well organized and labeled for ease of search. Use task tools and apps like Trello or Asana to help you stay on top of your schedule and workflow.
5) Time Management Techniques
Effective time management skills can go a long way in reducing the chances of you procrastinating. Here are three good time management techniques that can be particularly helpful.
5.1) Pomodoro Technique
As mentioned earlier, the Pomodoro Technique involves working in 25-minute intervals and then taking a short break of 5 minutes. After four rounds of Pomodoro, you can take a longer break of 15–30 minutes.
5.2) Time Blocking
Time blocking involves scheduling fixed time slots for each task throughout the day. This can help reduce the amount of time wasted on deciding what to do next and help you focus on one thing at a time.
5.3) Eisenhower Matrix
The Eisenhower matrix is a time management tool that helps prioritize tasks. It works by ranking tasks based on urgency and importance as follows:
- Urgent + important = Do it now
- Important but not urgent = Plan to do it
- Urgent but not important = Delegate or outsource if possible
- Neither urgent nor important = Reduce or eliminate
This allows you to focus on tasks that have the most impact and helps you avoid getting bogged down by busywork.
6) Building a Routine
Building a routine is another good way to train your mind and body to work even when motivation is at its lowest. To create an effective routine, you have to start by identifying your most productive times during the day; in other words, when you feel most alert and energetic. Put your most difficult tasks in these periods.
Save the easier tasks for when your energy is at its lowest. Ensure you build in breaks as well; mental fatigue makes you want to avoid work, and taking short breaks can actually help you improve your focus.
It’s also important that your routine factor in time for your mental well-being. Ensure you have time to exercise, rest, and also socialize. The better you feel, the easier it will be to stay consistent with your routine.
7) Staying Accountable
Accountability can be the extra push you need when you feel the inclination to procrastinate. The simple fact that someone else is aware of your goal is enough for you to feel the need to be intentional about following through.
You can achieve this by:
- Finding an accountability partner (friend, colleague, family member, etc.)
- Joining an accountability group or community with similar goals.
- Using an accountability app (some task apps come with features that track your tasks, progress, and also give you reminders).
You will be surprised at how even a few check-ins a day can help you stay focused and reduce the chances of procrastination.
8) Practicing Self-Compassion and Resilience
One thing about procrastination is that it is almost always accompanied by guilt and frustration—in many cases, the more frustrated you get with yourself, the more you find yourself procrastinating.
Self-compassion can play a significant role in helping you break this vicious cycle. Remind yourself that setbacks are a part of the process. You are working toward progress, not perfection. When you reframe mistakes as something you can learn from instead of something to beat yourself up over, you will begin to develop resilience.
You can help build resilience by addressing the factors that lead to procrastination. For example, if you struggle with fear of failure, perfectionism, or low motivation. Practices like mindfulness and journaling can help you become more aware of these feelings and triggers without judging yourself harshly. From there, it will be much easier to make adjustments and move on.
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