5 Ways to Finally Stop Procrastinating

What are the reasons we procrastinate? How can we stop doing so habitually?

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Why do we let ourselves down so badly?

The answer is so simple: Just do it already. But the truth is far more complicated, and to make matters worse, procrastination is in our genetic makeups. Procrastination is connected to impulsiveness on the genetic level, which creates a wide array of difficulties regarding controlling our own behavior. To make matters worse, a study in Psychological Science found that procrastination is a lifelong condition.

What does that mean for us procrastinators? Are we destined to spend our lives wasting away online matter-of-factly watching 80s music videos?

Unfortunately, no. Just like those of us who procrastinate can develop our own methods to help us focus and resist our impulses, those of us who procrastinate can also find our own methods to cope with our problems.

1. The task isn’t urgent

Regarding paying attention to what’s in front of you, whether it’s a crying baby, a pinging phone, or a looming deadline, we’re usually inclined to do so. It’s hard to make tough decisions about non-urgent matters. From organizing the basement to saving for retirement, we all have things we would prefer to do but don’t get around to. This leads to tasks at the bottom of the to-do list remaining neglected for months or even years.

Consider the big picture

Temporal discounting, which occurs when humans judge the value of an immediate reward more than a future one, has a basis in evolution. Humans are wired to pay more attention to events in the present than those in the future, which makes sense as the present is where we live. A research study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that looking at daily tasks from a broader perspective rather than focusing on the fine details can remedy problems. For example, if you have often wanted to return to school but have not done so, consider stepping back. What would this mean for your life? What are your values and goals pertaining to your education? What is the big picture? When we take on a new perspective, we may be able to start the process of action. To battle a new kind of procrastination, you must first decide to act.

2. We don’t know how to begin or what to do next

We often find ourselves postponing needed tasks, because we don’t know what to do first. We are overwhelmed, confused, or disorganized. We postpone starting, because we don’t know what the first step is.

Rather than avoiding the task, this form of procrastination is more about avoiding uncomfortable feelings. No one enjoys feeling incompetent or clueless, so it makes sense that we’d rather watch Netflix than clean our bathroom. Finding the perfect outfit ahead of time is an example of productive procrastination. We feel ready for an upcoming event when we shop for it online instead of working. At least we feel prepared.

Create confusion in the task.

The key is to recognize that it is quite natural to feel overwhelmed or incompetent when you are starting, especially if you have never done the job before. To make “figure out steps” the first step, If that gets you moving, add “scream into your pillow” to the top of your to-do list. If you want to begin brainstorming, you can spitball with a friend or discuss it with your co-worker. It is normal for the beginning of a task to involve a lot of pivoting, re-doing, and messing up. It only feels bad if you think it ought not to be occurring. The key is to recognize that it is quite natural to feel overwhelmed or incompetent when you are starting, especially if you have never done the job before.

3. Are afraid of failure

It is not always the case that perfectionism and procrastination are associated, but rather that they are linked by the belief that your performance depends on your self-worth. The real obstacle is not your high standards but rather the association between your high standards and your self-worth belief. Remember the crucial difference between who you are and what you accomplish. Your worth is not based on your accomplishments; rather, your identity, family, interests, experience, friends, politics, knowledge, and, above all, how you treat other people are more important.

4. Some of us work better under pressure

That high school or college student who could open up their textbook a few days before the final exam and still perform better than us was no mystery to us.

Know yourself

To be sure, those youngsters were procrastinating, but in a different way than we usually think. Procrastination is usually categorized as either active or passive. But we think of passive procrastination as getting distracted by Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg cooking brownies rather than working.

Those of us who work better under pressure and prefer the adrenaline rush and intense focus that come with a close deadline might choose to start later. In other words, active procrastination is more strategic.

It turns out that passive procrastination harms students’ GPAs, but active procrastinators do just fine. In 2017, three Swiss researchers evaluated the results of several studies on procrastination and found that passive procrastinators suffered from lower grades. But that active procrastinators were fine. The take-home message is to understand yourself. If cramming for all-nighters makes you feel stressed, have that cup of coffee and open your book at midnight.

5. We don’t want to do our work

It’s hard and boring what we’re supposed to be doing at 3pm on a Friday. We would rather do anything else. Why do we have to get horizontal in a different place to do things we don’t want to do, like pay taxes or contact customer service? What should we do in this situation?

Correct the imbalance and recompense the damage.

Researchers at the University of Kent in Britain recently reviewed the literature on procrastination. They concluded that when students put off studying, they don’t really want to do the work; they just want to take a break from it. These procrastinators also understood themselves well. In other words, they planned to study more and studied earlier than non-procrastinators. And just like the previous group of active procrastinators, they compensated for their tendency to procrastinate by planning to study more and earlier than non-procrastinators. Although they studied more than non-procrastinators in the end, not a lot more.

In Short

To put it simply: Before you tackle your procrastination, take a look at the big picture; remember that you are okay being confused and in the dark at the beginning, and most importantly, know yourself.