7 Procrastination Hacks That Actually Work

Everybody procrastinates—sure, even essentially the most pushed amongst us. Whether or not it’s avoiding a piece challenge, delaying home chores, or pushing aside a go to to the dentist, we’ve all been there.

Procrastination typically stems from the obvious unmanageability or unpleasantness of the duty—or perfectionism—moderately than laziness.

The duties you keep away from aren’t at all times onerous or time-consuming, however they might set off discomfort, resulting in delay and a cycle of guilt, stress, and missed alternatives.

The excellent news? You possibly can break this cycle. Under are seven methods that will help you conquer procrastination and meet your objectives with much less stress.

1. Start With Chunk-Sized Duties

One of many greatest causes we procrastinate is that duties appear too massive or overwhelming.

The trick is to start out small. If you break a process into smaller steps, it turns into rather more manageable, and taking step one can construct momentum.

For instance, in case you’re avoiding cleansing your storage, don’t intention to complete it in sooner or later. As a substitute, deal with sorting only one nook or organizing a single shelf. Should you’ve been pushing aside writing a novel, decide to writing simply 200 phrases a day. These bite-sized duties stop you from feeling overwhelmed and assist you ease into productiveness.

A psychological phenomenon known as the Zeigarnik impact additionally comes into play right here. It means that unfinished duties are likely to linger in our minds, prompting us to finish them.1 As soon as you start, your mind continues to nudge you towards ending.

2. Sort out Your Most Dreaded Job First

We frequently procrastinate on the duties we discover most disagreeable. Whether or not it’s a clumsy dialog you might want to have or a very tedious work project, letting these duties fester solely will increase anxiousness.

Say you might want to name customer support to resolve a posh billing situation. This sort of process can really feel exhausting earlier than you even start. Nevertheless, in case you do it very first thing within the morning, you’ll unlock psychological area to deal with the remainder of your day extra easily. The concept of “consuming the frog,” popularized by writer and motivational speaker Brian Tracy, means that tackling your hardest process early units a optimistic tone for the remainder of the day.2

3. Use Rewards to Keep Motivated

Typically, motivation wants somewhat exterior push. One technique to encourage your self to sort out uncomfortable duties is through the use of rewards. Pair an disagreeable process with a fascinating exercise, or promise your self a deal with as soon as the duty is completed.

For instance, in case you’re avoiding doing all of your taxes, inform your self you possibly can watch an episode of your favourite present when you’ve accomplished a piece. This methodology transforms the duty right into a stepping stone to one thing you get pleasure from, making it much less daunting.

Alternatively, mix duties with rewarding actions. Play upbeat music or a podcast if you might want to type by means of paperwork. Or, if you might want to compensate for emails, deal with your self to a latte at your favourite café whilst you trim your inbox. Shifting the expertise from drudgery to one thing extra partaking can assist you keep on monitor.

4. Minimize Down on Selections

Resolution fatigue is a silent contributor to procrastination. The extra selections it’s important to make in a day, the more durable it turns into to make the best ones—resulting in delays and distractions. Simplifying your every day selections can assist protect your power for extra vital duties.

Say you’ve been procrastinating on attending to the gymnasium. As a substitute of deciding daily whether or not to go, set a set schedule—like going each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7 a.m. By automating this choice, you cut back the psychological power required and make it simpler to comply with by means of. To take away yet another barrier to train, lay out your exercise garments the evening earlier than.

Equally, in case you’re struggling to decide on wholesome meals daily, create a weekly meal plan forward of time. As a substitute of debating your meals selections at each meal, you’ll have a premade choice to comply with, lowering the chance of procrastination.

5. Apply the Two-Minute Rule

Popularized by productiveness professional David Allen, the Two-Minute Rule means that if a process could be performed in two minutes or much less, do it instantly.3 This rule helps get rid of small duties that pile up and contribute to a sense of overwhelm.

For instance, if you might want to ship a fast e-mail, reply to a textual content, or wash just a few dishes, deal with it instantly as an alternative of letting it linger. These small actions may appear insignificant, however they will clear your psychological muddle and create momentum for bigger duties.

The Two-Minute Rule is very efficient for individuals who typically keep away from small, tedious duties like submitting receipts, folding laundry, or watering crops. By finishing these duties instantly, you stop them from rising into bigger, extra irritating burdens.

6. Embrace the 70 P.c Rule

Perfectionism typically fuels procrastination. It’s possible you’ll by no means start in case you’re ready till all the things is ideal earlier than beginning a challenge. That’s the place the 70 p.c rule is available in.4 This idea encourages you to take motion while you’re about 70 p.c prepared as an alternative of ready for full preparedness.

For instance, in case you’re making ready a presentation for work, don’t wait till you’ve crafted the proper slides or rehearsed 10 instances. As a substitute, begin while you’ve gathered sufficient data—about 70 p.c of what you want—and enhance alongside the best way.

Or, suppose you’re writing a weblog put up however hold stalling since you need it to be flawless. Making use of the 70 p.c rule encourages you to jot down a draft with out obsessing over each element, trusting which you can edit and refine the draft afterward. This method frees you from perfectionism paralysis and helps you make progress.

7. Optimize Your Surroundings

Your environment have a strong affect in your productiveness. In case your surroundings is cluttered, distracting, or chaotic, it’s more durable to deal with the duties you might want to get performed. Taking management of your workspace can get rid of many triggers that result in procrastination.

For instance, in case you’re making an attempt to check however are continually distracted by your telephone, put it in one other room. Use focus-enhancing apps like Forest or Freedom to dam distracting web sites whilst you work. To foster higher focus, you can additionally create a chosen workspace at dwelling, like a clutter-free desk in a quiet room.

If working at dwelling feels isolating or uninspiring, strive an area café, co-working area, or library the place you possibly can feed off the productive power of others. Altering your surroundings can jump-start your motivation and assist you keep on process.

Bear in mind, the objective is progress, not perfection!