12 Ways to Overcome Procrastination

One of the common causes for our delays in progress getting things done is procrastination. We choose instant gratification over long term success. We rather scroll through social media and put off things for “later”. But today we’re changing that. We’re putting an end to our procrastination and choosing to lock in on our goals. Here’s 12 tired and proven ways to overcome procrastination.

What is Procrastination (and Why We Do It?)

Procrastination is putting off something you can do now for later. It is when you should be studying, working on your goals, or starting a project but instead you doom scroll, do a more enjoyable task, or put it off for “tomorrow.” Furthermore, procrastination is when you choose to do the easier things over the hard ones that is important for your growth.

Procrastination is more about your emotions rather than time. Procrastination occurs when we feel like a task is too uncomfortable, overwhelming, or confusing for us. We’re more eager to do some tasks than others because it feels easy, enjoyable, or comfortable.

In other words, we are more likely to put off a task when it gives us an unpleasant feeling. As a result, we choose to do something else that gives us the pleasant and instant gratification feeling we desire. However, it’s not that we don’t want to do something or that we’re lazy, it’s just our brain chooses the option that makes us feel comfortable.

One of the reasons why we tend to procrastinate is when a task seem too big for us to accomplish. We get confused and overwhelmed even before we start. When we say that we will “study for exam”, “start a project”, or “write an essay”, these tasks can be too broad to start which causes us to avoid doing them. To avoid procrastinating, the key is to break down your bigger tasks into smaller steps. So, instead of saying “I will write my essay”, say to yourself, “I will research the topic”, “I will open my Google Docs”, “I will write my introduction” and so on. See how easy and doable writing an essay become?

Also, we can procrastinate because of fear. Fear to take on a bigger role. Fear to getting judge. Fear of failing. Fear of not being good enough. Even fear of succeeding. Our fears can hinder us from taking action. However, the only way we can get rid of our fears is by taking action.

Living in a world where everything is fighting for our attention, such as our phones, social media, and celebrity gossip can cause us to lose focus on the things that matters most to us which causes us to procrastinate. We’re working, our social media notification goes off, we pick up our phones, and the next we know we’ve been doomscrolling for an hour straight, leaving us feeling guilty and loss of time.

The bottom line is, procrastination is a habit and habits can be broken. If we train our brains to subconsciously choose the task that is uncomfortable or unpleasant but is worth it at the end over the task that is comfortable or pleasant that is a detriment to our growth, we can overcome the habit of procrastinating.

The Seven Types of Procrastinators (Which One Are You?)

1. The Profectionist

The perfectionist is the girl who wants everything to turn out perfectly. She overly cares about everything being flawless, which causes her to never start and avoid a task because she fears that it wouldn’t be perfect.

She overthinks, over plans, and over process everything. The root cause of her perfection is her fear of failing and being judged by others, so to protect herself she keeps putting her work off.

But little does she know perfect doesn’t exist.

By her keep putting off she loss time to make progress, which at the end hinder her from producing quality work.

For her to quit procrastinating she must first end her perfectionism. She must rewire her mindsetby choosing to make progress over procrastination.

2. The Overwhelmed Queen

The overwhelmed queen is the girl who has too much on her plate. She is the one who has a scroll for a to-do list, which leaves her mentally exhausted. As a result, overloading her brain.

However, she doesn’t procrastinate because she is lazy but because she doesn’t know where to begin. The cause of her procrastination is that she places too much on herself which leads to a mental overload.

Instead of the overwhelmed queen getting things done, she thinks about them instead and taking action.

Her problem isn’t that she lacks motivation, but often structure and clarity. Fortunately, she can stop procrastinating and feeling of overwhelmed by breaking down her tasks into manageable steps and prioritize effectively.

She can move from a place of stress, confusion, and anxiety to a place of control and getting things done.

3. The Last-Minute Girlie

As explained in her name, the Last-Minute Girle is the procrastinator who wait until the last minute to start a task because she “works better under pressure.” She rely on her deadlines as a source of motivation. However, that rush of adrenaline comes from her having to work quickly and intensely in a short amount of time.

She mistakes the feeling of urgency for productivity. She might get things done, but it won’t come without the feeling of stress, anxiety, and low-quality work. Overtime, her doing things last minute will lead to burnout and unnecessary pressure.

But the good news is the Last-Minute Girlie can overcome this habit by creating structure and a little bit of urgency, rather than waiting for the last hour to do things.

4. The Avoider

The Avoider is the girl who procrastinates because a task feels uncomfortable or unpleasant. The emotions that she is feeling can come from the fear of failing, succeeding, or being judged, which cause her to delay.

Hence, she choose a task that is more enjoyable. This type of procrastination is mostly rooted in emotions and not being practical.

Moreover, the Avoider blames her lack of not doing a task on readiness or motivation, but the feeling of readiness or motivation never comes. However, she can quit procrastinatinating by choosing to act in spite of the negative emotions she is feeling. Actions silence discomfort.

5. The Distracted Baddie

The Distracted Baddie is one that start a task with finishing it in mind but somewhere along the line she losses focus. She is constantly distracted by notifications, her phone, social media, and other insignificant things that doesn’t contribute to her success.

Her five minute breaks turns into five hours of doom-scrolling, which results in a loss of time.

The reason for the Distracted Baddie’s lack of focus is because she is operating in an environment that is design to distract her.

Because she is operating in a distracted environment, her brain then become use to the dopamine of indulging into these distractions which causes her to choose them over the task at hand.

To overcome her distraction, she must create an environment that forces her to stay focus and reduces her distraction. This might look like putting her phone into a different room whilst she works or try out new work spots where there’s less distractions.

6. The Indecisive Overthinker

The Indecisive Overthinker procrastinates because she over-analyzes the outcomes of her decisions, rather than taking action. She wants to make the “right” decision, so she overly goes over the pros and cons, rethinks the choices she’ll make, and constantly second guessing herself.

This leads to decision paralysis where she doesn’t make a decision at all.

Her procrastination is rooted in her fear of making the wrong choice rather than a lack of desire to move forward. However, there is never one perfect decision, and she can adjust and learn from her decisions if she take action. Once she learns to start trusting herself and take action without overanalyzing everything, she will break free from the habit of procrastinating.

7. The Low Energy Procrastinator

The Low-Energy Procrastinator doesn’t put off a task because she doesn’t want to do it, but she is simply tired. Whether it’s due to lack of sleep, burnout, poor routines, or mental fatigue, she doesn’t have the energy needed to focus or be productive.

Moreover, she is often mistaken as lazy. However, she just needs to rest her mind and body.

She finds herself constantly saying, “I’ll do it later,” because she genuinely doesn’t feel capable in the moment.

The solution to her stop procrastinating is to build a better self-care routine, take breaks when needed, and manage her energy levels to show up as her best self.

12 Tried and Proven Ways to Overcome Procrastination — Image by Young Women’s Essence on Pinterest

1. Use the Five-Minute Rule

Created by Mel Robbins, the Five-Minute Rule is one of the effective ways to overcome procrastination. The concept is straightforward: when you are about to start an assignment, read a book, or journal, count from five: 5-4-3-2-1, and then begin the task.

The reason why this method work is because it avoids you from hesitating or overthinking a task which can lead to procrastinating. The longer you wait to do a task, the stronger the urge to procrastinate becomes.

By counting down and taking action, you resist the urge to put off a task.

Overtime, using the five-minute rule creates a habit of you taking action instead of overthinking. Taking action is crucial to avoid procrastination.

2. Romanticize Starting Your Tasks

Instead of viewing your responsibilities as boring or stressful, how about taking a different approach and start romanticizing your start to them.

Be intentional, set the environment, ambience, and aesthetic in which you feel most enjoyable to work and that brings you into your productive state.

Go to a cute coffee shop, play some classic piano music, order your favorite Starbucks drink, or wear a cozy outfit before you begin a task that seems unpleasant to you.

When you associate your task with a pleasing atmosphere, your brain begins to see it as pleasant.

If you want to learn how to stop procrastinating, change your tasks into a pleasant experience. Some tasks can feel heavy or overwhelming, but changing the way you feel about them can make a difference. You will no longer resist working, but step into an environment where you enjoy being productive every time.

3. Break Your Tasks Into Smaller Manageable Steps

The reason why you feel overwhelmed or stressed when starting a task is because it might be too broad for you to handle.

When you don’t know where to start a task, or it seems too challenging, your brain is accustomed to avoiding it altogether. The key is to make your tasks more manageable by breaking them down into smaller doable actions.

Instead of placing on your to-do list, “read 25-page Biology assignment”, break it down into “open book” and “read five pages per day.”

Breaking down your tasks gives you the motivation to start and avoid procrastination because you will see your responsibilities as something you can achieve.

Completing each step brings you closer to finishing your assignment and motivates you to keep going.

Progress is more about taking tiny steps to complete a bigger task, rather than doing everything at once.

4. Use the 2-Minute Rule

One of the ways to overcome procrastination is using the 2-minute rule. Like the Mel Robbins 5-second rule, the 2-minute rule helps you to take action. The concept is if a task takes less than two minutes to complete, you should do it immediately.

If you have a task that takes more than 2-minutes to complete, work on it for just two minutes.

The hardest part about any task is starting. Hence, when you use the 2-minute rule it will become easier to take action and leave no room for overthinking.

Moreover, using the 2-minute rule, you’ll train your brain to take action and reduce delay.

5. Create a Distraction-Free Environment

One of the reasons for your procrastination is your environment. If your environment is noisy, cluttered, or your notifications keep going off, it can be hard for you to concentrate on the task at hand.

Hence, you must create an environment where your distractions are reduced so that focusing become easier. This can mean putting your phone in another room while you work, working in a distraction-free environment, using apps that block social media on your phone, or organizing your work area. As a result, you won’t have to rely on willpower which can be unreliable to quit procrastinating.

6. Time Block Your Day

Time blocking isn’t just a time management technique, but it is a way to avoid procrastination. When you time block you eliminate the time and decision-making process to figure out what to do next in your day.

Time blocking is about planning your day into chunks at a time to complete a task. Instead of making a unstructured to-do list, give each task a time period to start and end it, such as working from 9 am to 11 am or going to the gym from 6 pm to 7pm.

Using the time blocking method will have your day more structured and reduces the need to procrastinate because all of your decisions has been pre-made.

Furthermore, when you know what to do at a particular time, it becomes easier to focus and start.

Time blocking also helps you manage your energy and ensures that important tasks are prioritized.

7. Stop Waiting for Motivation

The truth is, you’ll never feel motivated enough or ready enough to start something. Productivity doesn’t need motivation. As a matter of fact, you only will feel motivation once you’ve started a task you’ve been avoiding. So, why not start?

When you keep waiting to feel motivated this can put you in a never-ending cycle of procrastination.

Instead, make a conscious decision to take action, no matter how you feel. When you take action, it creates momentum, which leads to motivation.

The key is to detach from your emotions, stop allowing your feelings to determine your actions.

Your actions are what will get you progress, not your emotions.

8. Use the Pomodoro Technique

The Pomodoro Technique is a time management technique where you work in 25-minute intervals, then take a 5 minute break.

Using the Pomodoro Technique will make a task feel more manageable to do because you’ll need only to focus on doing deep work on your task at hand for a short period of time.

Also, this method prevents you from burning out because you will have time to rest and rejuvenate yourself. Knowing that you have a break coming up makes it easier to stay focus during your work sessions.

Over time, this method trains your brain to concentrate more effectively and reduces your urge to procrastinate.

9. Reward Yourself for Completing Tasks

Rewarding yourself after completing tasks is a great way to reinforce productive behavior.

Our brains are naturally wired to seek pleasure and avoid the not so pleasant things, so giving yourself something to look forward to can make tasks feel more motivating to finish.

Your rewards can be treating yourself to an episode of your favorite series, taking a relaxing break, or enjoying your favorite snack.

The concept is to create a link between completing a task and then rewarding yourself. When your brain makes a connection between productivity and rewards, you are more likely to stop procrastinating.

10. Shift Your Identity

The reason why some of us procrastinate is because we label ourselves as someone who procrastinates. In other words, if we identify ourselves as someone who procrastinates, we will procrastinate.

Your identity plays a key factor in your actions and behavior.

Shift your identity. Start telling yourself, “I am a person who diligently works and gets things done in a timely manner, or ” I am productive.”

Then, honor your words by taking small action steps in the direction of the person you want to become.

The more you take action in that direction, the stronger that identity will become. Over time, your identity shifts: productivity will become easier, and procrastination will become a thing of the past.

11. Practice Self-Compassion Instead of Guilt

When you procrastinate, it’s easy to fall into a cycle of guilt and self-criticism. However, this often makes the situation worse by increasing stress and reducing motivation, which can cause you to use social media as a coping mechanism.

Choosing self-compassion means acknowledging that procrastination happens, and avoid beating yourself up about it.

Instead of saying, “Today was a failure” or “I didn’t get anything done today”, tell yourself, “I didn’t get much done today, but I’ll start fresh now.”

This mindset helps you move forward instead of staying stuck in negativity. Being kind to yourself creates a healthier mental environment that supports productivity and growth.

12. Do the Hardest Task First

Referred to as eating the frog, starting your hardest or most important task can reduce procrastination. When you use the time of the day when your energy is peak, you are more likely to focus on getting things done. Your day will feel lighter and easier, whilst giving you a sense of accomplishment early in the day.

Procrastination often happens when you keep pushing difficult tasks to later in the day, where they continue to loom over you. By handling them first, you eliminate that mental burden and create momentum for the rest of your tasks.

Strategies to Stop Procrastination

1. Build Discipline Over Motivation

The truth is that motivation isn’t sustainable. One day you can be motivated, the next day unmotivated.

Moreover, whether you’re motivated or not can depend on your mood, environment, and even how well you’ve slept. Therefore, be disciplined over motivated.

Discipline is choosing to stick with your goals or plans, no matter how you feel. It’s about following through even on days when you don’t feel like it.

Relying only on motivation, will have you showing up on days when you feel productive which lead to inconsistency.

Discipline creates action, and action is what gets you results. Start by being committed to one priority a day, no matter how small. Over time, following through with these small actions will build self-trust and confidence within yourself and reduce the chances that you’ll procrastinate.

2. Master Your Mindset

Procrastination starts in your mind. The way you view your responsibilities, obligation, or tasks matters. If you feel like they are a burden, stressful, difficult, or boring, more than likely you’ll avoid them.

However, if you see your tasks as empowering and purposeful, you will be more likely to follow through with them.

A strategy to end your procrastination is to change the way you think about your tasks. Instead of “ I have to do this,” change it to “I get to do this.”

This small shift in your mindset can make you grateful for the opportunities you have and not take them for granted. You will be more likely to avoid procrastination.

3. Reduce Overwhelm with Clarity

One of the root causes of procrastination is overwhelm; this feeling can come from a place of lack of clarity.

When your goals or to-do list are too big or vague, you procrastinate because you don’t know where to start. The key is to be clear and specific about what you need to get done. Break down your goals and tasks into smaller, actionable steps.

When you thoroughly plan and break down your tasks and goals, you won’t have to decide what to do next, which can reduce fatigue and procrastination.

4. Understand Your Energy, Not Just Your Time

The secret is to focus on managing your energy as much as you manage your time. Throughout the day, your energy will fluctuate. Some hours of the day you’ll feel productive and focused, and others you’ll feel unmotivated and tired.

The trick is to do your most dense or difficult tasks when your energy is at its highest, and your easiest tasks when your energy is at its lowest.

You can do this by paying attention to the time of the day when your energy is at its highest and when it is at its lowest. Then, schedule your tasks according to these times. For instance, if you feel more energized and productive in the morning, it is smart to do all of your heavier or most important tasks in the morning.

By matching your tasks to your energy levels, you will stay productive and reduce the urge to procrastinate.

5. Detach from Perfection

Trying to be flawless is another reason why people procrastinate. When you feel like something has to be perfect, you’re more likely to delay starting because you’re afraid it won’t turn out the way you want. Instead, focus on making progress and putting your best foot forward. Allow yourself to make mistakes, refine your approach, and improve as you complete your tasks. Releasing yourself from the need to be perfect will free you from not taking action.

6. Create A Routine

Having a routine that you stick to prevents decision fatigue which causes procrastination.

When you have a structured flow to your day, it will become second nature to you and leave no room for hesitation. Your daily routine doesn’t have to be complex to be considered structured.

You can create a simple daily routine, such as having a set time for starting work, taking breaks, and winding down.

The key is to stick with this routine. Although sometimes you’ll have off days try to keep consistent as much as possible.

When your brain becomes familiar with a routine, it starts to expect certain behaviors at certain times, making it easier to follow through.

Over time, this consistency builds momentum helping you stay productive without relying on motivation or willpower.

Social media is one of the biggest distractions when it comes to procrastination, it’s designed to keep you scrolling for as long as possible.

While there’s nothing wrong with enjoying social media, using it without boundaries can quickly eat up your time and attention.

To learn how to stop procrastinating, it is essential to set aside intentional time when using these using apps.

To use social media moderately, you can download apps that lock your social media accounts, place your phone in another room while working, or turn off your notifications while working.

By creating boundaries, you protect your focus and make it easier to stay on track.

Remember, every minute you spend mindlessly scrolling is a minute taken away from building the life you actually want.

Wrapping Things Up

At the end of the day, we all hold the power to create our dream life, but procrastination is getting in the way of it. The good news is that you can quit procrastinating. These 12 ways to overcome procrastination are tried and proven to work. Whether you use the pomodoro method, the 5 second rule, or time blocking you will end your procrastination in no time!

Psst…Yes, you! If this article helped you consider liking and sharing it with someone it might help or share it on your social media!

12 Ways to Overcome Procrastination

What is Procrastination (and Why We Do It?)