The Perfect Strategy To Stop Procrastinating Today

If you are one of those who leave things "for later" this is for you.

Surely more than once you have felt an urge to postpone some uncomfortable, difficult or boring activities (doing something else instead) and you already know the stress and the feeling of defeat that comes with constantly procrastinating.

In this blog post I have the perfect strategy to stop procrastinating that you can use as an effective lifeline at any time, and 10 other strategies that are tailored for you. You also find a small test to find out what level of procrastination you are at.

Don't leave it for later! stop procrastination now.

“Procrastination is like using a credit card, lots of fun until the payment receipt arrives”

by Christopher Parker

Perhaps you think that you are reading this article because writing it was such an important task.

Well, that's not entirely true.

The truth is that I was writing an article on how to lose weight , but instead of finishing it (as I had planned) I felt this uncontrollable urge to procrastinate…

I went on Facebook and, I don't know how I ended up watching a video on how to play the guitar (even though I don't have one).

Afterwards, I got hungry, I made myself some toast and decided to wash the dishes right then.

When I was about to sit down to write, I preferred to read the mail that had arrived and read the brochure with the supermarket offers from beginning to end.

I felt guilty and defeated.

Am I the only procrastinator in the world? Why am I putting off finishing that important article? What can I do to stop procrastinating?…

That is the reason why you are reading this.

I started researching and writing an article on how to stop procrastinating.

Has something similar happened to you?

Many of us go through life with a wide variety of undone tasks, large and small, important or mundane.

Surely you are wondering how I managed to stop procrastinating to finish what you are reading? ….

Well, here I explain the perfect strategy to stop procrastinating that I put into practice (+9 more strategies you can implement)

I already put them into practice and they worked for me to finish this article (and also the one I procrastinated in the first place).

Hey! If you are procrastinating reading this article ( to stop procrastinating ), I recommend that you read it to the end.

I assure you that this last distraction will be very useful (and when you finish reading, write in the comments what strategy you will be using to avoid procrastinating anymore)

What does the word procrastination mean?

The word procrastinate comes from the Latin word which means tomorrow or ahead .

And it is precisely the logic that we have when we postpone . We leave things for later, forming a vicious cycle between anxiety and guilt that generates more anxiety.

Do you remember when was the last time you postponed something?

Without realizing it, these are the steps you followed:

1. First stage: You perceive anxiety or discomfort in the face of that activity-that-has-to-be-done.
2. Second stage: As a logical reaction, your brain seeks to relieve that feeling with some other task . Therefore, you become extremely productive in other activities ( which are not a priority at that time ).
3. Third stage: Your brain stores that activity-to-do-as painful and looks for more distractions or some logical reason why you put it off. At that moment, all the comforting excuses appear: “ tomorrow will be another day” , “it was very important to answer that email”, “the meeting was inevitable”, etc., etc.

When you remember that pending task or activity that you initially procrastinated, it generates guilt or remorse and you return to the starting point...

Consequences of procrastination

In addition to the stress and guilt that comes with procrastinating, these are other consequences of putting off what you have to do:

Gain a bad reputation with co-workers, friends and family

The loss of your ambition to succeed or achieve important goals

Not having the results you expect, want or the clash of expectations

It can threaten your well-being if it is a health-related task (such as an annual check-up or starting to exercise ).

Things get worse, because procrastinating can affect your self-esteem and mood.

If we don't do something about it, the habit of procrastination floods other important parts of our lives: avoiding a difficult conversation only prolongs the conflict. And putting off a major life decision, such as breaking up, making a serious commitment, or changing jobs, can leave you life long dissatisfied. one

But, if we recognize that these consequences exist, why do we keep procrastinating?

Why do we have the habit of procrastinating?

George Akerlof, Nobel Prize-winning economist, wrote an essay on the dynamics of procrastination, interestingly after falling victim to this habit.

The account that postponed sending a package to a friend for 8 months, was always about to send the box, but the time to act never came.

There is something comforting in this story: Nobel prize winners procrastinate too!

He came to the conclusion that procrastination could be more than just a bad habit . It is actually a natural impulse in humans.

In fact, the percentage of people who admitted to procrastination is estimated to have quadrupled between 1978 and 2002.

And as if that were not enough, a recent study discovered that the tendency to procrastinate is also in our genes!

It is true that there are many reasons, but below I have 5 of the main reasons behind procrastination

Why activity is not a habit (and conflicts with other habits)

One of the biggest reasons people procrastinate is because a task conflicts with their established habits. When you try to do something that is not part of your daily routine, it will take some effort to complete. This is especially true if the task is unpleasant.

We want to have an instant reward

We do not have immediate negative consequences (although we will pay for it later) for the moment everything is fine.

For example: Resting on the sofa is more comfortable at this time than going out to exercise . Checking email is easier now than doing that project you've been putting off. Eating chocolate cake is tastier now than eating the vegetable salad you promised yourself.

We overestimate our future productivity .

We think it's okay to procrastinate, because we're going to do it later, without any excuses. We blindly believe that the perfect moment will be later, not now. But when that future arrives, we still can't finish, or worse still, can't start.

Our expectations do not match reality

Many times we think that the activity will be very easy and when we start we realize that it is not like that, which generates resistance to continue.

And vice versa, sometimes we have the expectation that a task is very complex and requires a lot of effort and that is why this resistance appears before starting.

we fear failure

The fear of failure paralyzes us and makes us put off an important task or activity for later, in order to avoid a possible failure in the future.

The most perfectionist people are sometimes the ones who procrastinate the most. They prefer to avoid doing a task that they feel they are performing or finishing imperfectly.

Although it sounds strange, some people are also afraid of success, subconsciously thinking that succeeding in some way will lead them to take on more tasks and have more responsibilities that they don't want to have.

The reasons can be very personal too, but what is certain is that we all have different levels of procrastination, what level are you at?...

The test to know at what level of procrastination you are

Although procrastination is a common problem for most, it is at different levels for each person.

This test helps you get to know yourself a little better. Don't leave it for later! it will take you 3 minutes.

Instructions: Just click on the answer that best answers the statement.

The perfect strategy to stop procrastinating

I have always imagined that procrastination becomes like ocean waves crashing against a pier . Over and over again, making that spring weaker and weaker.

The only solution is to build a strong breakwater that controls that tide of distractions, excuses, and unproductiveness, and that prevents the rest of the areas of your life from being flooded with procrastination.

And how can I manage to build that wave breaker?

It's very easy, you only have one rule to follow.

If you are not working on that important task, that you planned to do or that you know you should do, then you have to freeze!

When we procrastinate, it's not really that we stop working on something. What really happens is that we become extremely productive in other tasks that are not important at the time.

We change that activity for another that keeps us busy, so this strategy works.

It's a trick. But, it is a powerful trick.

If you are not working on that activity, then you can do absolutely nothing else.

Before you start answering that unimportant email, watching a YouTube video, reading an article, or simply postponing the planned activity, stop and freeze.

If your mind wants to go to the clouds for a moment and it is not possible to move forward or start with that task, that is fine. But DO NOT do anything else instead.

In this way you will be much more disciplined: if you do not do what you should do, then you will not be doing anything else instead.

When you follow this strategy, you stop becoming productive in other activities, which simply pushes you to do and finish that pending activity.

It seems like it's a waste of time, because you're doing absolutely nothing, but it's actually a workout for your brain. In this way you will be in control and when you have something to do, you will simply be doing it.

It's like a strong wave breaker for procrastination and distractions.

Great Sreedharan but what do I do when this doesn't work for me?...

Don't worry, there is a strategy for you below, keep reading.

9 Practical Strategies to Stop Procrastinating (That Suits You)

It is clear that the habit of procrastinating is common, as well as the consequences, but not all of us postpone the same tasks or under the same contexts.

This means that there are people who put off tidying the closet and bathing the dog, but there will be other people who put off starting a biology project for school or finishing a tedious report at work.

The freezing strategy helps in most cases, because it trains your ability to realize at the exact moment that you are procrastinating.

However, I think it's helpful to have more of a "wave breaker" against the waves of procrastination. In other words, it is useful to have more than one strategy.

Go for it!

1. Border Strategy

You will be surprised to learn that this tendency to postpone what is not urgent has an evolutionary background. 5 . Human beings are wired to consider the needs of the present much more strongly than the needs of the future.

So the strategy is simply to turn that important activity into something urgent in order to take action.

This works because there are two types of procrastination: passive and active.

Passive procrastination is the one we all know: you know you have to exercise, but you put it off all day watching YouTube until midnight.

Instead, active procrastination is "on purpose." You know that when you have no choice and the deadline is very close, you end up being extremely productive. Many people manage to work better and with more focus under pressure.

A study with students showed that passive procrastination negatively affects their grades, on the other hand, the grades of active procrastinators are good.

If you are an active procrastinator, mark a time limit or a specific date, at which time that important task must be done, thus creating the necessary urgency to act.

2. Topping strategy

Yes, a topping is like the cookie or the colored sprinkles on top of an ice cream.

I agree that we don't procrastinate eating ice cream, partly because it's urgent (otherwise it melts) and partly because it's tasty, but I think you get the point: with the right toppings I'm sure you'd eat it with you even win a broccoli simply because it makes it more attractive.

A study showed that the reason why many people procrastinate is because they find said task or activity boring. 7

So all you have to do is find an activity that you enjoy (and is healthy) to "sprinkle" on top of that boring activity.

If it's not possible to top your activity, then think of a healthy reward for reaching that boundary you've set for yourself.

3. Pixel Strategy

It is very common to procrastinate when an activity does not generate an immediate benefit and the future is still very distant.

The solution is to find a way to take a broader perspective, to see those “unimportant” tasks through the lens of a bigger picture. 8

Imagine with me that your day is simply a tiny square within your whole life, which is the big screen. Think that if you procrastinate something important, the pixel will look black. And the more days you continue to procrastinate, the more black pixels you accumulate.

You agree that in the long term the full screen that is your life (your year, month or week) will not look good right?

4 Origami Strategy

If that activity you constantly procrastinate on seems the size of Mount Everest, what you need to do is fold it a few times until it's much easier to start.

The only rule is that you break that activity you put off into something so easy that any other activity you decide to procrastinate on looks more complex.

One way to do this is to create a list of small, very specific steps, and start with the first step.

5. Frog Strategy

As the book by author Brian Tracy explains it, start the day by finishing the task that motivates you the least so you can forget about it and continue the day with other things that you enjoy the most.

The task that motivates you the least is a disgusting frog, don't think about it too much, eat that frog first thing in the morning!

6. Internal dialogue strategy

Phrases like "I have to" or "I must" imply that you have no decision of your own and promote self-sabotage, a lack of motivation and self-control.

Therefore, reframe your internal dialogue, saying "I decide to do..." or "I choose to start...". This way of talking to yourself implies that you are in control and helps you avoid procrastination.

7. Mental clarity strategy

Many people procrastinate because they are not clear on what exactly they have to do.

And the effort of thinking about how do I start, what's next or how do I know I'm done, becomes something uncomfortable and tedious that your brain prefers to avoid. Writing down what you have to do specifically or the steps to follow gives you mental clarity and helps you not procrastinate.

In addition, writing down the steps to follow also helps you visualize it realistically in your mind and overcome possible obstacles that appear.

8. Strategy of realistic planning

Sometimes we procrastinate simply because the day is very saturated, full of earrings and that generates stress, anxiety and overwhelm. Also as it becomes difficult to identify important activities and tasks, you are more likely to end up procrastinating on less relevant activities.

Something that I do and it has helped me a lot to plan realistically, is to write my tasks from back to front.

Let me explain better, I start with the time I want to stop working and therefore in the last task that I will be doing in the day, from there I fill in the rest of the tasks that I plan to do in a more realistic way , until finish for the first and most important task.

You can also plan according to your energy and attention levels. Face the most difficult tasks in your best moments. Do you work better in the morning or in the afternoon?

9. Anti-perfection spray strategy

Surely you think what's wrong with wanting to do things right?...

Well, actually, absolutely nothing, but, there is a big difference between wanting to finish a task well enough and expecting to do it perfectly.

Being perfectionist causes you to procrastinate.

In your mind (and unconsciously), the idea of ​​​​not being able to finish a task or activity perfectly or have perfect results, generates fear and an extreme lack of confidence in you. Somehow, you put off starting or finishing because you're convinced there's no way to meet the high standards you've set for yourself.

This means that you must work hard without lowering your personal standards, but above all, invest your time wisely to achieve good enough results, results that have room to continue to improve over time.

Before starting a task, spray yourself with an anti-perfection spray, learn to be realistic and tell yourself: “I can do it right now to take action”.

Always remember that there is a difference between who you are and what you achieve.

I would love to hear more from you: do you have your own strategy to overcome procrastination? Or, which of the strategies you just read will you put into practice now? See you in the comments...

Help more people beat procrastination, share now (don't leave it for later)