Strategies to overcome procrastination & become proactive
How to stop procrastinating? definition & causes
What is (chronic) procrastination?
Everyone has at least heard about procrastination as it is such a common behavior many people experience when they delay completing tasks, even when they know they should be working on them. As an occasional behavior, there is nothing much to say about it, nearly everyone does it, at least in their personal life if not at work.
However, when procrastination becomes a habit or even sometimes a way of life, it will definitely impact your productivity and probably your well-being too. Chronic procrastination is more than just a bad habit—it’s a significant obstacle to achieving your goals.
People often confuse procrastinating with taking necessary breaks, but the two are very different. While taking a break is intentional and restorative, procrastination is an avoidance strategy.
Procrastination can stem from various sources. Sometimes, it’s because you feel overwhelmed when a task at hand seems too daunting. Other times, it’s simply a result of poor time management or a lack of self-discipline. In any case, you need to understand that procrastination goes way beyond mere laziness. It’s about how you:
- prioritize tasks ;
- manage stress ;
- deal with your mental health.
Procrastination is completely ingrained in your brain’s reward system. Indeed, by delaying a task you obtain an immediate reward which is relief from the discomfort or stress associated with the task. Yet, that relief is only temporary and the task looms larger and larger.
Why do I procrastinate so much?
Researchers at Carleton University of Ottawa, Canada suggest that procrastination can often be partially explained by a failure to manage emotions and self-regulate effectively. Besides those emotional factors, one might add that there are also organizational elements which can contribute to the explanation. Through some introspection, you can manage to understand which are your drivers of procrastination. This will then help you identify the root cause of your behavior and ultimately take action to stop procrastinating. Here are the most common procrastination drivers.
Fear of failure
You are afraid that your work will not meet the standards you or others have set, it then becomes easier to avoid the task altogether. This fear often leads to misplaced perfectionism, where you hold off on starting a project until you believe you can execute it perfectly—which rarely happens.
Lack of motivation
When a task doesn’t seem important or exciting, it’s much easier to push it to the bottom of your to-do list. Give it enough time and even important tasks can lose their sense of urgency, so you end up procrastinating on a regular basis.
You feel overwhelmed
Sometimes, procrastination occurs because the task at hand seems too big or complex. When you’re unsure where to start, it’s rather comfortable to avoid starting. This can be linked to a fear of failure but not necessarily. The good news is, as we are going to see later on, this feeling is one of the easiest causes to remove.
Poor time management
Either you underestimate the amount of time it will take to complete tasks or you overestimate your capacities. In both cases you think you can always start a bit later so procrastination quickly becomes a recurring behavior of yours. However, rushing cannot always make up for all the time you lost by not starting on time.
Low energy levels
Your mental and physical health significantly impacts your ability to complete tasks. Fatigue, stress or anxiety can make even the simplest tasks feel impossible, leading to procrastination. Both your body and your mind need you to treat them as your temple!
5 strategies to quit procrastinating and get things done
Now that you know the causes, here are a few proven solutions to overcome this dangerous habit.
1. Set clear and achievable goals
When you set your work goals, just get straight to the point: turn vague intentions into specific, measurable objectives.
In this regard, the SMART framework—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely—can be an extremely useful starting point. For instance, instead of saying, “I want to finish my project,” make your objective more specific like, “I will complete the first draft of my report by Thursday at 4pm” OKRs can be another great way to set clear goals among your organization.
Through clarity, you draw yourself a roadmap so that you always know exactly where to go. Reducing ambiguity amounts to minimizing the risks of procrastination.
2. Use time management techniques
There are quite a few effective techniques out there to help you with your time management issues. One of them is the pomodoro method: set an alarm timer and work for 25 minutes, followed by a 5-minute break, rinse and repeat until work is over. This keeps your focus sharp and prevents burnout. Plus it introduces some self-discipline.
The two-minute rule encourages you to tackle tasks that take less than two minutes to complete immediately, reducing the likelihood of them piling up and becoming an overwhelming juggernaut of work.
Reverse planning is another great way to manage time. Begin by identifying your end goal and work backward to figure out the steps you need to take to achieve it. This method allows you to prioritize what needs to be done today versus what can wait until later.
3. Prioritize and schedule your tasks
Speaking of task prioritization, an excellent tool for that is the Eisenhower Box, a matrix that helps you categorize tasks based on their urgency and importance. Tasks that are both urgent and important should be tackled first, while tasks that are neither can be deferred or delegated. By learning to prioritize tasks in this way, you turn procrastination into a structured approach to time management.
Picking the hardest task first each day is another powerful strategy. Known as “eating the frog,” this method makes you tackle the most difficult or least enjoyable task when your energy and willpower are strongest. Once you get the hard part out of the way, everything else on your to-do list feels much more manageable.
4. Break big tasks into small steps
Sometimes, it doesn’t take much to make things less stressful : simply divide the task into smaller parts, and by doing so you will have given yourself clear, actionable steps that will all of a sudden feel more achievable.
For example, instead of saying, “I need to clean the entire house,” break it down into smaller tasks like:
- “clean the living room” ;
- “dust the shelves” ;
- “vacuum the floors.”
The beauty of this trick is that it applies to any large project, whether it’s a work assignment or household chores. Focusing on smaller steps creates a sense of progress, which helps keep you motivated.
5. Create an environment for productivity
Your environment plays a significant role in whether or not you procrastinate. If you’re surrounded by distractions, it becomes much more tempting to procrastinate. This is why you need to create yourself a dedicated and distraction-free workspace. This goes for working from home, coffee shops, or any coworking space.
Here are a few examples of easy things you could do to keep temptation at bay and eliminate unnecessary distractions:
- turn off your phone (not if you need it for work, obviously) ;
- block social media sites during work hours ;
- create a work/life balance routine by associating a specific environment with productivity, this way you train your brain to switch into work mode as soon as you enter that space. The typical example would be to have an office at home where you never do anything that is not work-related.
How to develop a go-ahead mindset at work?
We just tackled practical strategies, but this is not sufficient : overcoming procrastination requires a shift in mindset. Indeed, a proactive attitude and self-discipline can help ensure that you stop procrastinating for good.
Identify and replace negative thoughts
Procrastination often indirectly comes from negative thoughts like, “I’m not good enough,” or “I’ll never get this done.” The trouble is these thoughts tend to become self-fulfilling prophecies, only achieving more procrastination on your part. To end this vicious circle, be on the lookout for these negative beliefs and replace them with more positive, motivational ones.
For example, instead of thinking:
“I don’t know how to start”,
reframe it to
“I’ll just start with the easiest part and build momentum.”
You will notice that in the long run, turning negative self-talk into a source of motivation helps you break free from the cycle of procrastination.
Train your self-discipline
You can’t rely on motivation alone to get things done as it tends to come and go. And let’s be honest, some tasks are simply not enjoyable.
This is where self-control comes in. Turning the choice to complete a task into a routine is a powerful way to build discipline. For instance, if you know you have to write every day, don’t debate it—just do it as part of your daily routine.
Granted, self-discipline doesn’t happen overnight. It takes a lot of practice, but the more you stick to your commitments, the easier it becomes, to the point where you’ll find that it takes less effort to stay disciplined, even when motivation is low.
Adopt healthy habits
Remember: your ability to focus and therefore avoid procrastination directly depends on your physical and mental health. This is extremely simple: you can’t work on low energy levels. To be able to keep going throughout your work day, you have to adopt healthy habits like regular exercise, proper sleep and a balanced diet.
Strengthen your self-esteem
When you complete tasks consistently, you build confidence. Each time you finish something, no matter how small, it reinforces a positive cycle:
- Sense of achievement ;
- Increased motivation ;
- Stronger self-esteem ;
- Task done in an effective and timely manner; and back to step a).
Overcoming procrastination isn’t only about getting things done ; it’s about building a stronger, more confident version of yourself. On a side note, more self-esteem can help you kill two birds with one stone as it happens to be the main antidote against imposter syndrome too.
Balance work and relaxation
As the saying goes, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”, so remember that balance is key. You can’t eliminate procrastination entirely by working non-stop. Scheduled breaks are mandatory for maintaining long-term productivity. Taking time to relax, recharge, and clear your mind helps you return to work with renewed focus. Besides, it’s vital to your mental health.
All in all, putting an end to procrastination can be quite tricky: if you understand the cause but do nothing about the symptoms, it won’t help you much but on the other hand, if you try generic solutions without having pinned down the reasons why you keep reproducing the pattern, your risk wasting a lot of time and efforts in vain. This is why you first do the introspection and only then you may try the appropriate techniques. Finally, if you want to cement your resolve and get rid of procrastination for good, you will need to practice for some time and adopt long lasting habits.
At Coachyz, we help leaders and managers reach their goals on a daily basis. Through our coaching sessions, we give you the right tools and methods to develop a proactive mindset and be a better version of yourself. You want to disc over your hidden potential? Embark on your journey with us!