How to Stop Procrastinating
17 Mar
Do you procrastinate? Put things off to tomorrow that you could do today?
You’re not alone.
One study found that 95% of people occasionally procrastinate. You’re in good company.
So why do we do it?
Though many theories are out there, here are four common reasons we put stuff off.
1. We think it’s difficult: When the task seems hard to do, we naturally avoid it in favor of something easy. This explains why so many tax payers wait until April 14 to get down to business.
2. We think it’s time consuming: With our time always in short supply, something that seems ready to gobble large blocks of time is going to be set aside. “We’ll have more time on the weekend,” we say, “so we’ll tackle it then.”
3. We think we don’t know enough: Few people like to make mistakes, so instead of taking real action we turn to study and research. We keep learning more (from the safety of home) until we feel safe to start. Then, when we feel ready…we learn some more.
4. We think people will judge us: Engineers don’t get engineer’s block; accountants don’t get accountant’s block. But writers? Oh, they get blocked. And one possible reason is the fear of getting criticized. Because they worry so much about what people will think, they put off the writing, or, worse, work themselves into a lather that we call writer’s block.
The solution to these problems? As simple as it sounds, just tell yourself the opposite. (I told you it would sound simple.)
We talk to ourselves–a lot. Often it’s everyday chatter about what we’re going to do or what you would have said to that nasty Target cashier if given a second chance. But we also talk ourselves into procrastination.
When a task or chore or goal pops into our heads, we often run through one or more of the common traps above. We convince ourselves, even before starting, that it’s going to be hard, or time consuming, or mistake prone, or judged.
That’s why a new conversation–a controlled conversation–is so helpful. You can stop the problem before it has a chance to kick in.
The next time you have to do something, consciously tell yourself:
1. It’s not so hard.
2. It won’t take that long.
3. I’m sure I can do it, or at least learn as I go.
4. No one really cares about what I’m doing; they’re worried about their own problems.
One more tip.
A study in the December 2008 edition of Psychological Science found that people are more likely to put things off when they focus on WHY they should do it as opposed to HOW it should be done.
When tax time rolls around–or anything else you habitually put off–think about concrete ways to get it done. Don’t worry about the why.
So what do you put off? How do you beat procrastination? Let us know in the comments below!
What do you put off?
How do you finally get yourself moving?
Jason: This was a great day to bring up the topic. I face the WHY everyday and do have success replacing it with HOW. I know that I cannot influence the why, but I can influence the how. Job searching for anyone is tough, when you are looking for Toxicologist jobs, the scope is very narrow. I make an effort to write the answers to applications differently each time, making that a single opportunity to catch someone’s eye, connect my experience with their needs. Today I was in the dumps, but then I read your note and I am refueled. I will focus on the things I can influence and that will move me forward.
Kindest regards and thanks for your help,
Bob
Bob,
You’re quickly becoming a leader in our tribe. Congrats and thanks for your comments. Not only do I appreciate them, but they’re always helpful for everyone else visiting.
I like what you said about influence: it’s so much easier to affect the ‘how.’ Not so with ‘why.’
Happy to refuel the tank-keep the comments coming!
I put off those exact tasks you mention!
It helps if I say to myself that I’ll just ‘look at’ what needs doing (eg tax return form), followed by at least collating a few relevant papers/info, then somehow things start to flow, gradually, from there.
Mind you, everything does always seem to take so much longer to accomplish than I originally thought,(all those bloopers/errors to get through and remedy)so ‘starting’ early sure is essential!
So nice to see I’m not alone! Thanks!
Deran,
Welcome to the discussion!
I like your tip: just give it a look and see where it goes. It gets you to take that all-important first step without a lot of resistance.
And you’re right–starting early is key.
Thanks for sharing and come back soon.
PS. You’re certainly not alone.
Jason – You must have been reading my mind – this was a great piece b/c I am the queen of procrastination as are most of my students -This will definitely come in handy. Thank you very much for all the information you send me and others. Have A GREAT Day! Veronica
Veronica,
I didn’t know I would be meeting the Queen of Procrastination–I should have dressed up. : )
I think I might dive into this topic a bit more; it sounds as though it’s something we all struggle with.
If you have any tips, let us know!
I think an important point is the how. I recently worked with a coach to review and develop procedures for various tasks I procrastinate on. This helps eliminate a lot of thinking about the WHY by making the HOW very clear. Clearly defined and easy to follow steps take all the second guessing and uncertainty out of many tasks to allow people to focus on getting things done instead of doing things.
Today, I will focus on “How” to get things done, instead of “Why,” which can be overwhelming.
Breaking down a task into bite size steps makes sence to me.
TJM
Jonathan,
Excellent comment.
It’s all about getting clarity and moving forward. As you said, once you take second guessing out of the equation, it’s so much easier to get things done.
Thanks for sharing and keep them coming. We’re building quite a valuable tribe here, and it’s because of people like you.
Buying a camera
This has been going on for long, and I sstill dont have, although I can afford it I keep procrastinating
Gradwell–let’s take care of that right now.
You’re going to buy the camera, and soon.
What are the steps you need to take to get it?
I love the one about writers block! I’ve been there, done that. I don’t know if it is as much a fear of being critisized as it is a strive for perfection…or maybe the two are intertwined?
Either way, I have thrown out the “perfection” thing and for better or worse, just write what is on my mind.
It helps me “spit it out” and sleep better at night -:)
Best-
Gregg
Gregg,
You’re dead on.
Perfection plays a huge role in procrastination (but I can’t give it all away in one post, right?).
We all need to follow your advice: throw out the dream of perfection and just “spit it out!”
I put a lot of things on the long finger, but if there is something I MUST get done, what works for me is lots of reminders written into my diary, on post-it notes etc, if possible in places where they cannot be easily removed! When I finally tackle the task, it is a great consolation to get rid of the reminders!
Nonetheless, procrastionation is a major peccadillo for me!
Clare,
These are great tips.
And I love the reward at the end–when you do it, you get to dump the reminders.
(That’s actually something I love to do. Nothing feels quite as refreshing as deleting items off of my task list.)
Thanks for the tips and for being such a valuable member of this community.
I’m a serious procrastinator! I did find something that works like a charm for me, though. If I set a time limit on how long I’ll work on something it isn’t so overwhelming to me. Cleaning the garage was weighing heavily on me so one day I decided I’ll give it an hour….I was completely done in an hour and a half! When I saw how far I had come in an hour it was so easy to just finish it up. I had been putting it off for MONTHS because I just didn’t have an entire day to set aside for cleaning the garage. Now when I have a job that’s on my mind I just tell myself “I’ll give it xx minutes”…even 15 minutes accomplishes so much and once I get going I realize the job isn’t as overwhelming as I made it (yes, I do it to myself!) so it’s so easy to finish it up.
I thought about joining the national procrastination society but I’ll do it tomorrow…. LOL
Your idea sounds like it would work for me – I’m going to try it. I have no idea why I put things off – important stuff too… its a sort of mental rebellion against “The rules” of life and work. Gets me into all sorts of scrapes!
Thanks for the idea!
Roseleen…I love your first statement. Is there really a National procrastination society? If so I may have just found a possible job I might qualify for (if their needing help that is in getting things done) Thanks for making me laugh.
My procrastination don’t get me into scrapes but it does seem like I have a perpetual headache all the time from beating my head agianst the wall from always putting myself behind the eight ball.
You have a wonderful day
Brenda,
I think we missed the boat. National Procrastination Week (an entire week! I guess we couldn’t be trusted to celebrate on time) is the first seven days of March.
Maybe next year…
Cracking Jason!
Thats supposed to be a “love” smiley!
Hope no one is offended by my British humour!
Why thank you! You have a great day too.
(I forget how caring a nation you Americans are – we Brits are a little too reserved for my liking)
Scrapes hell! I have a knack for creating them. I can talk the talk, but walking the walk is another issue – One instictively knows when something is right, even if you can’t do it yourself.
I have one trick that helps me after making the list of baby steps (apologies to the poster who suggested that great idea – i have forgotten your name.)
Once I have my list of “baby steps” I choose the nastiest one first thing in the morning and try to get it done first of all – but it has to be a VERY small step! But believe me – the feelgood factor of having got it done and out of the way first thing is a true legal high!
Roseleen,
I love your humor, love your advice, and love your style. Don’t change a thing.
We’re not only going to help each other grow and improve; we’re going to have a great time doing it.
Wow, that’s working for me too! Thanks for the great tip!
I love it!
Lou, this is a perfect comment: you gave advice (good advice) and told us how it worked for you. We’re lucky to have you and I hope you share a lot more over the coming weeks and months.
I also love your point about going overtime but finishing anyway. It’s true: once you’re into it, it’s so much easier to finish. We just have to get started, and now, with your tip, that’s going to be easier.
i have this new idea to create a course about my job (production manager for advertising production company, which actually is a little stopped). i even start writing the structure of the course, but i stop when it’s time to propose it around, just for the fear of rejection, and even if i’m sure i can do it veeeery well.
Leo,
Let’s see what we can do here.
I understand your being afraid of rejection. It’s normal–for most people–but you’re not most people. You’re someone who A. is a member of our group so you’re interested in improving and B. took the time to post a comment so you’re someone who takes action.
Now we just have to take those strengths and turn them on your goal.
Let’s start with a story. Tell us about your idea, as if you were talking with a friend over coffee. The more details, the better.
hi jason, sorry if i’m late.
ok, this is my idea:
instead of teaching the same old kind of lessons, based on theory, this time i’ll tell to the students a real situation: this is your first day as a production assistant in a big company. your very first day. the company is on preproduction for a very big production, a commercial with 5 days of shooting, various locations, lot of extras, 5 or 6 different cars, animals, a lot of technical equipment and a very large crew. the shooting will happen in 10 days.
and then i’ll start teaching what happen from 2 point of view: what will have to do the production assistant and what will do the production manager.
point by point, even considering the kind of people they deal with, the problems, the difficulties. from the preproduction to the shooting to what happens after the end of the shooting.
is that clear?
thank you Jason
Leo,
This sounds like a fantastic idea.
Instead of working with intangible theories or sticking solely with the book, you’re going to put them in directly in the experience.
You’re going to teach the way we all need to learn.
So what’s the first step to making this happen?
i suppose there are 3 first step:
1- create the structure of the course, maybe just like it is a sort of screenplay
2- create a catching presentation of the course
3- contact all the school that can be interested.
I think its a super idea!
As an ex adult tutor and a “train the trainer” tutor- caan I offer some small things to help?
I can’t help with content – you’re the guru on that one… but I have a couple of ideas that will make your students beg for more….
i’d like to know your ideas roseleen, thanks!
Oh dear! Brace yourself! Essay coming up!
Do you know what an ice breaker is?
In case you don’t…. after you’ve introduced yourself and the course and done the “housekeeping” (Ie where the coffee machines and comfort rooms are, what to do in case of a fire etc) have an ice breaker to put people at ease. there’s lots of things it can be – so choose something that fits your industry.
But it needs to be something upbeat that the students do – preferably as a group. One idea that works is to get them to stand up one by one answer 5 questions – 1. their name 2. whwere they work 3. what they want to gain from the training. 4. whats their fave film and why 5.if they could be any person in history – who would they be and why.
The idea is to get them awake and listening.
Another alternative is to bring a small soft ball into the room. Get your students to stand in a circle (you included to make it flow) and to say their names out loud one by one. Then get them to throw the ball to each other while calling out their name with a word starting with the same letter as the name… so you start the game off and throw the ball at andrew saying “Astonishing Andrew” Andrew then throws it to Carolyn saying “Clever Carolyn” , then maybe back to you saying “Lovely Leo” and so on… notice they are all positive words!
When you are doing your intro at the start.. tell them what you are going to be telling them – ie a brief synopsis of the day. Then do the telling/training. At the end of the day.. tell them what you have told them.
And do some “happy” sheets at the end. Get them to fill in a little survey of the training asking them how they rated each session on a scae of 1-5. Use positive language… for example…. ask the following
“on a scale of 1-5 where 5 is brilliant and 1 is needs more work, how do you feel about the following statements…
1. The trainer was helpful and friendly
2. The trainer knew what he was talking about
3. the trainer understood my needs
Then a final question – ask them if there’s anything that could have been better …
After the course read the comments – I wager you $50 here and now you will not get a single negative comment. So photocopy the really great ones and keep them in a portfolio – and when you’re feeeling down – read them. Better still – hang the best ones on the wall!
And finally – if its an all day training course – give them a fantastic lunch – its the bit they’ll remember most (hell! they’re only human like you and me)
and finally finally – if you’ve fed them they’ll be slepy afterwards so first session after lunch keepit light. And mak ethem do something even if its only run around the table.
During the day try to include a couple of exercises where they have to work in a group or pairs rather than just you talking all the time. One that I do frequently is a short session on communication of ideas. (relevant to any industry or profession.) get them into pairs and get them sitting back to back. give one of the pair a photocopy of a series of geometric symbols all touching each other at different points. Now the other person has a blank sheet of paper and a pen. sitting back to back and not ooking at the other persons paper or either turning round, the person with the drawing has to describe the symbols and where they are placed, the other person has to draw the description without asking questions or looking. You can turn itinto a competition by giving a candy bar or similar to each of the pair who drew the most accurate drawing.
and finally finally finally – ask them questions as you train… their opionions, what they would do in a certain situation etc. and to ask you. Now here’s the best trick of all… if someone asks you a question you can’t answer just say “What does everyone else think?” and let them give an answer for you. If you don’t get a reasonable answer from the rest of the group just say “I have never thought of thaat/ don’t know the answer, but give me your name and number and I will call you tomorrow with a definitive answer” – they are human and willlove you for your honesty.
Be yourself – if you are a happy jolly person like me – be happy and jolly.If you are more sober than me – be sober. Never, ever try to change your personality – they can spot a fraud a mile off just as you can.
Always look around the room from person to person as you speak and try to modulate your voice as if you were talking to your mom – not just a montone – use your personality!
Its a lot to take in I know… but there’s a two day course in those paragraphs..but the main points are …
interact and BE YOURSELF!
(Phew! Did I really type all THAT?!!!)
not sure where I came across this, but I use the “I’ll just get the file out” method – i.e. what is the smallest 1st step you can take to get started – from walking the dogs (“I’ll just walk them to the end of the street”) to going to the gym (“I’ll just put on my gym clothes”), to starting a new course (“I’ll just do a mind map of the key parts”)…whatever it is that will seem so insignificant so it’s not scary, but will set the wheels in motion.
Hi Sinead,
I believe it is called Kaizen, a Japanese philosophy that focuses on small incremental changes. I remember reading a book about it a few years ago. It is called ‘One small step can change your life: The Kaizen Way’ by Robert Maurer.
I often use this approach and find it helpful.
Kaizen is an amazing technique that works for all areas of your life.
It comes from two japanese words Kai – meaning change and Zen – roughly meaning better.. so change for the better.
Here’s a brief outline….
After WW2 the Jpaanese nation was on its knees – within 50 years it was to of the nations wealth wise. Why? Because the japanese looked at why the west managed to win. Now TRADITIONAL Japanese lore says that the Emperor is a Demi God, and that all Japanese are related to the Emperor ergot all japanese folks are superior to the rest of us. So how the hell did an inferior race beat them?
So they looked at the west and how it functions, and worked to make their nation better. Hence Change for the good.
So no matter what you do in life – think how can you do/make it easier? Or how to make it happen… and its the small steps that work.
Decide where you want to be, and work out the tiny steps that will get you there. Do a step from the list… askdid it work? If not how do you make it work? If it worked – how do you make it better/faster/easier/smaller/bigger/cheaper
And that in a tiny nutshell is Kaizen.
And it works…! So does the saying that a jouney of a thousand miles starts with one step
Wow.
Roseleen, that was incredible.
I can’t tell you how happy it makes me feel to see you guys reaching out to one another. And the level of conversation and advice? It’s brilliant. I love it and am really excited about what’s to come.
Together we can build this blog into a tribe (I know, I use that a lot!) that changes lives and changes the world.
It starts with one step–just like you said. : )
Steady on young man.. you’re making this old girl blush!
God bless you – and the hard work you put in for “The Tribe”
Sinead,
Welcome to the group!
Excellent tip. It’s advice like yours that actually makes a different: simple, short, and effective.
I’m definitely going to point people toward your comment.
Thanks for sharing and keep it up. We need people just like you to make this the best tribe possible.
wow, thank you roseleen, your advice are priceless and wonderful, for sure they will be very useful!
I am absolutely positive that you will be a success – you come across as a really warm, friendly, intelligent person and a natural communicator – all the qualities needed in a great trainer.
Anyone can be an effective trainer – but great trainers were born with a special “trainer gene” – you have the gene!
The hardest part of any trainers day is just standing up and starting – once you’ve done the house keeping part of the session the rest will be plain sailing.
I really hope you will come back and let me know how you get on….
hello roseleen,
i’m not disappearing, it’s just that after 2 months of absolutely no job, yesterday one production come in, so i’ll be a little busy until thursday. but i will go on with the creation of the course, i’m already searching for the right schools of even considering doin’ it by miself.
and i’ll always read and answer this and other post here, i like this place!
I absolutely agree with you about the importance of our self-talk. And because of this I would suggest that we’d talk to ourselves in a positive way, such as (your examples):
1. It’s not so hard. Can be turned into “It’s going to be easy”
2. It won’t take that long. Can be turned into “I will have done this in no time”
3. I’m sure I can do it, or at least learn as I go. Can be turned into “Any mistakes I might make will ensure that I’ll learn even faster” (this is born out from very recent research).
The reason it’s more powerful to turn the statement into a positive is because your brain can’t distinguish between a positive and a negative. If you tell your brain not to do something, it first has to think about the something and then turn it into a “don’t”. For example: DON’T think of a blue tree. Especially not of a blue tree with lights flashing on and off. No, don’t do that. BTW, what are you thinking of?
Evelyne,
Thanks. Now all I can think about are blue trees with flashing lights. : )
You’re absolutely right. Turning a negative into a positive is not only easy but very effective for a lot of people.
Thanks for sharing!
I think about the things to do on the day & with me my mind just go straight to thinking of the consolation at the end of the rainbow
a bit like Clare Leonard, you then realise you can sit back and chuck
a prawn on the barbie cheers clive
Clive,
Chuck a prawn on the barbie…if that doesn’t get people to want to reach the end of the rainbow, I don’t know what will. : )
Thanks for your comment!
Here’s what works for me (whenever I remember to do it!).
1) Break it down into totally unthreatening baby steps.
2) Do a baby step.
3) Repeat step 2 as necessary. It works best if you have a regular time slot so that you keep going.
I haven’t finished decluttering the house, but it’s slowly improving. And I’m 75,000 words into the novel.
Sheila,
Great tips.
The key to get started; after that, everything gets easier. That’s what makes your advice so useful.
If we break it down into non-threatening steps, chances are that we’ll do it. Once the ball is rolling down the hill, it’s a breeze to keep it moving. (At least a lost easier.)
Thanks for sharing and being an important part of the community.
And keep that great advice coming!
I procrastinate getting to bed, getting excersize, and cooking. I want to do these things to be healthy. But, I’ve never thought about thinking about the how for these things.
I’ve mananaged to get through other things I don’t want to do ,like housecleaning and taxes, by setting time limits on the doing of them.
Getting to bed should be an easy how, so I’ll try that tonight.
C,
You’re brought up a lot of good points.
Millions of people have trouble eating healthy and exercising when they know they should, so I’m glad you brought it up.
You also offered great advice: set time limits. I’m amazed at how effective this simple tool is. When we tell ourselves we’ll only invest 15 minutes in something, the walls of resistance come tumbling down, and we actually get something done.
Perhaps you can use a few of the many wonderful tips people have been sharing to help you with your other pests of procrastination.
And don’t worry–more tips are on the way!
If it helps cooking wise try this. (apologies if its not too clear – I am a Brit after all and products have different names and quantities in the uk)
Dont change everything at once – do it one step at a time.
For example…. step one for day one.. cut down on the amount of salt in your diet. get used to that then maybe tackle the next bit.. cut down on fat content. Next week tackle the amount of vegetables in your diet, week 4 could be the amount of sugar – get that bit sorted and move onto the next challenge, just don’t try to do everything at onceor you will set yourself up to fail .
remember – everyone loves a winner!
Couldn’t have said it better myself.
Keep it up, Roseleen.
Hi Jason,
I postpone a lot of things, like doing my filing, cleaning up and sometimes calling people to clarify things.
Your suggestion to concentrate on the “how” instead of the “why” sounds good. It gets the focus on the action, that first step, instead of the fear or unwillingness. I will definitely give that a try. Tks.
Renee,
Thanks for posting. It’s great to you have you.
Filing, cleaning, and calling–three things I think the world puts off (or at least a lot of us). I’m glad you liked the tip and I hope it works for you.
Let us know!
I dont know why but I have all these great business ideas, that are just stuck because of me and my pracrastinations!!! These ideas will reamin secret if I dont put them to use!! I dopnt know what to do and time is running out!!
((((safura))))
Been there, done that and worn the T shirt!!!
Here’s a little trick that might work…..
get hold of a pad of postit notes
Write out two notes….. the first with a business idea on, the second with the desired result of your business.
For example… postit one could say “To design a brilliant T shirt to support Breast cancer awareness”
the second could read “To have Macy’s/harrods/walmart stock my T shirt”
Now…. stick these two notes onto the fridge …at opposite ends so that here’s a big gap between the two.
Tomorrow, look at the first note. write out another note – now this note is your first step so stick it beside note #1. It could read something like “Buy drawing paper and pencils” – that is your aim for the day. Once you”ve bought the paper and pencils put a big red tick through the step and write out the next step on another postit note and stick it up beside the red tick.
You now have a visual path to your goal, and will get a lot of pleasure as the line of notes gets longer heading towards your goal and the number of ticks increases…
Hope it helps!
Thanks Roseleen, I feel excited, cos I can picture it right now, will do it as soon as I get home!!
Way to go girl!
You ROCK!!!!
just remember… from tiny acorns mighty oaks grow!