How to Stop Procrastinating and Get Things Done

You know a deadline is right around the corner, but you decide to watch a few Instagram reels instead. You’ve been there, right?

Well, we all have. Procrastination is something everybody does at one point or another.

Good news is that you can train yourself not to do it, and completely change your life for good.

Why do we Procrastinate and How to Become Productive

The good news is that you don’t have to beat yourself over for procrastinating, because it is not actually laziness, no matter what anyone tells you. There are actually a few reasons for it.

The first one is perfectionism. Sometimes when we want to be perfect, we will avoid starting a task, since we feel anxious about the result.

Procrastination could also be a sign that our mind and body are tired and we need some rest to regain our energy levels.

Whatever the cause is, here is how to combat the problem and start being truly productive in your life.

1. Divide the Task into Small Steps

You don’t climb a mountain in one single step. If that is your approach, you are never going to even start.

Whatever your task is, make a plan and divide it into steps. You might even leave some of the steps for another day, but the important thing is that you make the first one.

People say that half the work is done when you start, and that is true in a way. You will see that after you make the first step, the task doesn’t look that tedious anymore.

2. Be Specific About Your Goals

While setting goals, be as specific about them as you can. For example, there is a big difference between saying “I am going to work out for a while”, and saying “I am going to do a 30-minute HIIT workout”.

With the second one, it is much more likely that you are actually going to complete it.

3. Set a Timeline and Stick to it

Time management is the key to productivity. Break down the task into time periods, and don’t forget to include breaks. We will explain in the next point why taking regular breaks is so important.

The most important thing after you’ve made a plan is to actually stick to it and follow the timeline you have set for yourself.

4. Take Frequent Breaks

Being productive has nothing to do with working until you burnout. There has to be a balance between work and rest.

Rests allow you to get your mind away from the task for a while, so that it has time to rest too, and regain energy.

You will be much more productive after a break, instead of after doing the whole thing in one time, and the results will be much better.

5. Create a Motivating Environment

Clutter tends to distract us, so if you want to be productive, you should simply order your stuff. That small step will significantly increase your productivity.

If you get distracted by noise, then make sure your work environment is quiet enough.

6. Decrease the Number of Decisions you Need to Make in a Day

Have a planner into which you write down the major tasks for the day, including workouts, so that you don’t have to wonder during the day if you should work out that day or the next day. Having to make all these decisions takes from your energy and you become less and less productive.

It is much easier to follow a certain plan, rather than decide in each moment what your next step should be.

7. Give Yourself Rewards

The brain is programmed to crave reward, and that is why a reward system always works in making you more productive. That is also why videogames can become an addition. They give you rewards without requiring hard work from you, so the brain gets hooked up on the dopamine that a reward produces.

You can use this to your advantage and give yourself small prizes for completed tasks and achievements.

8. Get Rid of Distractions

If you want to cut on sugar, you wouldn’t have sweets around your house. It’s the same with procrastination – if anything is a particular distraction to you, you should remove it from your workspace.

Even if it’s a certain website, don’t keep it in your bookmarks. If it’s your phone that distracts you most, put it on “Do not disturb”, or switch it off completely and put it away during periods for work.

9. Hang with People that Motivate You

Dealing with procrastination is already hard on its own, so you shouldn’t surround yourself with people that continuously distract you from your goals. Instead, find people who inspire you to take action and be productive, and that will feel like you’re getting superpowers from them.

10. Just Do it

The most important step is the start. Just start working, even when you don’t feel like it, and at a certain point you will feel your motivation rising.