10 Ways to Overcome Procrastination and Learn to Get Out of Your Own Way
We know we need to get stuff done. We know it’s in our best interest to get stuff done. We know that procrastinating is against our best interests.
And yet, against our better judgment, we do it anyway.
Why do we procrastinate?
In short, because we’re human.
According to Dr. Piers Steel, author of The Procrastination Equation, about 95% of the people he interviewed admitted to procrastinating.
Humans have a way of pacifying the present-me, who wants to avoid something, even if it’s detrimental to future-me. It’s simply human nature to want to avoid being uncomfortable.
Tim Pychyl, author of Solving the Procrastination Puzzle, has identified seven triggers to procrastination:
Boredom
Frustration
Difficulty
Ambiguity
Unstructured tasks
Not having fun in during the process (not intrinsically rewarding)
Feeling like there’s no personal meaning to you
I find I procrastinate for one of two main reasons: I don’t want to do the task or I don’t know how to do the task.
As grown adults, we realize our logical minds should override these id-like impulses to procrastinate. We understand adulting means doing things that are un-fun or difficult or boring.
And if we don’t understand how to do something, we’re smart enough to know how to fill in the gaps of our learning. After all, we have no problem YouTubing “how to paint my kitchen cabinets.” Why, then, do we avoid a deep dive into how to do the task at hand?
It’s not just the practical implications of procrastination that get us. The emotional impact procrastination has can be really damaging.
We get upset with ourselves for not getting things done. We feel like we’ve failed ourselves and others. Progress and momentum grind to a halt.
What should have taken a few minutes to complete has now been bumped from to-do list to to-do list, week after week. We berate ourselves.
“Why can’t you just make yourself do that?”
“You’re slowing yourself down. Just do it already!”
Why do we do this to ourselves?
The truth is our limbic systems, the emotional parts of our brains, don’t have the chops to stand up to our prefrontal cortex in moments like those.
It’s a combination of biological, experiential, and emotional factors at play.
The Hallmarks of Procrastination
Lots of people say they procrastinate because they consider themselves lazy.
But an outsider taking an objective look would say they’re anything but lazy.
Many of us work hard as we are procrastinating. We find tons of things to do instead of the dreaded task. We’re like productive but misguided beavers, getting the forest clean instead of building the dam.
Some people say, “I work better under pressure.”
But how would they know? The nature of procrastination means we rarely give ourselves the chance to organize, plan, and execute a difficult task well ahead of the deadline. That excuse doesn’t hold water. If you’ve said this before, beware of your inner procrastinator making excuses for your behavior.
People say they like the “rush” they feel when they’re pushing up against a deadline.
I suspect it’s not adrenaline, it's anxiety. Procrastination has put them at risk for errors, consequences, even illness. When they come through unscathed, it’s easy to look back on those feelings as being motivating or exciting. Really, it’s panic disguised as motivation.
For many of us, procrastination is a self-protection mechanism.
As children, students, employees, and entrepreneurs in today’s world, we’re under a lot of pressure. From performance evaluations to the real-life consequence of making ends meet, there’s a lot riding on our performance. On an emotional level, we tell ourselves if we fail it’s because we “didn’t have enough time.” Then, it’s not really a reflection on us and our abilities. Our procrastination is rooted in the fear of being judged.
With all these factors at play, are we doomed to be perpetual procrastinators?
Heck no!
Strategies to Avoid Procrastination
Take heart. Everyone procrastinates at some time or other. But if it’s a pattern for you, the following tips will help.
Train yourself to become aware.
Having just read some of the hallmarks of procrastination above, you’ll likely recognize a few that apply to you. Congratulations, you’ve just made the first step toward helping yourself!
Now go a step further. To be able to effectively address procrastination in your life, you have to get to the root cause. Ask yourself why you procrastinate. Is it to protect yourself from judgment? Because you’re in over your head and need help? Because you’re doing things that are out of alignment with your goals or values? Because you’re a perfectionist who can’t stand the phrase “progress over perfection?”
Analyzing the reasons and triggers for your procrastination is the gateway to change.
Stop relying on self-control or willpower.
Your limbic system is a beast! Recognize that it’s okay to give yourself a little grace. Instead, set up some time management strategies to tame that part of your brain.
Are you guilty of doing things “when I have time,” but the time never comes? Add it to your calendar. Actually block off time to commit to the task.
Are you the misguided beaver cleaning the forest instead of building the dam? Bone up on your prioritization skills.
Do you get distracted by shiny objects and squirrels? Cancel your notifications, put your phone in airplane mode, and use focus apps to help.
Stop catastrophizing.
Is this task you’re avoiding really all that terrible? Some of us have a real gift for drama, building these tasks up in our minds to be far worse than they actually are. You may be uncomfortable, bored, or annoyed, but you’ll live. Recognize that over-dramatizing the negativity isn’t helping.
And if the task really is something you’re not good at or makes you truly miserable…
Delegate!
It took me a long time to recognize that as the Founder of my company I don’t have to do everything! What a freeing realization! That’s the beauty of being my own boss. I can delegate the tasks I hate, I’m not good at, I don’t have time for, or just plain don’t want to do. The tasks will get done by someone who will be happy to do them and I’ll get to spend time on the things that are important to me. It’s a win-win!
Focus on your “why.”
Why does this need to be done? What benefits will you reap once it’s completed? How will you feel when it’s behind you? Instead of focusing on the short-term misery, imagine future-you standing in awe of your accomplishment.
Take a baby step.
Mary Poppins and Aristotle – two individuals I don’t imagine struggled with procrastination – once said, “Well begun is half done.”
Do something – anything – to get you started. Be your own task contractor and break it apart or chunk it up. Whatever it takes to get some momentum. A baby step could lead to toddler steps. Before you know it, you may be taking great strides toward accomplishment.
Tell perfectionism to take a hike.
Perfectionism is catastrophizing’s annoying little cousin. Call it out for what it is, an excuse. Is the time not right? Start anyway (see #6). Recognize that “imperfect” does not equal “complete failure'' (we see you,‘cuz!). Be aware that your fear of being judged shows up strongly here. Focusing on excellence is admirable. So is getting the job done.
Get an accountability partner.
Tell someone you trust about the task you’re dreading and why it’s something you’re not looking forward to. Ask for a little accountability and encouragement. There’s no need to ask someone you work with or someone who understands the project. Ask someone who understands you.
Discuss how you’d like to be motivated. Do you want a call, a text, the promise of a night out upon completion? Then decide how often these check-ins should happen. Knowing someone has your back can be the encouragement you need.
Give yourself grace.
“Shoulda, woulda, coulda.” Those voices need to pipe down. Use your new awareness to recognize you aren’t alone in being a procrastinator. And having been one doesn’t mean you can’t change.
Use your new insights on why you procrastinate to set yourself up for success for the next task.
Get help.
That’s where Savvy Maven comes in. I love seeing my clients have an “ah-ha” moment when they recognize they are procrastinating. I help them understand it’s okay. They aren’t broken or deficient. There’s no judgment or shame.
Together, we identify the underlying cause of their procrastination and put a plan in motion to get the job done.
I support my clients as an accountability partner, ensuring the task is getting completed either by themselves or by someone else.
It’s a relief to have the support of someone who’s been there and who understands how to move you from avoidance to accomplishment. I love giving people the skills to overcome procrastination.
Being an adult human is hard. We all want to avoid being uncomfortable. We feel guilty when we succumb to procrastination.
But recognizing what drives our behavior and using a few anti-procrastination strategies helps us get to the other side, proud of what we’ve done and what we’ve overcome.
Reach out if you’d like some help managing tasks, setting priorities, building time management skills, or putting systems in place that put work into auto-pilot. Together, we’ll get some serious stuff DONE.