Although I am a personal development blogger by profession, I am in no way a mental health professional. See my disclaimer for more info.
Struggling to get things done? In this post, I’ll teach you how to stop procrastinating and complete your to-do list!
Look, it’s normal. We procrastinate every now and then for things we simply don’t want to do. We think it’ll be better to put something off for later.
I definitely fall victim to this sometimes — especially with school. I’d much rather scroll on TikTok than do a set of 20 math problems. But, I regret it when it’s 11PM and I wish that I would’ve just gotten up and done the problems earlier.
This, my friends, is called procrastination. And I’m here to tell you all about it today! If you have a job, go to school, or have other responsibilities, you probably procrastinate from time to time. But it doesn’t feel so good when you start to stress, do you? Keep reading and I’ll show you how to stop procrastinating.
This post is all about how to stop procrastinating.
What is procrastination?
Procrastination is the act of putting off one task and doing something more enjoyable instead.
You wait until the absolute last minute before you decide to finally do something important.
Unlike laziness, you know that you want or need to do something. But there’s something limiting you from doing so.
This could be a fear of failure, lack of energy, or poor access to resources.
Why do we procrastinate?
There are tons of reasons that we procrastinate. We procrastinate because we:
- Want to avoid challenges and obstacles, or overcome our fears
- Delay things we want to do and savor the joyful moments
- Don’t have the resources (time, money, supplies, support, etc.) we need to succeed
- Feel like everything has to be perfect
- Feel like we’re not good or qualified enough (AKA imposter syndrome)
- Are limited by mental health issues like depression and ADHD
- Don’t want do deal with the stress or anxiety that something is causing us
- Don’t (know how to) prioritize the things and people in our lives
- Don’t understand how important a certain task is
Why is procrastination bad?
You shouldn’t procrastinate because it can affect your work flow and quality of work.
Think about it: why would you stress yourself out and make yourself wait until the night before a research paper is due?
Chances are you most likely wouldn’t write your best essay in that situation.
Remember that it depends on who you are, though. You might work better under stressful circumstances since that’s when you feel most creative and free.
Overall, I suggest avoiding this.
You’ll only make it harder on yourself by waiting until the last minute. It might feel comforting to postpone something in the moment.
But it won’t feel so good when you have no other choice but to tackle it later on.
For example, say you’ve been struggling to get hours in at work, and it’s affecting your income.
You aren’t able to pay your phone bill. Instead of calling your phone provider and asking for an arrangement, you avoid paying the bill.
Not only will you have to pay late fees, but you’ll be so much more stressed out later on. It’s better to deal with it in the moment than to put it off to the side.
Why should you stop procrastinating?
Alright, now you know that procrastinating isn’t really all that great. But, why should you stop? Here are a few reasons:
1. YOU REALIZE THAT IT WASN’T THAT BAD
Ever put something off for so long, then finally did it and realized:
Wait, that wasn’t so bad!
Try not to overthink it. If you do, that’ll paralyze you and prevent you from doing what you need.
Once you finally do it, you overcome your fear of failure and even look forward to doing that same thing again.
I was putting off resetting my for-you page on TikTok for the longest. I kept seeing videos that didn’t align with me anymore.
I really wanted to reset my FYP, but I was afraid that I’d lose all the time I put into curating such a personal and relatable feed.
But, one day, I finally took the plunge and reset my FYP. Since then, I’ve been enjoying the videos that appear on my home feed.
2. to prevent mental stress
Look, procrastinating might feel good in the moment. You get to do something more enjoyable!
But over time, that’s going to build up more and more stress.
You realize that you can’t put enough time or energy into what you need to do.
Had you completed your tasks earlier, you could’ve spent more time and created more quality work.
3. TO MAINTAIN STRUCTURE IN YOUR LIFE
When you procrastinate, you don’t exactly plan when or how you do something. You sort of just DO it, you know?
But when you actually plan something, it allows you to be more structured and organized.
Alright, I think we’ve covered the basics. Now I’m going to give you my 15 best tips for how to stop procrastinating!
How to Stop Procrastinating:
1. Just do it!
Why would you waste all that time thinking about a task when you could just do it?
Constantly thinking about a task will only give you more time to convince yourself not to do it.
So, just do it when it’s already on your mind. You’ll likely feel more motivated this way, too.
2. Don’t let your feelings get in the way
I’m sure millions of us don’t feel like going to work, but we have to keep food on the table.
Oh, and you probably don’t feel like doing that research paper, but you have to keep your grades looking good.
So what I’m saying is, don’t get caught up in your feelings. Do it even if you’re not feeling good.
If you always let your feelings determine your actions and decisions, you probably wouldn’t be very successful or productive.
Here’s a relevant quote: “How very little can be done under the spirit of fear.” – Florence Nightingale
Do it even if you’re afraid, anxious, or any of the above. It’s either you do it with these strong feelings or don’t do it at all.
Which one will it be?
3. Think about why you’re procrastinating
Let’s take a step back and look at the root cause of the problem.
Why are you putting these tasks off?
Are they too difficult? Are they just boring? Are you burnt out?
Knowing this can help you get out of that “stuck” feeling and start taking action.
When I find myself procrastinating, I ask myself why I’m dreading doing something. I can answer this question and have a better understanding of why I feel this way.
RELATED POST:How to Avoid Burnout: 9 Must-Know Tips to Stay Productive
4. Strive for completion, not perfection
You’ll probably never stop procrastinating if the goal is perfectionism. I know you don’t want to hear that, but it’s the truth.
If you try to perfect something, sometimes it’s the idea that prevents you from starting in the first place.
You can’t let that happen. Instead, start and improve as you go.
You can always go back and work on it after completing it! There’s no need to strive for perfection; it doesn’t exist, anyway.
5. Create a schedule
Many times you feel like you don’t have enough time to do something important.
So, you keep putting it off until you think you’ll have time to sit down and do it. But that’s going to create a never-ending cycle if you let it happen.
Make a schedule to stop it from happening.
Having this schedule will create a sense of routine and have you do that task at a specific time on the same day every week.
You’ll be less likely to avoid doing it since you already know you have to do it as part of your schedule.
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6. Prevent distractions
You can’t exactly be your most productive self if you have distractions that are preventing you from doing so.
People, phones, sounds, pets — all of these are common things that can negatively affect our productivity and focus.
If you can, try to limit these as much as possible.
A great trick to avoid your phone is to hide it under your blanket or in your bag. Simply having it in sight can tempt you to get on it and scroll for a few minutes.
But, when you can’t see it, you won’t feel as tempted to scroll through TikTok or text your best friend.
Make the task as easy and straightforward as possible.
Part of why you’re procrastinating might be that the task is too hard. If this is the case, read tip #14.
If you need to work on your laptop, put it near you so you’ll be more motivated to do it. It’s right there, so you almost have no choice but to get some work done!
8. Get clear on your goals and passions
Think back to your “Why.”
What’s the ultimate goal you’re trying to achieve? Why is this work important to you?
With this and mind, you’ll be more motivated to work.
9. Surround yourself with like-minded people
When people around you are working, you’ll feel inclined to work, too. You’d probably feel bad just sitting and not doing anything.
Go to the library, a coffee shop, or any other kind of large working environment to do this.
10. Find something positive about your tasks
You’re probably putting something off because it’s boring. Well, some tasks are going to be like that (like filing taxes).
But, you can make plenty things more enjoyable by doing something you love while being productive.
You can:
- Listen to music
- Light a candle
- Call a friend or family member
THINK: What do you like to do while you’re productive? Tell me in the comments!
11. Use a Pomodoro timer
The Pomodoro technique is something that many people use for work, school, and other tasks.
It’s a timer that tells you to work for 25 minutes, then take a 5-minute break. This is great if you forget to remind yourself to take breaks (like myself).
Here’s a Pomodoro timer you can use!
12. Reward yourself
You’re doing all this hard work — you deserve something nice!
When you finish a task, reward yourself. This could be something big or small. Here are some reward ideas:
- Watch an episode of your favorite Netflix series
- Scroll on social media for 30 minutes
- Take an hour-long nap
- Play with your pets
RELATED POST:23 Best Relaxing At Home Self Care Activities to Enjoy
FREE SELF CARE ACTIVITIES LIST
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13. Quit complaining and making excuses
Don’t make excuses for why you can’t do something.
Whether it’s inability or time, find the resources you need. Get up and take action! If you want to do it, you’ve got to put in the work.
You can’t just hope and pray for it to happen. That’s the first part, but the more important part is actually getting to it!
Tackle the obstacles that come your way.
Here are some examples:
- PROBLEM: You need to clean but the vacuum is broken.
- SOLUTION: Either sweep instead or fix the vacuum!
- PROBLEM: You need to do your homework but you don’t understand the concept.
- SOLUTION: Look for tutorials online or email professor.
- PROBLEM: You need to learn something important in training but you’re too afraid to ask in person.
- SOLUTION: Send an email to your boss.
14. Break it down into smaller tasks
If you try to do everything at once or have too much on your plate, you’ll get overwhelmed.
Then, you might end up not getting anything done. Now what?
Break things down into smaller tasks so they feel more manageable and easier to complete.
When I have a bunch of miscellaneous, unrelated tasks, I like to task-batch.
I make a list of everything I need to do, organize these tasks, and schedule specific days to complete them.
I do this pretty often and it’s always super efficient and helpful!
15. Be kind to yourself
You’re only human and can only take on so much mental and physical demand. Don’t make it worse by beating yourself up.
Be mindful with the words you choose to speak over yourself. Remember that they have power and meaning.
If you don’t get something done one day, that’s okay. But try not to let that happen too often — or else, it could become a bad habit.
You also don’t want to be “too kind” to yourself. You can’t give yourself unlimited grace every time you fall out of routine.
If you do, you’ll fall back into those negative thought patterns and routines that you were trying to escape in the first pace!
Let’s recap!
We made it to the end of the post!
Today, we talked about how to stop procrastinating.
We all deal with this in many aspects of our lives. It’s important to learn how to handle it so we can be our most productive selves.
I hope you can learn from some of these pieces of advice! Any time I feel a bit unmotivated, I use these to get back on track.
Please remember to take time to take care of yourself!
I know, in this economy, it can be hard to find free things to do that are fun. That’s why I put together a list of 7 free self care activities to enjoy today!
In the midst of chaos, don’t forget to smile,
DeMarcus – your self care buddy
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This post was all about how to stop procrastinating.
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