6 Hacks for Combating Procrastination

Simply put, procrastination is the act of unnecessarily postponing decisions or actions. The most  problematic procrastination tends to be personal goals, relationship changes, or self-development. The central theme behind the aforementioned: no deadline. We are fueled into action by the panic we feel  when the deadline for a project, presentation, or bill is approaching. We typically rationalize our procrastination to ourselves by making excuses such as ‘I will do it when I have more time, I don’t have  the energy right now, or I will do that once I feel more motivated.’ Procrastination is one of the primary culprits for why we feel stagnant, frustrated, lowered sense of self-worth, and incapable of making  lasting change in our lives.  

Before making a commitment to change your procrastination habits, it is important to gain insight into why you are procrastinating. We commonly mistake procrastination for laziness, lack of willpower, or simply a part of our personality. Let us take a moment to challenge these unhelpful assumptions, and  gain awareness of the potential deeper reasons motivating our procrastination. 

Common reasons behind procrastination and helpful hacks to combat the procrastination:

Task aversion We are more likely to delay completing tasks that we do not enjoy or feel a sense  of accomplishment once completed.

Hack: pairing the task that you don't like with something  you do enjoy. Example: hate folding laundry? Put on your favorite podcast while you do it. That  way we teach our brains that there can be something enjoyable about the dreaded task.  

Vague goals When we set loosely defined goals, we don’t have a clear vision for how we will  initiate the behavior or measure progress toward goals.

Hack: specify your goals and break them  down into specific actions you will take. Example: Instead of ‘exercise more’ try ‘go to yoga three  times a week.’ 

Perfectionism When we operate under the notion that our interactions, work or home must be  perfect - we end up creating unnecessary delays for ourselves and miss opportunities.

Hack:  lower your perfectionistic expectations and create tolerance for some imperfection. This does  not mean lowering your standards, it just means being more realistic about your standards. 

Overwhelmed If we have too much on our to do list or too many stressors in our life, it is likely  that we will struggle to know where to get started or what to prioritize. Hack: break large tasks  into smaller tasks or prioritize tasks based off order of importance. If all else fails, just get the  momentum going by starting on the smallest task or behavior first.  

Fear of negative feedback This is a common reason behind why we don’t ask someone out on a  date, ask for a raise, or set a boundary with a friend. We don’t like the potential for  disappointment, criticism, or rejection.

Hack: Challenge the urge to make negative predictions  about the outcome or reframe your perspective on negative feedback. Negative feedback can  be an opportunity to learn about yourself and make meaningful changes.  

Indecisiveness In a world filled with infinite options, indecision is inevitable. When there are too  many options for us to choose from, we experience decision fatigue. Decision fatigue causes us  to resort to muscle memory and preexisting habits.

Hack: Narrow down your options (no more  than 4 options) or create a time frame for yourself to make the decision.  

-Abby Jones, LMSW, LMAC