Thrive Global: How To Stop Procrastinating Without Relying On Willpower

"Break it down to get it done

The smaller and more specific you make the first step, the easier it’ll be to start. Make the first step so easy you can’t convince yourself not to do it.

Create a forcing function

Got a report to write? Schedule a review meeting for it right now to kick yourself into gear.

Prioritize your future self

Ask yourself how “tomorrow you” will feel if you don’t start now, vs. how “tomorrow you” will feel if you do. Make the choice that feels better.

Commit externally

Tell someone who you’d feel bad disappointing when you plan to complete something, and then ask them to check in, or tell them you’ll confirm when it’s done.

Talk to yourself…out loud

Talk yourself through the first step, then the next, and you’ll soon be done.

Use a timer

Set a timer for 20 minutes and tell yourself you can stop when it dings. Most likely, you’ll keep going.

Say “3-2-1 Blastoff!”

If you need to just get started, pick a task and then say out loud “3-2-1 blastoff”. What’s sillier than saying that? Saying it and not actually getting started.

Plan for tomorrow, today

At the end of today, make a plan for tomorrow. Be as specific as possible.

Stop beating yourself up

Be compassionate to your past self and start fresh right now

Procrastination tends to come with a lot of negative baggage. But you can’t change the past; you can only move forward."

So start now."

Read the full article here!

Reflection:

How do you motivate yourself to start a task?

*I will make a list of everything I need to get done and I would count from 1-5 and tell myself at the end of 5, I would start. It helps a lot*

#Procrastination #Coping #Motivation