Overcoming Procrastination & Getting Things Done

The blank screen stares back. Another task sits untouched on your list, a knot in your stomach. You know you should start, but something holds you back. It's not laziness. It's aversion. And it costs you hours, even days, of focused work.

What makes you procrastinate?

Procrastination reflects our aversion to a task. This happens for three reasons: the task feels too difficult, you see it as irrelevant, or you doubt your ability to do it well.

When you believe a task is hard, unimportant, or beyond your skill, you’ll likely postpone it. Repeatedly.

How to stop procrastination

Plan and set your goals

Planning saves you time. Especially when your hours are tight. Take a moment to define your goals for each task. Then, figure out the best way to hit those objectives.

Big goals overwhelm. Break them into daily tasks. Assign specific deadlines to these smaller pieces. This lets you track progress in shorter bursts, giving you better data for decisions. It also cuts the urge to postpone.

Always break large tasks into small ones. Then, tackle the hardest piece first. Stay with it until it’s done.

Related articles: 
Are You S.M.A.R.T When Setting Goals
Why You Must Link Your Personal Goals With Your Business

Prioritize. Cut low-value tasks.

You never have enough time for everything. But you always have enough time for the most important things. Focus on the areas that drive results. Organize tasks by their value and priority.

Prioritize based on deadlines, potential profit, or the direct benefit of the task. Think about the 80/20 principle: 20% of your effort often drives 80% of the results. Direct your energy toward high-payoff tasks.

Consider the consequences of each task. What happens if you do it? What happens if you don’t? The most important tasks carry the most serious outcomes.

Prioritizing helps you spot and cut low-value tasks. It also stops “structured procrastination”—working on minor tasks to feel busy, while you actually avoid critical work.

Related articles: Time Management Tips

Organize your workstation

Before you start a task, gather everything you need. Prints, a pen, your calculator, the laptop (with programs and files open), reports. Get it all ready. Put anything you don't need out of sight.

This lets you focus on one task. It stops interruptions, like searching for a file or a pen. Multitasking doesn’t work. Quality suffers when you split your attention. Handle one task at a time. It’s even better if you can dedicate long, uninterrupted blocks to a single item.

Spot your constraints and sharpen your skills

Preparation prevents poor performance. The more skilled and knowledgeable you become at a key task, the faster and better you'll work.

Think back to past tasks. Where did a lack of skill kill your motivation or focus? Those are your choke points. Work to ease their impact. The more prepared you are, the less likely you’ll put off any task.

Fight procrastination by starting

In 1927, Russian psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik observed that waiters remembered orders only while they were still serving them. People recall unfinished tasks far better than completed ones. We have an intrinsic need for closure.

This tension, this drive to finish an open idea, is the Zeigarnik effect. So take the first step. Start the task you want to accomplish.

How to stay focused and avoid procrastination

Maximize your personal energy. We all have peak periods of mental and physical energy. Use yours for the most critical tasks. If your energy barely covers your workday, it's a clear sign you need exercise. Cardio, especially, boosts energy and endurance. It also sharpens focus.

Related articles: Coping with Stress at Work

Plan your day in advance. Keep a master To-Do list for all your duties, regardless of deadline. Then, create a daily list for tomorrow. Use the last 15 minutes of each day to build that next-day list and organize your schedule. Recheck it every morning before you start work.

Track your progress. Starting is easy. Staying committed is hard. Break big goals into smaller tasks. This stops you from feeling overwhelmed. It also lets you measure progress. The feeling of accomplishment from hitting small goals pushes you forward. You’ll see what you’ve done and how much work remains.

Put pressure on yourself. Work as if you leave town tomorrow, with no one covering your responsibilities until you return. You’d focus on primary tasks. They’d get done today because they can’t wait.

You can also use public promises. Put your reputation on the line. Commit to colleagues, customers, or bosses that you’ll hit certain objectives. Breaking those commitments damages your professional image. This encourages action.

Motivate yourself into action. Focusing only on difficulties drains motivation. Instead, think about solutions. Move forward, don’t get stuck on the problem itself.

Related articles: Which is your Limiting Factor?

Take breaks. Skipping meals, working late, or pulling all-nighters won’t make you more productive. Fatigue kills concentration. Your brain is your primary tool. Give it enough recovery time for ideas to flow. The best insights often hit when you step away. Don’t fear clearing your mind.

Create a 50-minute playlist. Want to focus, relax, and track time? Build a playlist of your favorite songs that lasts a specific duration. I prefer 50 or 90 minutes. It’s enough time to concentrate, finish a single task, and then take a 5-10 minute break. Music, especially with headphones, signals to others that you’re focused. Short bursts of hard work, followed by quick breaks, get more done than trying to power through everything at once.

Related articles: <a href=“http://www.deimar.co/2012/07