You have your desk full of work, but you just can’t get yourself to start? Your greatest desire is to beat procrastination permanently?
Well, you’ve come to the right place.
Because in this article, I will show you 5 steps that help you to actually start tackling your tasks and ultimately finish what you have set out to do.
By internalizing these steps you will be able to beat procrastination permanently.
The Science behind Procrastination
Before we consider strategies on how to beat procrastination permanently, we first need to understand the problem.
Study the enemy.
So what lies behind the strange word “procrastination” and what happens in our brain from a scientific perspective?
The term “procrastination” describes the act of postponing important tasks and activities.
In Latin, procrastinare actually means “to postpone” and is derived from pro (“for”) and cras (“tomorrow”). Yet, we learned as children: Don’t put off till tomorrow what you can do today…
…Okay, that’s enough.
We know perfectly well that the tasks and activities should be done right now. But how is it possible that we don’t do them, even though we know it would be the right thing to do?
Research has, of course, delved into this problem and conducted numerous surveys with people who suffer from procrastination. Some people suffer from it so severely that the consequences can be dramatic.
Science has a simple explanation for the phenomenon of procrastination.
Procrastination is “a complicated failure of self-regulation: experts define it as the voluntary delay of some important task that we intend to do, despite knowing that we’ll suffer as a result.
A poor concept of time may exacerbate the problem, but an inability to manage emotions seems to be its very foundation” (Jaffe, 2013).
The Monkey and the Panic Monster
Tim Urban, who dedicated large parts of his famous blog, Wait But Why, to this topic, has created a wonderful metaphor for the mechanisms behind procrastination:
In our heads, there are two inhabitants fighting for our attention. The Instant Gratification Monkey and the Panic Monster.
The Instant Gratification Monkey wants to divert you off course because it wants an immediate kick. However, completing important tasks and activities brings no immediate satisfaction.
Instead, the monkey screams for alternatives that trigger an immediate feeling of happiness in us.
The Panic Monster also shows up occasionally and tries to detach you from the little monkey. Because the Panic Monster is aware of the long-term consequences that non-completion of tasks would have.
The closer the deadline for a task approaches, the more powerful the Panic Monster becomes.
It has the power to convince you at the last moment to ignore the monkey and stay on course.
Fortunately, we have the Panic Monster on our side, but we shouldn’t rely on it too often. If we depend on its help too frequently, our performance suffers, and we are subjected to immense stress.
If you want to read the complete brilliant story by Tim Urban, I have linked to it in the description. I swear to you, it’s the best thing you will have read in the last 4-7 days.
And if you prefer procrastinating on YouTube, just watch Tim’s TED Talk on the subject of procrastination.
So within us, there is a battle between instant gratification and long-term success when it comes to procrastination. Both cannot coexist.
Or can they?
Let’s take a look at what you can do.
Remember Your Goals (Step #1)
To beat procrastination permanently, the balance between the Panic Monster and the Instant Gratification Monkey must be maintained.
You must be able to initiate the steps necessary for your personal success in school and other areas of life without hindrance.
Specifically, this means: Keep reminding yourself of your goals, preferably as part of a regular ritual. For example, you could reserve half an hour on Sunday evening to create a status report for yourself.
- How did the past week go, and how much progress were you able to make?
- What does that mean for the upcoming week, and what things ideally need to be done to smoothly reach your milestones?
On a macro level, it helps to visualize your next big goal.
- Is it your university degree?
- What awaits at the end of this tunnel?
- No more financial worries?
- A world trip?
- Your dream job?
Write down how your desired future looks like. Create a collage of images and set it as the background on your laptop. This way, you will be reminded every day why you’re doing all of this.
Create a Plan (Step #2)
Now is the time to put together a plan. When you already know the path, you will be able to tread it more easily.
Planning is the mother of beating procrastination.
But beware! There are people who are great at planning things, but when it comes to implementation, they struggle so much that absolutely no results come out of it.
Nevertheless, to beat procrastination permanently, you need a solid plan. The plan must include time units and work packages.
Or in other words, a plan dictates what is to be completed at what point in time.
Procrastination mainly arises when the task seems so big and distant that we don’t even want to confront it.
Therefore, plan small, manageable work packages.
Ideally, these small work packages should be achievable within a day and designed according to the SMART principle.
Look up what SMART goals are if you are not familiar with this principle.
Create a Small Success Experience (Step #3)
When your big task is divided into small work packages, you have a significant advantage: you can celebrate a sense of accomplishment every day. This not only increases motivation but also creates a streak—a series of small victories.
Your self-confidence grows, and you can track your progress rationally and effectively. This way, you don’t need to rely on the help of the Panic Monster but can come closer to the flow with every mini-success.
Flow?
Exactly. Writing flow, tunnel vision. Flow is the archenemy of procrastination. Once you have overcome procrastination, you are in the flow.
With a series of small completed work packages, you can get closer to a flow experience. However, there is more to entering and staying in the flow.
You have definitely experienced it before: you are so immersed in a task that you lose track of time and don’t even think about stopping.
It’s similar to physics. Once an object is set in motion, it doesn’t stop rolling. Unstoppably, it moves toward its goal and overcomes all obstacles.
You absolutely must get into the flow.
Surf on the Flow Wave (Step #4)
To explore your personal experience of flow, I want you to take a moment and reflect. What usually prevents you from getting into the flow or staying in the flow?
Is it too many distractions? Eliminate them (e.g., using apps that block your phone or other distractions).
Is it a lack of motivation? Visualize your success.
Is it your work environment? Create the best possible conditions.
Do you get hungry too often? Prepare your meals.
Do you have too little time? Structure your day.
And so on.
It is crucial that you analyze your current behavior and spot the things that keep you from getting into the flow.
Getting into the flow is the key to beat procrastination permanently.
Once you’ve achieved it, you can surf on it like a wave. Use the same techniques to protect your flow experiences.
Reward Yourself in the Short Term (Step #5)
Ok, riding the flow wave sounds great but the problem with procrastination is not to keep going but to start.
The Instant Gratification Monkey won’t simply disappear even with a wild ride on the flow wave.
But there might be a way to trick your brain into starting by calming the Instant Gratification Monkey.
Even when you complete small work packages, the long-term reward may still be far off. That’s why you should keep the monkey entertained and give yourself a short-term kick.
How? You know best.
Reward yourself with the activity you would normally indulge in during your procrastination time. For some, it may be watching Netflix, while for others, it could be spending an afternoon at the lake.
The important thing is that the reward comes after you’ve completed your planned work package.
As Tim Urban puts it:
“Now, for the first time in a while, you and the monkey are a team. You both want to have fun, and it feels great because it’s earned. When you and the monkey are on a team, you’re almost always happy.”