How to Overcome Procrastination [With 5 Actionable Steps You Can Take Right Now]

As Nike says “Just Do It.”

Photo by George Pagan III on Unsplash

Many of us have issues with procrastination. We have a plethora of excuses as to why we put things off.

Why does it matter if you procrastinate?

Right now, you may be thinking “who cares? I procrastinate all the time and it doesn’t affect me that much.”

You should care because it is affecting whether you realize it or not. When we put things off until later, they don’t magically disappear. This tactic might work in the short term, but whatever you are avoiding will poke its ugly head up soon.

And when it does, it usually is a much more difficult problem to deal with. For example, say you put off an essay for school until the night before.

You now have a ton of work to do in a short period of time. You will have to work for hours straight to complete it on time. You will get a lower grade because the quality of work will be lower.

You will also have other assignments from that class due. On top of this, other classes you are taking at the time will have work due as well.

Everything piles upon itself, leaving you feeling overwhelmed and doomed for failure. This is where people use the “I don’t have enough time” excuse. We all have the same number of hours in a day. Spend them wisely.

Some of the more common reasons we procrastinate

1. We are avoiding something because we are afraid of it. This could be a difficult conversation, quitting a job, or opening up a bill in the mail.
2. We want immediate gratification. If we are procrastinating on something, that means we don’t want to do it. We try to put it off the uncomfortable for as long as possible.
3. We don’t believe we can do it. This is all about confidence. This could be calling out of work the day we are supposed to present a big project. If we knew it would be a big success and everyone would love it, we would have no problem presenting.
4. Excuses. These are mostly telling ourselves that we don’t have enough time or money to do something. In some cases this is true, but we can still take small steps toward getting it done.
5. We don’t follow a schedule. Our lives can get chaotic, we all know this. When you have a schedule in place, it helps you get back on track so that you can focus on what’s important.

There are other reasons as well, but these are some of the more common.

How you can fight back against procrastination

1. Next time you think of something that you don’t want to do, don’t give your brain anytime to come up with a reason to put it off. You should immediately get up and make that phone call or send that email.
2. Instant gratification is all around us. We get a dopamine hit every time we open up Instagram. It's against our nature to invest in our long-term future, but that’s exactly what you need to do. Every time you make a decision toward your future success, you become closer to living the life you want.
3. Believe that you are capable of doing the thing that you don't want to do. There will be some bad days. We are human, after all. When you don’t believe yourself, remember the work you put in and recall a time when you took action and something positive happened as a result.
4. Eliminate the excuses. This is where Nike has it spot on. Instead of focusing on what you don’t have, focus on what you do have. Work with what you got. You have more than enough to get the job done.
5. Make a plan/schedule. When we form habits, it’s easier to do the things that we say we will do. Having a plan in place will force you to make better use of your time. Cut out all the extra fluff.

Your new powers

Use the information above to kill procrastination and bury it deep in your backyard. The five steps above can be implemented at this moment. You can no longer claim ignorance on how to overcome procrastination.

Just do it.