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I’m not gonna lie. I’m a master procrastinator.
Even with a busy schedule, I still find ways to delay things.
That’s a talent!
However, although I believe there’s a healthier way to procrastinate, there are also times when this trait becomes so damaging.
Try procrastinating long-term, and we end up with missed opportunities, serious setbacks, and painful consequences.
Take business, for example.
When things are going well, I used to think, “This is working. I can ease up a bit.”
A procrastinator like me are notorious on delaying key decisions.
I assumed the momentum will carry things forward. That was my poor perspective.
But as the saying goes, poverty sneaks up on the lazy.
Without even realizing it, my business collapsed.
Truly, procrastination has a cost.
Others procrastinate for days. But others, for a lifetime. Sad, isn’t it?
The more we laze around, the heftier the cost becomes.
So what can we do if it’s something we struggle with constantly?
After years of trial and error, I’ve found some strategies to help me stay on track.
Here are some of the ways I manage my procrastination:
How I Beat Procrastination in 3 Simple Ways
1. Build discipline in 66 days.
Self-discipline beats sudden bursts of motivation, anytime.
Because with discipline, habits win, not your emotions.
You show up even when you don’t feel like it. You get things done, even when you feel like wasting your afternoon through scrolling on IG.
I am a very emotional person, you see. Not that I cry all the time (or maybe I do?), I often make decisions based on how I feel in the moment rather than what I’ve planned.
If the summer heat’s getting to me, I’ll skip writing and sleep all afternoon!
And I love spontaneous activities, too. If a new idea pops into my head, I’ll ditch what I was supposed to do and dive into something completely different.
That’s how procrastination typically starts. It’s an emotional decision.
But now, if we want to beat procrastination, we must take those first, uncomfortable steps.
Studies show it takes around 66 days to build a habit.
Just over two months to make something feel automatic to you! Sixty-six days of reprogramming.
I tried this on my own, of course. While it’s a simple tip, it was quite challenging, too.
My initial days of publishing posts were so difficult. That was way back 2018-ish when I tried building my own blog.
I wanted a blog so badly.
But without a long-term plan and discipline, I always end up publishing only two blog posts, and then I’ll get tired of it and make another brand new WordPress website. Again, and again.
There’s no consistency.
Things finally changed when I took on a 30-day writing challenge on a platform called Medium.
I forced myself to write every day and publish nearly everyday, too. After 30 days, I didn’t stop the quest. But right around that mark, something already clicked.
It didn’t even reach 66 days.
Writing stopped feeling like a chore and became a craving.
My hands always sought for my laptop.
Even when I’m waiting in line, I catch myself typing on my Notes, and daydreaming about the topics that pop in my mind.
Writing is all I can think of. That’s what this 66-days habit program does to you.
So if you want to beat being a procrastinator, try it.
Whatever it is – jogging in the morning, consistent writing, skin care, or learning how to draw – commit to it through 66 days. Push through the discomfort.
And I tell you, habits that stick are hard to beat!
2. Frame your deadlines shorter.
To a procrastinator, deadlines are gold. We wait until the last minute before we make our move.
As long as there’s time to think, procrastinators will always get stuck overthinking. We weigh too many options, bounce between ideas, and delay decisions.
But with the power of deadlines, procrastinators become firm with their decisions. We go frantic and suddenly all decisive.
Everything we do in the moment becomes final. Kinda sloppy, but at least it’s final.
That’s why, as a procrastinator, I started shortening my own deadlines.
When I have a long-term goal, I break it into small, daily chunks.
For example, I used to write 2000-word articles for a client. They gave me three days to finish.
However, they require me to submit 1000 words per day, and polishing on the last day.
At first, it annoyed me.
These projects are supposed to be flexible, why are they so intent on micromanaging my time?
But of course, I soon learned that daily deadlines help procrastinating writers like me avoid cramming on the 3rd day.
Now, I apply that structure to almost everything. I set daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly goals.
I don’t force myself to follow a rigid time slot, though.
My rule is, I could do my tasks any time of the day. But the deadline is non-negotiable: it must be done today.
This strategy gives me enough pressure to move and enough freedom to feel in control. And that’s a good balance for us, master procrastinators.
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3. Watch your progress by the clock.
I learned to stop wasting time by looking at the clock. LITERALLY.
When I keep an eye on the time and actually track how long tasks take, time slows down.
I realized there’s sooo much I’m procrastinating on that can actually be finished in an hour.
On the contrary, when I don’t care a bit about the time, heck, hours disappear. I’d be doom-scrolling, and suddenly, it’s been three hours.
Another example is my time spent on a blog draft. It heavily varies.
Sometimes, writing a draft takes two hours; other times, it takes a week.
But what’s the difference? It’s the time allotment.
Parkinson’s Law says that work stretches depending on the time you allot.
If I give myself two hours for a draft, I finish it in two hours.
But if I say, “Eh, I’ve got a week,” that same task will somehow stretch out for seven days.
Not because it’s harder, but because I’d be too lax.
Again, work stretches based on the time you allot.
So if you have daily tasks, try watching the time closely. It will surprise you how much you can do with a shorter deadline, and as you watch your progress in every hour.
Conclusion
At its core, procrastination often comes down to emotional decision-making.
We follow what feels good in the moment.
We put a task off if it feels boring, overwhelming, or uncomfortable. Meanwhile, if it’s exciting, we go for it, right here and now!
But thankfully, procrastination is just another habit. It can be managed and changed.
I have outsmarted my procrastinating tendencies by following the tips above.
I hope you can try it, too! Thanks for reading! God bless!
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