Procrastination has been widely researched by psychologists, maybe because they have some world-class procrastinators close to them: students. Not that it’s only the students who procrastinate but almost every student has a habit of delaying things. Some of them learn to fight it while others never do because...well, they are procrastinating.
Here are ten scientific tips to combat procrastination:
1. Begin with the easiest
Start with the easiest and most manageable task, which you don’t mind doing at the moment. If you have a project to do, start by doing the easiest bit first. This builds momentum to get things going and the harder bits are then likely to flow smoothly.
The best way to get something done is to begin.
2. Start from anywhere
The problem with ‘starting easy’ is that it can be hard to know where to start exactly: there might be plenty of easy bits, or it might not be easy to tell what should be done and what shouldn’t. Here, planning can help, although remember that planning is also a trap. Too much of planning and not enough actual doing is yet another form of procrastination.
3. Beware of the excuses
Excuses will come to your mind no matter what. Here are a few of the excuses that psychologists have found people express to themselves:
- Not feeling in the mood to do it.
- Believing that you work better under pressure.
- Thinking that you can finish it at the last minute.
- Blaming sickness or poor health.
- Waiting for the right moment
Be mindful of anything that’s expressed like an excuse and label it as such. It’s natural, but it will also stop you from getting anywhere.
4. Up the value
A massive cause of procrastination is simply not valuing the goal enough. If we don’t care that much, we’re not going to be that motivated. Other times the goal is unpleasant or aversive and we need to be super-motivated to do it.
Cleaning is a great example of something people often procrastinate on.
The value of this task could be increased by making a game out of it or setting time limits or unusual conditions. For any task, though, thinking about why it’s important and trying to up its value in our minds will help fight demotivation.
5. Procrastination personality
Some people are just born procrastinators. These people are easily distracted, impulsive and have low self-control. The bad news is that you can’t change your personality but the good news is that you can change your environment. You can put yourself in an environment in which there are fewer distractions, temptations and all the right reinforcing signals. Procrastination tends to strike when you have to stop and think, so have everything you need to hand and then lock yourself away.
The more you have a procrastination personality, the more the environment needs to be just right for you to get it done.
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