The Easy Way to Stop Procrastinating and Get Started

If you want to learn how to stop procrastinating and get the job started (and finished) don’t put off reading this article.

On this page we’ll explore the psychology of procrastination and introduce some simple but effective ways to combat delay tactics so you can get started and get the job done.

No more excuses. No more dithering. It’s time for action…

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What is procrastination?

I like to define procrastination as ‘the subtle art of putting things off’. In this article we’ll explore all the ways this happens and why it’s so hard to get started (and finished). And below, you’ll find a free PDF that highlights the 10 main causes of procrastination.

But first things first: procrastination develops when you try to avoid unpleasant feelings associated to the activities you’re meant to be getting on with. You do other tasks instead of facing those unpleasant, stress-like feelings.

For example, you might have a report to write, a project to start, the gym to attend, or a whole list of household chores to get through, but because these activities now have some kind of negative emotion attached to them you simply find excuse after excuse not to do them.

This could be linked to a kind of rebellion learned earlier in life, a refusal to do what was asked of you by your parents or school teachers, a rebellion that has now become habitual.

Rebellion or otherwise, procrastination is a breakdown of self-control. You end up mindlessly scrolling through social media or binge-watching TV in a sort of daydream.

And all the while, that nagging voice in the back of your head fills you with guilt: “I should really be getting on with…”

Is procrastination just a form of laziness?

You might have been deemed lazy in the past or even come to think of yourself as a ‘lazy person’ if you’ve developed the habit of putting things off. But nothing could be further from the truth…

Procrastination has nothing to do with laziness. And here’s why…

People who procrastinate work very hard at not doing what they should be doing

They come up with a whole host of reasons, excuses, and stories that justify doing something other than the task that demands their attention. And the longer the delay, the tension and stress continue to build, using up more physical and mental energy.

This is hard work – not laziness.

The psychology of procrastination

So if procrastinating is not about laziness, what other factors are involved in the psychology of procrastination?

The list below highlights some of the main aspects involved in procrastination. Which one(s) are you familiar with?

• Habit – procrastination becomes ingrained. Over time, it feels normal to put things off till the 11th hour (or forever!)
• Distraction and lack of focus – there are so many distractions these days it’s difficult to focus the mind on one task at a time. See my blog post about how your attention has been stolen
• Lack of self-discipline – a vital mental skill to develop to help combat procrastination. Lack of self-discipline means that we’re easily led astray by passing whims
• Disconnection with values and motives – when we lose sight of the bigger reasons why the task/job is necessary, it’s easy to put it off
• Rebellion – most of us have a rebellious streak in us and don’t like being told what to do
• Cowardice and/or avoidance – that might be linked to fear of failure (or fear of success)
• Fear of not doing the task perfectly – so we keep finding excuses to put it off or not do it at all
• Stress – some people do actually thrive on last minute pressure to get the job done. It’s like an adrenaline high. So, they’ll put off doing the task right up till deadline day

Find out more about the 10 main causes of procrastination in this FREE PDF handout

The typical pattern of procrastination

Let’s look at the typical ways that procrastination occurs. You might recognise some of these steps…

Step 1: You know that you should be getting on with something and that it is in your best interests to get started…

Step 2: But immediate pleasure takes precedence over working toward long-term achievement, so you delay and quickly find a ‘displacement’ activity (i.e. mowing the lawn, going on social media, watching the next episode of your favourite TV show etc.)

Step 3: You then rationalise the displacement activity: “But the grass is so long…my friend will be upset if I don’t comment on her Facebook status…I must find out what happens in the next episode of _________”

Step 4: In denial of what you should be doing and with a possible deadline looming, the stress builds and builds. You get annoyed with yourself (and maybe other people too)

Step 5: As the deadline approaches you finally force yourself to make a start, now feeling the added pressure of lack of time. (And if there is no deadline, you may never get started and you’ll come up with many arguments as to why that project/task wasn’t worth doing anyway; more self-deceit and denial)

As you work through this process you feel more and more pressured and miserable. Any joy you felt at the start of the displacement activity was soon replaced by guilt and disappointment in yourself. Then it’s even more of an ordeal to get started on what needs to be done (unless you’re one of the lucky ones who thrives on last minute pressure).

Pure motivation and emotional needs

I once had a writer visit me for hypnotherapy. His problem was – you guessed it – procrastination. He had a great story idea and was sure it could become a best-seller. But the trouble was he couldn’t get started. He hadn’t written one single word on his computer.

As we explored the psychology of his procrastinating, he said he’d told all his friends about the ‘fantastic story’. And this turned out to be the key element. He didn’t write for the love of writing but for what it might give him, namely attention.

He’d already got the attention from his friends and no longer had the motivation to actually write the book. His emotional needs for attention and recognition had already been met.

What we’re talking about here is ‘pure motivation’. If we can do a task not as a means to an end but as an affirmation of life as it is in the moment, we’re more likely to knuckle down and get on with it. The best writers write for the love of writing (like all good artists).

This type of attitude can even lead to flow states (1), making tasks you used to put off much more manageable and even enjoyable.

The art of Wu Wei – effortless action

When my stepson was 14 I remember him entering the kitchen to be confronted by a huge pile of washing up. Even worse, it was his turn!

I didn’t tell him to get on with it but, with a wave of my arm asked him, “What is demanded of this situation?” It wasn’t a case of him having to do the washing up, but more about what the situation – and life – needed in that moment.

Drawing upon wisdom from the ancient Greeks, it could be said that in this instance Apollo arrived to organise the chaos left behind by Dionysus (2).

And, staying on a more cosmic level, the Chinese art of Wu Wei speaks about ‘effortless action’. This is where the task in hand becomes an exercise in mindfulness, whether it’s doing the dishes, writing a dissertation, or starting that business plan.

Like peak performance in sport, music or the performing arts, the task appears to do it all by itself: the dancer becomes the dance, the musician merges with the music, the sports person gets ‘in the zone’.

3 ways to stop procrastinating and get started

Incorporating ancient wisdom or learning the subtle art of Wu Wei (and getting into flow states) takes time and practice.

So here are 3 easier things you can implement today to start putting off your tendency to procrastinate…

1. Open a loop: we’re hardwired to complete things once we get started. So, set a time limit of 2 minutes and start that task. Commit to and intend to do 2 minutes. (The thing is that once you get started you’ll often pass the 2 minutes and continue. Don’t look at the clock. Just get started and with that commitment to 2 minutes you might well find you enter a flow state – then keep going!)
2. Set a 1 hour alarm: commit to work slots of 60 minutes. To help you past the initial 2 minute slot, make sure you’ve removed all distractions; no phone, no checking emails or social media, turn off notifications on your laptop. When the hour is up, ask yourself if there’s any ‘injury time’ (like at the end of a football match). Did you stay focused for the whole hour or did you sneak a look at emails/Soc Media? If so, add some more time. This idea is based on the Pomodoro technique (3)
3. Strengthen your resolve by focusing on the whys and wherefores of the task – and your core values. Focus on your long-term goals and why you’re doing the task (what it really means to you). Procrastination is a Trickster, tempting you like Odysseus’ Sirens (4). Tie yourself to the mast of self-discipline and your true values and sail on past those distractions

The benefits you get when you stop procrastinating

Once you’ve applied some of the methods I’ve mentioned in this article and stop putting things off, you can expect the following benefits and rewards…

• You more easily remember why you need to do what you need to do (you reconnect with your reasons, motivations, long-term goals and life values)
• You feel generally more relaxed about doing what’s needed (a more positive, relaxed feeling is associated with the task, rather than stress and overwhelm)
• You are managing your time more effectively (giving you a sense of control in your life – an important emotional need)
• By ditching the excuses you are more honest with yourself and other people (which goes a long way to improving personal and professional relationships)
• You notice yourself just getting on with things that before would have been a ‘big deal’ (and by getting on with things you feel a real sense of accomplishment)
• You feel more present and alive in the moment (rather than dreading what you have to do later, you just get on with what’s needed in the here and now)

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I hope you’ve found this info helpful and feel that there are some good ideas here you can act on immediately. Don’t delay any longer!

If you’d like professional help to beat procrastination and get on with that task, find out about a Free Online Discovery Session with me.

Or to start beating procrastinaton today check out this hypnosis download and get ready for decisive action.

Notes and further info:

(1) For more on ‘flow states’ see the work of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

(2) See what Nietzsche said about Apollonian ‘order’ and Dionysian ‘chaos’ https://bigthink.com/personal-growth/what-nietzsche-really-meant-the-apollonian-and-dionysian/

(3) Find out more about the Pomodoro technique

(4) Listen to me tell the story of Odysseus and the Sirens to help you steer clear of distractions and get on with the task at hand

Related Blog Post: Attention Deficit Disorder – how your ability to focus has been stolen by Big Tech and Social Media

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