Procrastination stops many great ideas from becoming real because the person who thought of them didn’t start working on them. It is often due to distraction or laziness.

I’ll do it later

We use the three words to convince ourselves that we are not ignoring the action necessary to grow, just putting it off for some time.

I do that often, I associate a start date for a task with another event. But even when that event occurs I just postpone the task further.

What Causes Procrastination?

One of the biggest reasons I procrastinate is that the initial steps to start something tend to be boring or mundane.

These steps could be as simple as getting up and turning on the computer to start writing.

If I am lying on a bed and mindlessly scrolling social media, then getting up, turning on the computer, and drafting a blog is a series of multiple small steps. It is these steps that often cause me to be too lazy to start,

For others it could be the fear of failing, waiting for a perfect moment, working on a plan for execution to be perfect, getting distracted, and biggest of all, lack of an inherent motivation to achieve what you are setting out to do.

Steps To Overcome Procrastination

Now everyone has their reason for procrastinating, Below are the ways to overcome it.

Break It Down

One of the ways to avoid procrastination is not to break your task into smaller tasks. And then get rid of the unnecessary steps to reduce the friction.

A few days back my wife said she wanted to make long walks a part of her daily routine.

She asked me to wake her up at 06:30 am, so she could do so before my daughter woke up.

Now let’s break it down into two steps.

To achieve her goals she needs to wake up early(friction/step 1), and then go for a walk(friction 2/step 2).

Now this plan needs you to overcome two major barriers. We only have so much willpower in a day. If we want to achieve our goals, we need to ensure we make it easy to get to.

Now her goal is to go for a walk, early morning is just a time she chose. I asked her to make it easy for herself. Remove one step from this process. Waking up early is taxing for her, so we decided she should go for a walk at some other time. This would ensure sticking to the plan is easier.

This method can be applied to every task you set your eyes on, break it down, and strip off the unnecessary

Target Distractions

In some cases, procrastination is caused by distractions. This would be different for everyone.

This could be as simple as a social media notification that pops up the moment I am about to start on my tasks for the day.

You struggle with the urge to open it but then give in, one comment leads to another, and soon you have no idea where your time went.

Solution? Ensure there are no distractions.

Before starting a task silence all potential things that can cause distraction, like notifications on your phone. Selecting a time of the day when you would be alone, finding a coworking space, or following Pomodoro Technique are also some good ways to stay focused.

Focussing with no distraction is the key. Scheduling these focus sessions is a great idea.

Schedule and Stick to it

We often decide and do a task whenever we feel like. This often leads to a lack of structure in tackling these tasks.

If instead you set time aside for these tasks and ensure you stick to them, the results would be amazing.

Everybody has certain times of the day when they are most productive. For some, it is early in the morning, for some it is at night. Identifying these times and scheduling accordingly can automatically drive you to get results.

Scheduling provides goals and structure. It is essential to plan a focused time to achieve your goals.

Find Someone To Push you

We often do not stick to our goals due to a lack of accountability. It often helps to have someone else to hold you accountable.

You can seek the help of a friend who is further ahead than you in the journey, or use the power of Social Media.

Being held accountable by someone other than you can be a huge factor.

We can often give ourselves an excuse for our laziness, but when the same excuse is to be given to someone else, we become more aware.

Often verbally stating the reason for failure to stick to a plan can help us understand how meaningless it is.

Accountability in public(Social Media) can be even stronger, as there is not one but many to whom you hold yourself accountable.

No one likes to be seen as a disappointment in the eyes of others, and the world to see.

Stop Fearing Failures

Next is the fear of failure. Many people do not even start on task since they fear failure. Everybody fails, what matters is how you take those failures.

A failure should be taken as a learning, to find out how to avoid it in the future. Never beat yourself up for it, acknowledge it, and move on.

Wear your failures like a badge of honor, you dared to fail, which means you dared to do.

Progress Not Perfection

Remember when you take steps to action your growth, even if you are wrong, you are still better than before. Sometimes “good enough” is well good enough. Striving for perfection is not a problem, as long as it is not stopping you from starting. Having a perfect start often means no start at all.

Take small good enough steps, not perfect is still better than nothing.

Find a reason

Have a reason for doing what you are doing. It is easy to give up when going gets tough unless you have strong reasons for doing what you are doing.

Are you planning to start your own business?

Ask yourself, why?

What is it that you want to achieve with the said business?

Is it public service, or personal growth?

Who are you doing it for?

These questions would help you to find your true purpose. Go deep into your mind to find the reasons for why you seek, what you seek.

Understanding the reason for doing what you do is the only motivation you need

Conclusion

Everybody procrastinates. This is often why only a few grow to their full potential.

For any task you set out to achieve there will be distractions, ups and downs.

But remember each step is taking you closer to your final goal, and if your whys are aligned procrastination would only be a minor inconvenience, not a show stopper.

Do check out this blog if you want to improve your productivity as a creator.

Subscribe

For more such ideas make sure to follow my weekly newsletter below. You can also follow me on @thjijogeorge on all social media platforms.