17 Feb Shortcuts: How to Avoid Procrastination

Why do we procrastinate? Fear, anxiety, stress, and perfectionism can all play a role, researchers say. If you’re one of the 20 percent of people who are chronic procrastinators, consider these research-tested tips when you catch yourself putting off your next project. Make it a sprint, not a marathon. Set an alarm to work on the project for 10 minutes at a time. If you still feel like working after the alarm goes off (and you probably will), keep going. Reward—or punish—yourself. When you make progress on an important project or finish on time, treat yourself to a rewarding experience such as a massage. If you fail to get anything done, forgo your afternoon coffee treat.

Set short deadlines—or no deadline.

More time isn’t necessarily better. One study found that longer deadlines caused people to procrastinate longer, until some eventually forgot the task. The same study found that people with no deadline were the most likely to finish the project.

Publicize your plans.

If we tell someone when we plan to have something done, we’re more likely to follow through.

Schedule as you go.

Instead of scheduling out the entire project, just start doing the first task. Once you get started, add milestones and incremental due dates as you go.

Choose progress over perfection.

One common reason people procrastinate is that they want everything to be perfect—a state that will never arrive. Give yourself permission to make mistakes, or tell yourself you can perfect the project later as long as you get started now.