Procrastination — How to conquer it

How often do you find yourself distracted and unable to work? Having trouble focusing or staying on target? A few simple techniques can get you through…

It’s taken me 45 minutes to start writing this. During that time, instead of writing, I have…

• Checked a painting I’m working on to see if it’s still wet (it was, I then had to go wash my hands)
• Googled an artist I particularly like and browsed his gallery
• Eaten a biscuit
• Observed an approaching storm
• Checked an ongoing project I’m involved in to see if there were any updates
• Considered starting a new painting, remembered my work table is currently full, researched new techniques anyway
• Read up on a film I want to see

Why is it sometimes so hard to sit down and get on with things?

In my case, I’m aware that when I want to write, really want to, the words just flow. It’s not even really work, they just come easily. However, I’m also aware that this ‘zen-like’ state does not come around often, and a lot of the time I just have to knuckle down.

So, what are the big secrets that I use when I want to stop procrastinating?

The first is this… I just start.

It doesn’t matter how tiny an effort I make in the direction of what I ultimately need to be doing, as long as I can make that tiny effort the rest will follow.

For example, to conquer my current procrastination session I simply opened up a new document. As soon as I’d done that, I started typing. Before I knew it, I had the first paragraph (or list in this instance).

You see, once you start it’s very easy to keep the momentum going. Getting started is the hardest part, and I think a lot of it comes down to mindset. We look at this big blank canvas, this new task, and we think of how daunting it is. But once you’ve taken the first step, no matter how small, the canvas is no longer blank and the illusion is shattered.

Was it hard to open a new document? Ridiculous as it sounds, yes, it was. But is starting a new piece of writing harder? It certainly feels like it! Yet the two are ultimately one and the same.

Just take the first tiny step, the rest will come.

Which brings me to my second technique; breaking the task down.

Don’t just look at it as an end goal, identify tiny objectives along the way. Even if you intend to conquer them all in one sitting, it’s still easier to push yourself forward meeting tiny objectives along the way.

In this instance I recognised that the first objective was to open a new document. The second was to think of a title. The third, a summary. The fourth, the first paragraph… And so on. The task becomes so much less daunting when it’s broken down into manageable chunks.

My third technique is liberating; don’t aim for perfection (at least not initially).

I consider everything I start to write as a draft. This is possible in nearly all scenarios, across all industries. In sales, draft a quote. In development, draft a design. It does not matter if it is not perfect! Do not expect it to be!

When I started writing this, I had only a rough idea of what I was going to say. And that was enough! It was enough to get me started, enough to get me through my objectives, and enough to get me to the end of a first draft. I was then able to go back through and amend where necessary. Having a rough sketch to polish is, again, so much less daunting than a blank canvas!

And finally; don’t be hard on yourself.

Am I bothered that it took me 45 minutes to start this piece? Certainly, but I’m not annoyed at myself. Getting frustrated with myself would only prolong the cycle and mean I procrastinated further. Instead, I acknowledged that I’d been procrastinating and let it go. I then took the first step, and got to work.

The brain is highly complex and it’s handling multiple tasks all at once. If yours won’t settle down and let you get to work, that’s okay! Just acknowledge it and move on, don’t beat yourself up about it or you’ll just frustrate yourself further.

What now?

Very simply, I’d like you to consider the four techniques I’ve outlined above and see if you can rely on them when you feel yourself start to procrastinate.

Personally, I find the first and last the most important. Once you’ve got started, you’ll find it easier to keep working. And don’t be too hard on yourself that you found it difficult to get going in the first place. Life is hard enough as is, you don’t deserve the added pressure of blaming yourself for something that is a part of human nature! Procrastination is one of these things we just have to deal with; acknowledge it, and move on.

Finally, I’d love to hear if you have any other techniques that you use to help you stop procrastinating! And if you find the steps above helpful, please let me know!

Originally published at wordsbydavid.com on October 29, 2015.

About the Author: David Whitaker is a freelance writer, who spent years in the corporate rat race before deciding that life is too short to not spend it doing what you love! He now spends his time writing about life and trying to enjoy it as much as possible.

If you like what he writes, please like, share, or comment!

David’s personal blog is at wordsbydavid.com and you can follow him on twitter at @wordsbydavid or at https://au.linkedin.com/in/whitakerd