The 4-Step Plan to Never Procrastinate Again

By Ben Rubin

Ever known you should do something right now, but you can’t muster the will to get started? You know the longer you put off a task, the more likely it’ll be done hastily (sloppy work, #sorryboutit) or not get done at all (oops, another skipped workout!). Many of us have been there. Having a task looming over us can make us feel anxious, nervous, or agitated, and in the interest of gaining immediate rewards, we procrastinate in order to feel good in the present.

When we put off today what we can do tomorrow, we’re setting an intention based on the idea that a task will be more appealing or feel more do-able at some time in the future than it is right now. But it turns out that tomorrow is actually a lot more like today than we think. Research shows that we are, in fact, very bad at affective forecasting—predicting how we will feel in the future.

It’s a combination of “It just feels better not to do this right now” and the often misguided “I’m going to (want to) do it tomorrow” that can lead many of us to put off tasks again and again.

So, how do you get yourself to stop procrastinating?

You just get started.

The Power of Getting Started

Okay, okay, I know what you’re thinking. “Well, obviously the first step is to just get started… that’s the same thing as just doing the task! This isn’t helpful at all.” Actually, getting started is not the same as doing the task. Thinking of getting started as its own (more do-able) task is a powerful strategy, if used correctly.

Once we get started on a task, our perceptions of it change dramatically, in the best way possible. We perceive the task as less stressful, difficult, and unpleasant than we had originally. Think of the last time you put something off for weeks and weeks. When you finally sat down to do it, and you finished sooner than you expected, were you a little surprised that something you dreaded for so long was done so quickly? And, in retrospect, did the task suddenly feel less daunting than it had during the weeks you put it off?

Once you begin a task, you also shift your perceptions of yourself. Why? When you get started on something, even if you don’t finish it, you’ve made some progress and possibly even established a bit of momentum. You’ve gained confidence, exercised control, and in doing so maybe even effected lasting change in the way you approach tasks, projects, and deadlines.

Just Getting Started: As Easy as 1-2-3-4

Let’s take a look at the steps you can take to actually get started on a task you’ve been putting off, or one that seems overwhelming. Think of a specific task that you want to get started and keep it in mind as you read the steps below.

Step 1: Reframe the way you think …read more

Source:: Greatist