Procrastination is the act of avoiding doing what you know you should be doing. It comes from the Latin procrastinare: “to postpone or delay,” and the Greek akrasia: “a lack of self-control or the state of acting against one’s better judgment.”
We have a lot of words to describe procastination [from Thesaurus.com]:
Ryan Holliday published a great long-form article on procrastination. I will summarize some of the key points below. You should check out the original article as it has links to several videos.
Why do we procrastinate?
Our desire for perfection leads the list. Nothing is ever perfect, so nothing is delivered. This often comes from fear of criticism. “If it’s not a complete success, it’s a total failure.” This flows from pride.
The next reason is the availability of tomorrow. We don’t say, “I am not going to do it.” Instead, we say, “I will start tomorrow.” I used to do business with middle-eastern clients. Whenever I asked about a schedule, their response was, “Inshallah.” This translates the same as, “mañana, without the sense of implied urgency.” As a retiree, with few deadlines, I experience this daily.
How to Stop Procrastinating.
When facing a list of projects, tackle the most important one first. You know the Big Rocks story. If you fill the container with little rocks, there is no room left for the big rocks. If you start with the big rocks, the little ones can fill in the cracks. In this case, the big rocks are the most important tasks; not the ones requiring the most effort; not the most urgent ones.
Take action. Any action. Take the very first step. Hemingway said, when faced with writer’s block, to write down a single true statement. This would break the block and let him continue.
Before retirement, I would prepare to brief management, using the obligatory Powerpoint slides. I would break the resistance by sitting at the computer, opening a new Powerpoint file, giving it a title chart, and saving it. The steps after that would just flow. That first step was the key. Do something towards the task. Anything.
Stay focused; completely focused. Turn off all distractions. I have found the Pomodoro Technique to be very helpful. Set a timer for 25 minutes. Work only on the immediate task for that time period. Then take a break for 5 minutes. Then repeat those two steps. Then repeat again, except take a 15-minute break. It is easy to drop into flow and forget the breaks. The output is tremendous, but so is the personal impact. I rarely get beyond four cycles.
Create a Routine. Schedule your day.
Create a Counter Force. The best way to break a habit, such as procrastination, is to create a new one.
Get One Small Win. James Altchuler says, “Get 1% better every day.” Little steps count…especially over the long run.
Focus on the Process, Not the Outcome. Remember the archer. “As Cicero put it in the third volume of De Finibus, where he has Cato the Younger explain Stoic doctrines, an archer will do whatever he can in order to hit the target, but once the arrow leaves the bow, the actual outcome is not up to him. Hitting the target is, Cicero says, “to be chosen but not to be desired.” Stick to what is in front of you.
Be Ruthless to the Inessential. Up above, I said to focus on the important. Here I am expanding that. Cut the unnecessary tasks. Do less. Delegate more. Aim for tranquillity.
Create a Sense of Urgency. Remember Parkinson’s Law. Tasks expand in proportion to the time allowed. Unbounded tasks are never finished. Remember you are mortal. Set deadlines. Don’t do it later. Do it now. Mel Robbins preaches the 5-Second Rule, to overcome the 5 seconds you have available to move from idea to action.
Books on Procrastination.
War of Art and Turning Pro by Steven Pressfield
The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman
Keep Going by Austin Kleon
Deep Work and Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport
The Procrastination Equation by Piers Steel
Solving The Procrastination Puzzle by Timothy A. Pychyl
Getting Things Done by David Allen
The Now Habit by Neil Fiore