Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes, 10s.
In Overcoming Procrastination, I cover the 20 most effective ways to beat procrastination and accomplish big, ugly things. Over the last few days, I’ve been sharing all the tactics from the course: just this past Friday, I shared the first 10. Now, I’m here with the other ten!
I know not everyone who reads this will want to buy the course, so I’ve done my best to make this list helpful for you, regardless of your level of interest :-) Zero pressure to take the course—I’m honestly just happy you’re here, reading what I write. But when you decide that you do want to join in on the fun, you can click here! It probably goes without saying, but two listicle articles only skim the surface of what we will cover :-)
Enjoy these 10 tactics for beating procrastination and accomplishing more big and ugly things!
1. Connect with your future self.
Research shows we tend to think of our future selves—ourselves, but in the future—as more of a stranger than a friend. (We all differ in this regard, though—this is a measure called our “future-self continuity.” 🎥 Here’s one of the videos from the course about this tactic if you’re curious!) There are many ways to raise your future-self continuity if it’s low. For example, you can download an app like AgingBooth and frame the picture for your office, as I have. Or you could write a letter to your future self on a website like futureme.org. The more you tend to see your future self as a stranger, the higher the payoff for this tactic.
2. Define the very next step for making progress.
This tactic is simple. Ask: What is the very next step you need to move something forward? What is the very next email you need to draft? The very next person you need to call? This tactic adds needed structure to tasks we’re procrastinating on. Just pick the next step that takes two minutes. Then, do it. After that, identify the next step. And the next. And the ne…
3. Introduce accountability—the right way.
There are countless ways to add accountability to your goals—and you should be sure to introduce some if accountability is lacking for any things on your procrastination list. For example, if you have a goal to order less Uber Eats, could you work with your spouse or a close friend to check in periodically to keep you accountable, or even introduce rewards or punishments to help you follow through? Try to choose someone you will not want to let down.
4. Shrink your “resistance level” to a task.
I’ve written about this idea before on my site. The idea here is simple: shorten how long you do something until you no longer feel resistance to the task. For example: “Do I want to write this handbook for an hour? No way. 45 minutes? Ugghhhhhh.. 30 minutes. Getting warmer…. 20? Yeah, I could crank on this thing for 20 minutes…” This ritual takes less than a minute, yet it works remarkably well for getting unstuck.
5. Practice time blocking.
Time blocking is simple: at the start of the day, structure your day into 30-minute blocks, specifying what you’ll work on and when. If you practice time blocking, be sure to review your procrastination list beforehand. This jogs your memory for which of your broader goals you can bring down to focus on today. (This one’s a great strategy to couple with shrinking your resistance, mentioned above.)
6. Set up a “habit points” system.
I’ve written about this tactic before on my site—the basic idea is to bribe yourself into following through with aversive habits. Give yourself a certain number of points for habits you want to reward yourself for doing—for example, give yourself 5 points per meditation session and 10 points for every HIIT workout you do. Then comes the fun part: choose what rewards you can redeem these points for. For example, you might be able to redeem 30 points for a large Chinese food delivery order or 10 points for one alcoholic drink. Over time, work toward a comfortable balance between your vices and good habits so you can become more intentional.
7. Connect a goal with your existing “life systems.”
This tactic is a bit complex to do justice to in a listicle like this, but I will try! When you first set a goal, your motivation level will be high, but it will steadily decrease over time. So, at the outset of a goal, you must plan exactly how it will fit into your life while your motivation is still high. Pay special attention to how you can connect a goal to the existing systems in your life—for example, if you have a nighttime wind-down ritual, could you add your new skincare regimen to that routine? For goals we need to wedge into our life, double down on structure in any way that you can.
8. “Value-edit” your goals.
One lovely person who took the course emailed me just the other day, calling this tactic “the holy grail of cognitive reframes”. The idea here is a simple one. First, understand which of the 12 values are strongest for you (whether through self-reflection or through the scientific values test that comes with the course). Then, ask which goals on your procrastination list feel least meaningful to you. It is always possible to edit your goals so that they become more in line with what you value. For example, say you’re procrastinating on writing an employee handbook. If your highest value is benevolence, you might change the goal to “mentor new employees through handbook project.” It’s the same project, just framed differently—in a way that actually leads you to desire making progress.
9. Drop more goals, more often.
Challenging goals are sometimes worthwhile. Other times, struggling with a goal is a sign that you should drop the goal, if only so you can try other ones on for size. This is especially true with “sepia-toned goals”—goals we like the idea of, but don’t like the day-to-day reality of. When the day to day reality of a goal doesn’t map with your idea of the goal in the first place, that’s a key sign you may need to drop the goal—or heavily “edit” it, revising it over time so it’s more in line with what you truly want.
10. Connect with a new definition of success.
In the course, I share a new (and better) way of thinking about success. We feel most successful when we work and live in ways that align with our values. Considering this new definition of success is a great way to connect with the strongest motivational force in your life—your values. (As I mentioned, in the course, I’ll give you a free PDF report, customized to you, on which values are highest for you.) Connecting with your deepest, innermost values every day won’t just make your days more meaningful, it allows you to unlock more motivation to accomplish more of what you want—and what you don’t want to do!
If you’re looking to overcome procrastination, these tactics—all pulled from the course—should help!
Of course, we’ve only skimmed the surface with this article and the article last week. Once you’d like a roadmap for surgically deploying these tactics across all of the big, ugly things you’re currently putting off, I’ll be waiting for you in the course :-)
