1. Make the task more pleasant. Just focus on starting. Start by breaking down the task into easy certain steps. Starting is the most difficult step. Start with something easy until you get into a groove. Focusing on the task makes it more enjoyable. Try to do a decent job first and then improve on it. If you are writing, separate writing from editing. Write uncritically first and then edit as much as you want later. For most people, writing occurs in such a step-by-step process of first organizing ideas and outlining, then writing and then editing. Often, motivation increases and inspiration comes AFTER you start this process. Clear your mind of high expectations about how you must manage time. Just focus on spending 5 minutes on the task. Imagine the worst possible consequences from doing absolutely nothing, then accept them as a tolerable potential scenario and feel free to do better. Be positive about the rewards of doing better. Be sure to write down a list of all the good qualities your completed work will have and all the rewards your completed work will bring. Occasionally, read the list to boost motivation. Five thoughts that help me stay on track are, ‘There is nothing else to do’, ‘do a decent job first and have fun improving it’, ‘just work for 5 minutes’, ‘after you break it down, every little step is easy’, and ‘doing nothing is okay, but what happens if I work on the most important task?’ Also, ‘I feel like finishing everything in the next 30 minutes” is one that’s incredibly effective if you can take it as a completely optional challenge to exceed everybody’s expectations and get yourself into that very intensely focused mode. Basically, set your expectation of how you should manage time low, but try to exceed the expectation, a little while at a time. Focus on small blocks of time. Don’t engage in addictive activities such as computer games during breaks. Don't think too much beyond the next 5 minutes unless you are planning.
2. Reduce distraction. Go to the best place to do the task. A place where everyone else is doing something more unpleasant (e.g. a DMV line in which you are the only one who's brought a book to read and all others are doing nothing) can motivate you to do something that's otherwise unpleasant. Often the best place you can find is where everyone else is doing the same thing as you, such as the library. Working alone in an isolated, distraction-free environment is also a good option. The most difficult place to do a relatively unpleasant task is where something much more fun (e.g. TV and internet) is readily available and you are alone. Avoid such places if possible even for a short period of study. For a very unpleasant task, the only solution is to go to a place where the only options available are either to do the task or to do nothing.
3. Plan ahead. Spend 5 minutes each day to make a to-do list and a schedule. Plan where you will be and what you will spend time on. Set priorities so that you will know at every moment what the most important activity is. People are impulsive and irrational in spontaneous decision-making. It is easier to make a rational plan and stick to it. As Lakein put it, “Failing to plan is planning to fail.” Schedule times for sleep and events with set times. Plan to spend a certain number of 30-minute blocks of time just on the most important to-do-list items during the unscheduled period. Leave time for spontaneous fun activities at the end of the day. Planning time is decision time. As Lakein stated, “Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now.” Planning allows one to make rational decisions in advance so that one can focus on doing the important activities instead of losing time to indecisions and distracting activities. Time spent on planning increases the amount of time well spent. Make sure to decide to spend time on the most important activities. Often, distracting activities are worthwhile, just not as worthwhile as what you must do first. Some distracting activities are truly worthless as they only cause disappointments when more important goals are unmet. For most people, doing whatever one feels like doing spontaneously leads one to make too many regrettable decisions. Some tasks must be planned ahead and carried out despite the tasks being unpleasant. Progress on important and often difficult long-range activities leaves time for guiltless enjoyment of fun activities. When making spontaneous decisions, consider deliberately how you would look back at the decisions when you go to bed that night. If you can't follow the plan, make a new one so that you can spend the rest of the day more wisely.
4. Serenity now. Not insanity later. Try the one-minute meditation. I find this to be the best trick of them all. If you get distracted and can't get started, try thinking of nothing for a while. Clear your mind of any conscious thought. No worries. No distractions. See if you can get started on the task immediately afterwards. Repeat as often as you need to. Create an ideal work environment first from within. Achieve a quiet relaxed determination, devoid of counterfactual comparisons (what else could I be doing?). Think that the only available options are either to do the task or do nothing. Choose to do nothing instead of some distracting activity. Then, soon you will likely find yourself going back to do the task you really must do. Don’t overestimate the importance of distracting activities. Attempting to compensate for distracted efforts by working longer hours is inefficient. The key to serene focused effort is totally giving up any distracting activity as an option. Relax. Don’t worry. Just focus on spending the next 5 minutes on the task.
Develop good habits. Good habits allow easy efficiency far away from deadlines. Stay on a regular work schedule if possible. Eat healthy. Exercise. Don’t waste too much time on vicarious winning such as rooting for sports franchises or celebrities. Stay on a regular sleep schedule. Sleep is important for motivation and concentration.
Some major causes for procrastination are irrational spontaneous decisions, doubts of rewards and fear of imperfection. Planning ahead, giving up any distracting activity as an option, thinking positively about rewards and just focusing on spending small chunks of time on important tasks without having too high expectations about yourself help address these problems. Just enjoy doing the best you can.
References
The emphasis on planning and setting priorities and goals are from How to Get Control of Your Time and Your Life by Alan Lakein. The emphasis on starting, working in 30-minute blocks of time and not scheduling specific times for important tasks, are from the Now Habit by Neil A. Fiore. These two books are short and useful classics. Having high hopes and reasonable expectations is from The Shortest Distance Between You and a Published Book by Susan Page, a useful resource if you want to author a published book.
©2002-2005 W. E. Jung. Version 2005.04.16