So now, let’s look at hacks on how to stop procrastinating. The beauty of these? You might not need lengthy solutions, counseling, or deep soul searching. Seriously, finding the right simple hack for you can change your life.
The Two-Minute Rule
Let’s examine two that have worked for others, starting with the Two-Minute Rule and continuing with a hack to trick your brain into acting.
Don’t let small tasks bog you down. For every to-do that lands in your inbox, immediately assess the time you expect it to take. If it’s less than 2 minutes, do it right now.
That’s how to stop procrastinating. Simple as that.
No ‘to-do’ list. No outsourcing. Then, no procrastination.
If you can do it in less than 2 minutes, get it done.
Trick Your Brain into Taking Action
One other common reason we often procrastinate is that we trick ourselves into thinking a task is hard.
Usually, it is not. Sometimes it isn’t very interesting. Or sometimes negative voices are whispering from the past. Sometimes it’s just not as much fun as cruising your Facebook Group. But the critical point here is that you may not need to delve deeply into your whys and wherefores. You might need to trick your brain.
Entrepreneur Mel Robbins discovered such a hack when she created her famous 5-Second Rule. She encourages her followers to countdown to action after realizing that the simple act of saying (out loud) “5 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 1!” can spur you into action where nothing else will – not all the reasoning and therapy in the world. It’s a simple hack, but if you’re interested, she clearly explains the science behind it – and how you can use it effectively on how to stop procrastinating.
One Task at a Time
Being overwhelmed is another common cause of procrastination. For example, large projects can cause you to procrastinate. Or having a goal that you are so far away from reaching that you can’t focus on it – or believe you’ll ever achieve it.
For example, you cannot lose 35 pounds today – or even this week. But you can choose to go for a twenty-minute walk, today and every day.
Once that has turned into a habit you barely even think about, add some other small step toward your ‘big goal’ – your thirty-five-pound weight loss. Like drinking a delicious herb tea instead of coffee, double-double, or reducing your double-double to regular.
Each of these small steps adds up and if you don’t allow yourself to obsess about your daily progress and keep moving forward, you may find yourself suddenly close to your goal.
And that is the most motivating inspiration of all on how to stop procrastinating.
Just break any large goal down into smaller mini-goals. If that’s still too daunting, repeat the process, breaking each level down into smaller and smaller mini-goals until you find you can tackle them and move forward again.
Back to our weight loss example: If mapping your daily progress inspires rather than depresses you, buy a Fitbit (if you haven’t already got one) and keep track of all the minor weight loss hacks you add. The key is to work with your brain instead of fighting it.
We’re using a weight loss example here, but you can apply this strategy to any project. After all, Olympic figure skaters aren’t born able to do triple Lutze’s and quads. They must work towards that, figure by figure – after first learning how to skate.
Breaking a big project or goal into smaller pieces makes it easier to tackle – and psychologically far less daunting on how to stop procrastinating.
These three examples are only the beginning of revealing simple ways to handle procrastination. The Profit Planner ‘No More Excuses’ uses tiny systems to help you overcome procrastination in a step-by-step format.
If you are ready to get rid of lame excuses for not following through, you need this 5-component system:
- Textbook
- Workbook
- Checklist
- Idea Generator
- Calendar
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