How to Overcome Procrastination: Help and Solutions

In David Copperfield, Charles Dickens wrote:

"Never do tomorrow what you can do today. Procrastination is the thief of time."

It's pertinent advice for anyone who is listening. The reasonable person within us tends to agree with this sentiment. After all, it is only logical not to postpone important work until tomorrow when it can just as easily be finished today. Alas, if only life were as easy as following the reasonable voice within us. Instead, although we instinctively agree with that quote, we often act in agreement with another one.

This one is attributed to Mark Twain, who quipped:

"Never put off till tomorrow what may be done day after tomorrow just as well."

A lighthearted joke, I am sure. Unfortunately, from experience, and seeing as you're reading this right now, I think we can both agree that this lighthearted quote has defined much of our lives.

Enough is enough! In this guide, we will discuss how to overcome procrastination and offer a few possible solutions to slay that dragon once and for all. Before we proceed, though, it is worth shedding some light on why people procrastinate.

Common reasons for procrastinating

People start procrastinating for various reasons. Below are some of the more common ones. The best way to begin treating this problem is to first acknowledge it, then understand it and finally face it.

The task seems too big

I need not remind you that all great things started out small. If the task is very large, instead of putting it off into the future (and thus making it "bigger"), deal with it today by breaking it up into smaller, more manageable tasks.

A lack of motivation

If you're putting off the work because you lack motivation, you're in deep water. You need to remind yourself of the importance of the endeavor: not the importance of the task itself, which may be small, but the importance of the mission as a whole.

This brings me back to the old tale of the two construction workers. Once upon a time, as the tale goes, two workers were standing side by side building what looked like a wall. A passer-by asked one of them what he was doing, and he answered: "I am building a wall." The passer-by then turned to his colleague, who answered: "I am building a hospital." Even though both men were working on the same project, the construction of a new hospital, only one of them had his mind set on the greater goal. The task might have been putting up a few bricks, but the overall endeavor was much greater than that.

Likewise, you need to understand and properly value the bigger picture. Do not let passing desires cloud your vision and make you lose sight of the things that are truly important.

How common is it?

The short answer: too common. According to a review by Steel (2007)¹, an estimated 80–95 percent of college students procrastinate, particularly when it comes to writing assignments and other coursework. An earlier work by Green (1997)² pointed to procrastination as a major factor in uncompleted PhD dissertations. You might think that people who have chosen an academic path would be better at fighting procrastination, but reality says otherwise. This gives us even more reason to avoid it.

Procrastination solutions

Like most complex problems, procrastination has no quick fix. However, there are several potential solutions you can try.

1. Establish a routine

In my opinion, this is the best way to combat procrastination. Learn to create positive habits and keep them up until they become so ingrained in your life that you no longer think about performing those tasks; you simply perform them. It's like brushing your teeth every morning when you wake up, regardless of anything else. It has become an unshakable habit. If you can treat the tasks that make you procrastinate the same way you treat all your other habits, you will no longer procrastinate. And the way to accomplish this is through sheer willpower.

Say, for example, that you need to write a report. From the moment the assignment is announced, you need to get on top of it. This will undoubtedly feel forced at first, much like swallowing bitter medicine in the hope of better long-term health. Do not let today's laziness rob you of tomorrow's success.

Once you've made yourself start working on the project, it will immediately start to get easier. The real obstacle, you see, is inside your head. No matter the size of the task, once you simply begin and start getting things done, the "Oh, I really don't want to do this" feeling will start to dissolve like a biscuit dipped in hot tea. The biggest part of the battle is forcing yourself to sit down and face your task.

2. Develop the urgency of now

This phrase, made famous by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in his "I Have a Dream" speech, speaks to those of us who procrastinate. The time to act is now, never tomorrow. In all of your affairs, understand that if you do not get things done now, they may never be done at all. Do not overestimate what you will be able to do in the future while ignoring what you can do today.

A Scottish saying holds that things that can be done at any time will be done at no time. There is a lot of truth to this. To counter it, make sure each of your tasks has its own deadline, and stick to it strictly. Our guide on how to plan your tasks can help.

Conclusion

Finally, I would like to remind you that if you do not deal with your issues today, when they are most pressing, you will most likely regret it in the future. Think of all the times you wished you had started earlier. Today you have that chance. You can start "earlier", today, so that next week or next month you can look back without the slightest regret about procrastinating.

References

1. Steel, P. (2007). The nature of procrastination: A meta-analytic and theoretical review of quintessential self-regulatory failure. Psychological Bulletin, 133(1), 65–94.
2. Green, K. E. (1997). Psychosocial factors affecting dissertation completion. In L. F. Goodchild, K. E. Green, E. L. Katz & R. C. Kluever (Eds.), Rethinking the dissertation process: Tackling personal and institutional obstacles (New Directions for Higher Education, No. 99, pp. 57–64). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.