I’ve dealt with procrastination for years. Over time, I’ve found some ways to reduce it.
Those of us who are procrastinators can perhaps take comfort in the fact that we are not alone. A Solitaired study[1] indicated that “99% of Americans admit to procrastinating tasks.”
Numerous resources exist online that
discuss what procrastination is, what causes it, and that offer suggestions for
dealing with it. A SolvingProcrastination website article[2]
includes numerous statistics on procrastination gathered from studies. The
website includes other useful articles related to procrastination on topics
such as why persons procrastinate and how to stop doing it.
I've also read or skimmed numerous books seeking to help with this over the years. Below is a photo of some of those.
Personally, I feel that two of the
main reasons I procrastinate are (1): I want to delay doing something I dislike,
and (2): I sometimes feel that even if I avoid procrastinating, that I’ll still
be taking a long time to finish a project, to get it correct, so delaying the
work doesn’t delay the finish. I seek perfection. Many feel that perfectionism
is one of the major causes of procrastination. I agree.
One thing that helps me with reason
#1 above is “the Five-Minute Plan” that various sources discuss, including the
books Overcoming Procrastination[3] and Doing
It Now.”[4]
If there’s a task I don’t want to do, I set a timer for five minutes. Then I begin
working on some aspect of the job. Often I find that once I start, I desire to
keep going and devote much more than five minutes to it—which is what the two
books state frequently happens. Interest and momentum seem to help carry me on.
Overcoming the second reason I list
above is often more difficult. However, if I budget a certain amount of time
for a task and seek to avoid devoting too much time to correcting it by going
on to some other task, it helps.
To Do Lists
One step
toward overcoming procrastination is the creation of a “To Do List.” However,
while “To Do Lists” are good for remembering what to do, by itself they don’t
lead to one doing the things on the list. I know that from personal experience.
Prioritizing
the items on the “To Do List” and setting aside specific times for each helps.
But again I know from personal experience that I can allow other things to
change plans, often unnecessarily.
Still, “To
Do Lists” help me, especially when combined with the “Five-Minute Plan” and exerting
discipline to devote a certain amount of time to a project to help deal with
perfectionism.
Prayer
I am a nondenominational Christian. I find specific, genuine prayer is helpful. If I prayed more frequently and more fervently it could be more helpful. Above all, I seek to pray for God's perfect will to be done.
But prayer
must be followed by action.
A Good
Question to Ask
We need to
commit to using our time effectively and to seek to follow through. In the book
How to Get Control of Your Time and Your Life,[5] Alan
Lakein urges persons procrastinating to ask the question, “What is the best use
of my time now?” Asking this question is often helpful for me. I even posted
the question in my apartment.
The “Urgent”
Versus the “Important” and Closing Thoughts
Numerous
writers have discussed the importance of distinguishing between “urgent” things
that seem to need done now and “important” things that may not have an
immediate deadline. Some things are both urgent (need done now) and important,
but usually the two things differ—unless one puts off an important task until
it’s almost due, making it both important and urgent.
Personally,
I often find myself procrastinating on tasks I consider important, such as work
on my fourth book. Instead I do “urgent” tasks such as grocery shopping, cooking,
washing dishes, doing laundry, showering, replying to emails, sorting papers,
reading an entertaining book, surfing the Internet, etc. This is a big problem if
such procrastination leads to the book not being finished in a timely manner.
The week
before I schedule publication, that book may be both urgent and important. But if
I work on the book regularly ahead of time, its quality will be better, and I’ll
feel less rushed.
Following
the suggestions I mentioned earlier in the article helps me focus on the important
and avoid rushing into doing “urgent” tasks that aren’t truly urgent. Often “urgent”
tasks can be delayed. Some can even be skipped entirely. I certainly could
reduce the time I devote to surfing the Internet.
I don’t
claim to have defeated procrastination. But I’m making progress. The tips in
this article may help you to do so also.
ENDNOTES:
[1] Taparia, Neal; “The States with the Worst
Procrastinators”; Solitaired.com; April 30, 2024;https://solitaired.com/states-with-the-most-procrastinators
webpage accessed October 23rd, 2025.
webpage accessed October 23rd, 2025;
[3]
Ellis, Albert and Knaus, William J.; Overcoming Procrastination; pages
100-101; copyright 1977; read in Signet paperback edition first published in
1979.
[4] Bliss, Edwin
C.; Doing It Now; copyright 1983; pages 24-25; read in Bantam paperback
edition published October 1984.
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