Procrastination

Do you leave things to the very last minute, because it works?! Ever wait until 10:59pm to submit a project for a midnight deadline? Despite having had months to work on a project many of us will put it off until a few precious hours before the deadline. Many of us don't have that internal motivator that forces us to do the things we don't absolutely want to do. The culprit? The Executive Function of Task Initiation. Perhaps we are used to struggling to get started or persist until the task is done. Maybe we have a hard time understanding the instructions and we end up feeling badly about ourselves. Whatever the reason, for most of us procrastinators, it just makes good sense to spend less time fighting our way through something when we know that once the deadline looms, the pressure will be enough that we'll get that thing done in minimal time.

Procrastinators usually have a harder time getting started, persisting, or completing tasks and they are used to having negative experiences in doing so. While procrastination works to get things done, it doesn't usually leave enough time for revisions and leaves a very small margin for error.

So how do we do the things in a timely manner?

• Try setting an artificial deadline and have someone be your partner in accountability.

• Use a Body Double to get you started and keep you going.

• Start at the easiest spot to build momentum.

• Set a timer for 10 minutes and agree to only putting in 10 minutes of work. At least you will have gotten started!

• Break down the task into smaller pieces so it's not so overwhelming.

• Pair it with something that brings some element of joy such as music, podcast, a snack, a change of environment, etc.

• Identify any negative emotions or self-defeating thoughts that are standing in your way.

Get 'er done, friends!

Juliette