Make getting started ridiculously easy

Procrastination is more about our emotions than our tendencies for laziness or just being “bad at deadlines”. At its core, we procrastinate to keep ourselves happy in the moment.

We procrastinate because our brains are wired to care more about our present comfort than our fut...

We have two ways of dealing with our procrastination:

1. Make whatever we’re procrastinating on feel less uncomfortable, and
2. Convince our present selves into caring about our future selves.

When my work directly affects others, I find it much harder to accept the consequences of procrastinating.

You could ask a friend or colleague to help you get started on something you’ve been putting off.

Encouraging people to imagine the future can help them make better decisions now.

• Looking at a digitally aged photograph can help us more effectively imagine ourselves in the future, thus helping us make better decisions.
• Realistically imagine how you’ll feel tomor...

Forgiving yourself for procrastinating can help you overcome negative feelings about the work you’ve put off in the past, so you can more easily approach future tasks.

“Structured procrastination” is a clever way to stay productive even while you procrastinate. Procrastinating doesn't mean you are doing absolutely nothing.

Next time you feel the urge to procrastinate, go for it. Avoid that Big Scary Task that makes you fee...

Since negative emotions are the cause of our procrastination, what if we could manage our negative emotions while working?

Behavioral economist Dan Ariely calls this method reward substitution. It is essentially getting yourself to do the right thing for the wrong reaso...

• Reframe your task into a challenge.  “What if you got this work done before lunchtime? 
• Challenge yourself to stay focused on a single task for as long as possible: … try a count-up timer. See how long you can remain on task. See if you can beat your last reco...