Pychyl, in his research and during our interview, identified a number of task characteristics that make you more likely to procrastinate. Tasks that are aversive tend to: <ul><li>Be boring </li><li>Be frustrating </li><li>Be difficult </li><li>Lack personal meaning and intrinsic rewards </li><li>Be ambiguous (you don't know how to do it) </li> </ul>The more negative emotions you show toward a certain task, the more likely you are to procrastinate, and according to Pychyl, "any of these [characteristics] can do it".

To push back against these biases, recognizing them is key. Then, Tim recommends that you "list the things that you commonly say or do to justify your procrastination", and use these biases as triggers that you should respond to your behaviour differently. One of my favorite tactics that Tim recommended is to limit how much time you spend on something . He spoke about his German colleague who limits how much time he allows academic procrastinators spend on an assignment. "He will limit the time they can work on an assignment. 'Okay, we're working today and you've got twenty minutes to work on that assignment, and you may not work any more.' And so they go: 'I've got twenty minutes. I better make the best use of it.'" And they do.

People, as a rule, overestimate how much motivation they need to do something. After all, usually you just need enough motivation to get started. For example: One of the biggest recommendations Tim had was to simply get started. "Once we start a task, it is rarely as bad as we think." In fact, once you get started on something, your "attributions of the task change", and what you think about yourself changes, too. Tim offered up a great tip in his book : "When you find yourself thinking things like 'I'll feel more like doing this tomorrow,' 'I work better under pressure,' 'There's lots of time left,' I can do this in a few hours tonight', let that be a flag or signal or stimulus to indicate that you are about to needlessly delay the task, and let it also be the stimulus to just get started."

In his book, Tim recommends that you make a list of the tasks you're procrastinating on, and then "[n]ext to each of these tasks or goals, note how your procrastination has affected you in terms of things such as your happiness, stress, health, finances, relationships, and so on. You may even want to discuss this with a confidante or a significant other in your life who knows you well." At the end of the day, "you may be surprised by what they may have to say about the costs of procrastination in your life."

Takeaway: The more boring, frustrating, difficult, meaningless, ambiguous, and unstructured a task is, the more likely you are to procrastinate with it.

productivity

Productivity

Understand yourself and those around you.

psychology

Psychology

habits

Habits

problemsolving

Problem Solving

timemanagement

Time Management

Here's why you procrastinate, and 10 tactics that will help you stop

Here's the rundown: <ul><li>While reading, write detailed notes in the margins and then fold the bottom corner of any page you've written on. </li><li>After a week or two, come back to the book and transcribe the notes you're still impressed by onto 4×6 cards. </li><li>Each card gets a category or theme in the top righthand corner (or you can use color-coded cards). </li><li>Organize the cards by category (or by chapter if you're working on a book project). This way you can move them around as you please and connect random ideas (the basis of creativity). </li> </ul>

A random sampling of the world's most successful people will show one common trait: a love of reading. Reading is the easiest way to continue the learning process, increase empathy, boost creativity, and even just unwind from a long day. But books can also change the way we think and live.

Here's why you procrastinate, and 10 tactics that will help you stop

Reading with intention can change your life

Q Quentin