Stop Procrastinating: How to Avoid Procrastination and Laziness

One of the reasons why you may be procrastinating is bad organization. Making a to-do list will help you put your tasks in order, so that you have all the things you need, to complete right in front of you, and in one place.

To stop procrastinating, you can choose one of the 65 to-do list templates on printabletodolist.com for free, and first write down the tasks that make you procrastinate, activities that you're avoiding, and then all the other tasks. Put the list somewhere visible, like on your desk or fridge, and have a copy with you at all times so that you can remind yourself of the tasks that need to be completed.

I actually don't know if it originally comes from Brian Tracy (a personal development guru) but it doesn't really matter, because it works. 

Everytime you find yourself on the verge of procrastination, ask yourself and answer all of the following questions (seriously!): 

1. What are the advantages of starting this right now?
2. What are the disadvantages of leaving this until later?
3. What excuses am I using to avoid doing this right now?
4. What reward can I give myself for starting this?

You'll see that after you've answered those questions, not doing it is (in most cases) no option anymore. 

If you wonder how to stop being lazy and procrastinating, the term "reward" is the key. Motivate yourself to complete the tasks and the projects you've been putting off, by rewarding yourself for every completed task, no matter how big or small the task is.

For example, you can split a task, let's say writing an essay into two parts, and reward yourself with something small for finishing half of it, like making yourself a nice cup of tea, but with something bigger when you complete it, like treating yourself with a nice lunch or a nice movie. This, and the feeling of relief once you complete a task, will motivate you even more to continue following this approach.

If you wonder how to stop being lazy and procrastinating, always start with the hardest task. This may not be exactly what you want to hear, but according to many sources it's very effective. Putting off the hardest tasks and "saving" them for later has a negative impact on your productivity, even if the task is small, but let's say, boring or hard. Doing the easier tasks first drains your energy and enthusiasm to do the task you dread to do most.

This is why you should do the task you least, first, so once you finish everything else will seem easier and you will not feel as much pressure.

If you want to stop procrastinating, install the "Forest" app. "Forest" is one of the procrastination apps for iOS (Apple) and Android, which keeps you focused on your work and makes sure you don't get distracted by your phone. 

The app works in the following way - you "plant" a tree and if you don't close the app in the next 30 minutes the tree will fully grow. However, if you answer a call or open another app during the 30 minutes, the tree will "die" and you will have to plant another one. Once fully grown, every tree stays in you personal forest, and you can even check statistics to see how long you've been focused each day and how many trees you have in the forest.

You can buy it on Google Play Store, for Android, and on iTunes, for Apple.

Stop Procrastinating is an internet and website blocker which is both for Mac and Windows, and works on every browser.

The Stop Procrastinating app provides 3 options:

1. To block the internet connection for a certain period of time, with the ability to reboot if you want to go back online.
2. To block the internet connection for a certain period of time, without the ability to reboot until the time you set is up.
3. To block certain websites that can be a major distraction while you work (for example social media sites).

You can test the app for free for 90 days on stopprocrastinatingapp.com, and buy it if it helps you to concentrate more while you work.

If you have a large goal to accomplish, the best way to do that, and one of the ways to stop procrastinating, is to break it down into smaller, more manageable tasks.

Let's say that you need to write a big paper on procrastination. The most difficult thing about doing this is how and where to start - which is why you should make a list of every task that needs completing (in order to complete your goal) and put them in chronological order. For example:

1. Do a research on procrastination;
2. Think about the main theme of your paper (will you concentrate on why people procrastinate, give solutions, or both?);
3. Write your introductory paragraph;
4. Write the main paragraph;
5. Write the conclusion;
6. Re-read the paper to check if you made any errors.

This way the tasks seem more manageable and easy to complete.

One of the main excuses for procrastinatination is the familiar "there's plenty of time", a phrase that has been used by lots of people. By telling this to yourselves, you keep avoiding the task that you need to do, thinking that there's plenty of time until weeks/months/years pass.

If you wonder how to stop procrastinating, set deadlines. By setting a deadline for yourself, you will have more motivation to finish the task until the given date, since you're the one who set the deadline and you know best how much time you need to complete the task. Just keep the deadline in mind, and you can even make plans right after in order to celebrate, and in a way motivate yourself for the next task!

What causes procrastination? For many procrastinators the environment in which they're working is the main reason why they're procrastinating. This is simply because in certain environments we have certain behaviours, like if you work from home you may be distracted by going to the kitchen every 10 minutes, turn on the TV just to see what's on etc.

This is why finding an environment in which you can stay focused is key for your productivity. If you're a person who concentrates more and works better when surrounded by other people who work/study, you can go to a library. If you want to work alone, you can find a place at the park which will be "your place" for work, or modify your space at home and make yourself a "working corner" where no distractions will be allowed.

If you wonder how to stop procrastinating and you are not a fan of procrastination apps, set a start date. Since procrastination is putting things off until later time, setting a date is important for starting any task. When you set a date, lets say for a business meeting or to meet friends, you show up 99% of the time, right? Well, this works just like that.

Set a date for when to start working on you task/goal/activity. For example, if you want to start going to the gym, choose a day from this week and write it in your calendar. Don't make any other plans that time, and once you start - hey, you've made the first step!

Is procrastination a disease? Actually, procrastination is usually connected to lack of productivity. The "Senfeld Strategy," which is actually only mentioned by the comedian Seinfeld, makes a lot of sense if you want to increase your productivity.

What he said is that he has a calendar on his wall, and as he writes jokes every day he puts an X on the calendar with a marker. By putting an X every day, he creates a chain and his only rule is not to break the chain - it's that simple.

This method focuses on productivity rather than on performance, so choose more manageable tasks that you can do every day. As the days go by the chain will become bigger and bigger, which will additionaly motivate you, boost your productivity and your performance.

In case you break the chain don't worry - just start over the next day!

One of the tips to stop procrastinating is setting real goals. Setting unrealistic goals and not knowing how to start accomplishing them is one of the most common reasons for procrastination. This is why you should clearly define your goal, even split it into smaller ones if needed.

For example, your goal may be to write a book. I'm not saying that this is not a realistic goal, but it will be more accomplishable if you split it into smaller, more achievable ones. For example:

1. Think of and create the characters;
2. Create an outline;
3. Write the first draft etc.

By giving yourself direct tasks, you will know what steps to take and in what order.

One of the main reasons for procrastination is absence of time schedule, i.e. it usually occurs because, instead of doing our task, we use that time to do something else, in order to avoid the thing we're supposed to do.

Since time management is an issue in most cases, create a time schedule you will follow, by getting a planner or a schedule app for your phone. Plan your time wisely and think about what time of the day you feel best for doing your task. For example, if you're a student and you have to write a big paper that will take weeks to finish, think about the time of the day you feel capable of writing, whether it is right after classes or in the late evening, write it in your schedule and stick to it.

What causes procrastination? Lack of motivation is one of them. In order to be more productive and motivate yourself to start working on your task, make yourself comfortable first.

If you have to work on a computer and your chair is uncomfortable - treat yourself with a more comfortable one or take the lap top and sit on the couch (don't do this very often!), prepare yourself a cup of tea or coffee, have some water by your side, put your phone in silent mode, prepare some snacks etc. This preparation will mentally set you up for the upcoming task, knowing that you are all set.

The get-it-done-right-away attitude is one of the ways to stop procrastinating, and it goes for some smaller tasks, like writing emails, replying to a call, reading an article, etc.

Whenever you have to do a small task that doesn't take much time, just do it right then and there, instead of telling yourself that you're going to do it later when you have more time. If you leave it for later, that "later" can turn into days and this way you will create the habit of constantly putting things off until a later time. So next time you have to do something like this, just get it done right away.

If rewarding yourself for every completed task doesn't work, try this method which is basically the opposite but maybe even more effective.

For every uncompleted task on time, punish yourself with something that will make you want to finish the task in the future. The punishment should be something that will affect you personally, like turning off and not using your phone for 5 hours for every uncompleted task. Be creative, it will pay off.

What would happen if you don't finish your tasks on time? What will the concequences be? Write down everything that would happen, if you don't complete the work you need to do on time, so that you have the consequences right in front of you.

This will in a way scare you and motivate you to finish whatever it is you're doing, so that you don't suffer the concequences later.

For example, if you don't finish writing the article on time - you will disappoint your boss and give yourself negative points; if you don't do the dishes - your kitchen will smell the next day and your roomate will not like it very much, etc.

Is procrastination a disease? It is not, but it sometimes harms productivity. The "The Nothing Alternative" is a method against procrastination, by the novelist Raymond Chandler. The method is simple - do your work or do nothing for 4 hours. Yes, it sounds simple and it actually is not only simple, but effective too.

Chandler thought of this method because he himself used to be a procrastinator, so every morning he set aside 4 hours to work, or in his case to write. The ultimatum was those 4 hours to be spent writing or literally doing nothing, just sitting there, looking out of the window and thinking. In his own words:

"Two very simple rules:

1. You don't have to write (work)
2. You can't do anything else

The rest comes of itself!"

How to stop being a procrastinator? Ask someone to help. Sometimes we need someone to push us, motivate us or simply join us in doing an activity - working, studying, working out etc. This method is basically to find someone (co-worker, friend, neighbour) who can join you when you are doing some task.

For example, you can work on your paper or study for exams with a classmate, go to the gym with a friend etc. This way you will have difficulty in cancelling the study/working sessions since you already have plans and you're not doing it alone. You will also have someone to motivate you and someone to talk to when you take breaks.

Written by a productivity consultant, this bestseller has changed many procrastinator's lives, thanks to the many tips to stop procrastinating. The Getting Things Done book focuses on organization and different organizational methods/systems. Mr. Allen explains that there is no single method for increasing productivity, so he offers different tips and tools which can work for you.

You can buy the new Getting Things Done - The Art of Stress-Free Productivity 2015 edition on Amazon.

The Pomodoro Technique (named after the tomato-shaped kitchen timer) is a simple method which helps you manage your time efficiently and the only thing it requires is a timer. There are 5 simple steps to follow which also explain the method:

1. Decide on a task/activity;
2. Set the timer to 25 minutes and start working;
3. If you get distracted by something, just write it down and continue working;
4. When the 25 minute working session is over, put a checkmark on a piece of paper and take a 5 minute break;
5. Restart the timer to 25 minutes and start from the beginning;
6. After 4 working sessions, you can take a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes and start over.

The frequent breaks after the 25 minute sessions will improve your focus and give you the time to go to the bathroom, drink coffee etc., when the time comes.

Do you wonder how to stop being a procrastinator? Announcing your intentions publicly or even telling about them to another person will make you feel more committed in going through with whatever your task/goal is. Once we committ ourselves to doing something in front of another person or persons, we feel a certain ammount of pressure so that we don't embarrass ourselves for not doing it and having to come up with excuses why we didn't do it.

So, tell your friend(s) and family about your goal. You can even announce it on facebook, as that way you will have your own support group and motivation to show results.

Procrastination in a way is a habit, a bad habit which you try to overcome, but are not sure how to stop being a procrastinator, since you're reading this solution. Well, in order to overcome something you need to understand it first, and The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business will make sure you do.

Through many examples and scientific explanations this book explains how and why habits form and how we can change them. Procrastination, like any other habit, once understood can be changed, and that's exactly what The Power of Habit is all about.

You can buy this bestseller that lasted over 60 weeks on the New York Times Bestseller List on Amazon.

This video gives an interesting example of why we procrastinate.

Two groups of students were given an assignment. While the first group didn't have a deadline, the second group had a strict one. It may sound surprising, but the second group who had a strict deadline did way better than the one who didn't. What is the conclusion one can draw from this example? That sometimes we need to trick ourselves to stop procrastinating and focus on the tasks. The tricks are explained in the following video called How to stop procrastinating.

If one of the reasons why you procrastinate is the fear that the project you're working on will not be perfect when completed, or if you're constantly doubting yourself that you will not do the task the way you think it should be done - you are a perfectionist.

The irony is that many perfectionists do procrastinate a lot, mainly because of the reasons mentioned above. To avoid this, don't be afraid that the thing you're working on will not turn out perfect - whether it is writing a book or going to the gym. If you're working on a paper or a book, just start writing without thinking whether it's good or not, since you're going to go over it anyway. You should remember that nothing is perfect at the very beginning, and that the important thing is to start doing it.

If you want a "stop procrastinating" app, try installing the Rescue Time app. The purpose of the Rescue Time app is to increase your productivity, by making yourself aware of how much time you actually spend on different websites, apps, programs etc. How will this increase your productivity?

Well, by being aware that, let's say, you've spent 5 hours on 9gag or Facebook yesterday, you will realize that you've wasted such a long time doing something that's not very productive. Time flies when we do fun things and many times we are not aware of this, which is exactly why I'm recommending this app. Some of the features are: a detailed report of how much time you've spent and where, if you were productive that day and for how long, reminders for you to do your tasks etc.

You can download the Windows OS version here and the one for Mac OS here.

We often forget to do some small tasks, like pay the phone bill or write an e-mail, whereas with bigger tasks, like starting a business of writing a book, we often forget their importance.

After procrastinating for a while, we tend to forget the importance of certain tasks/goals/projects and why we want or need to do them. This is why you should constantly remind yourself why you wanted to do something in the first place.

Write the reasons on post-it notes, and put them on something that you use every day, like on your laptop or on your front door, so that every time you turn on your laptop or go outside,  you get reminded of what you want to accomplish.

Many people procrastinate because of their lack of organization. Nobody wants to work in a messy environment, especially if you do not enjoy the work you're doing.

Well, if you procrastinate because something is always "not right" at the place where you work, whether at home, at the office or someplace else, do something about it, get it organized. Clean the room thoroughly, organize all the things you have on your desk, you can even clean your desktop if it bugs you every time you turn on your computer or lap top.

The important thing is not to be distracted by the mess and have your things in order so that you can be more productive.

You have to go to the library in the morning to study, but instead you sleep longer, then afternoon comes, and you say to yourself that you're going to go tomorrow instead? You want to hit the gym at 8 a.m. but when the alarm rings you feel like you're not ready and you're gonna start tomorrow?

To motivate yourself more, in order to do your tasks in the morning, prepare everything that you'll need the night before. Let's say you have to go to the library. So, before going to bed, put the books and notes you'll need in your bag, prepare your lunch and put it in the fridge, prepare the clothes that you'll wear, and set two alarms just in case. This way when you wake up in the morning you'll know that everything is ready - you just have to put your clothes on, grab your bag, take your lunch and go.

For most procrastinators starting is the hardest part. When you think about how long the task you need to do will take, you leave it for some other time.

If you have this problem, the 5-minute trick is perfect for you. All you have to do is tell yourself that you will do the task for just 5 minutes, and once those 5 minutes go by you can stop.

So let's say that you want to clean your messy closet. You start to take all the clothes out, you go into it, and the 5 minutes are gone. You can stop, put the clothes back in the closet and start another time, but this trick is great because you might not even want to stop. Once you get momentum and are in that mindset, you will most probably finish the task.

So tell yourself that you'll do the task for just 5 minutes, make this first step and see how it goes, you might even turn this trick into a habit.

Make a list of the most common excuses you use, in order to avoid working on your task/goal/project, so that you can easily recognize them next time you put off a task. Here are examples of some common excuses:

• I'll start right after...(I do the dishes, I see what's on facebook etc.);
• I don't have enough time today, so I'll start tomorrow;
• I have so much work, so I'll start tomorrow;
• Right now I'm too tired/stressed/sad, therefore I'll start tomorrow etc.

Understand which excuses you use most of the time so that you are aware the next time one of them pops into your head, and makes you want to procrastinate.

If you have some important task/goal/project, and you've been constantly putting it off because something new came up in the meantime, then you are a productive procrastinator. What this means is that you avoid doing the most imortant task you have because of other not as important tasks.

The solution is to say no to the other tasks, especially new ones, and focus on the one you absolutely have to do. It's important to prioritise your work so that you can complete the most urgent and important tasks on time.

Creating a vision board is an activity which is both fun and helpful. Visualizing your goals can help you understand exactly what you want to do and how to do it.

Let's say that you want to redecorate your room in a certain style, but you are not sure how and where to start. Create a vision board attaching photos of your favourite pieces of furniture, colors, carpets, decorations etc. on a paper or a foam board. This way you can visualize the whole picture of how you want your apartment to look like. The same goes for other goals you have, like starting a business, writing a paper, etc.

One of the biggest reasons why people procrastinate is some unknown fear that is present every time we think of the task/goal/project we need to complete. Some of the most common fears are:

• Fear of failure (you think that you are not able to do the task, so you delay);
• Fear of too much work (you are overwhelmed by the amount of work that you have, so you delay);
• Fear of the unknown (you are not very familiar with what you have to do, so you delay).

Fears can be very powerful if we constantly avoid them, so face them by analyzing why they exist in your head. Start thinking about why you think that you will fail, how much work is too much work etc., and by facing your fears you will make them less powerful.