Willpower and Procrastination: How to Stop Wasting Time

Is procrastination keeping you from success in your business? Procrastinating is one of the biggest drains on our energy because, even when we don’t accomplish anything, we still feel depleted from the effort of trying to stop procrastinating. Sometimes, no matter how much we want to do something, it feels like we can’t make ourselves do it.

Understanding how willpower works can help you understand why you procrastinate and how to stop. The key to making a change isn’t always working more or trying harder. Sometimes shifting your strategies and mindset is all you need. BetterHelp and other mental health resources can help you understand what’s going on in your brain and how to address it.

1. Why We Procrastinate

Procrastination can seem like a mysterious process. Why would we want to waste time when we want to get something done? Procrastinating is often the brain’s response to negative feelings around the task you need to do.

Procrastination can come from:

• Fear. Many people procrastinate because of the fearsome aspect of the task they have to do. You might be afraid of disappointing your boss or even of failing at a challenging task.
• Self-Sabotage. Procrastination can also be a method of self-sabotage. In this case, you might procrastinate because you feel like you’re not worthy of achieving your goal or not good enough to do it. Your brain will then sabotage your work as a way of avoiding the adverse outcomes it is predicting.
• You are feeling out of control. Our brains may also procrastinate in a misguided attempt to get control of our time. You might procrastinate because you feel like you have no free time or control over your schedule. Of course, this then backfires, leaving you even less time to do what you want.

2. How to Stop Procrastinating

a. Make a Plan

We often procrastinate because a task feels too overwhelming to tackle. If this is the case, try starting by making a plan. Break larger tasks into small, achievable steps. Your first step can even be something as easy as “open the document” or “read this article.”

Once you break up your task into steps, you can plan to finish it. How long will each step take? When can you work on it? Making a plan can help you feel more prepared and ready to do the work.

After you’ve broken down your task and made a plan, it will be much easier to start. You don’t have to think about how you will finish everything. Instead, you can focus on your next step. Once you’ve taken the first step to do a project, it will be much easier to follow through and finish.

b. Focus for Short periods

One mistake that many people make is trying to focus for hours. This may lead you to procrastinate as you dread the work hours ahead of you. You may even lose focus and start to procrastinate while you’re trying to work.

Instead, try focusing for short periods. One common way to do this is the Pomodoro Method. In this technique, you set a timer for 25 minutes and concentrate intensely during that time. Then, you can take a 5-minute break.

Breaking your work into smaller chunks of time will make it less intimidating. Once you get yourself to start working for 25 minutes, you may even want to keep working once the timer goes off.

c. Take Breaks

It’s essential to take breaks throughout your workday. These can help you take a step back and look at your work with a fresh perspective, making it easier to solve any issues and come up with new ideas.

Planning breaks throughout your day will also give you something to look forward to. You may be more motivated to work if you know that you can eat your favorite snack or watch a bit of your favorite show once you finish.

d. Be Realistic

Procrastination can also be a symptom of burnout. If you constantly feel stressed and overworked, your brain will rebel by trying to steal little moments when it can.

To avoid procrastination, it’s essential to be realistic about your schedule. Make sure the things on your to-do list are things you can accomplish in the time you have. This will allow you to focus more easily and feel that sense of accomplishment when you check everything off.