5 tips on dealing with procrastination

1. Don’t waste time on getting mad at yourself

Punishing yourself for already wasting time won’t do any good. Guilt and regret are draining emotions and won’t motivate you. Accept where you are, move on, and focus on what needs to be done.

2. Do your task a little bit at a time

Instead of tackling your whole project at once, focus on the most important task for just 15 minutes. You’ll likely spend longer than 15 minutes anyway and once you have reward yourself with a 2-minute break, then repeat. Don’t let yourself get overwhelmed.

3. Break everything down into smaller tasks

Look at what needs to be done in your project and break it down into its smaller components. If it’s an essay or article it might be: research, note-taking, outlining, first drafting, editing, etc. If that’s still too much, break it down into even tinier components. Once you get the ball rolling and complete one part of your project it will be easier to keep going.

4. Start with the hardest part of your project

Get the hardest part out of the way first. Do it in the morning after you’ve had your breakfast and have fully woken up (maybe after that first coffee). Once that’s done the rest of your project won’t seem as intimidating and you can get to work on the easier elements.

5. Aim for a finished project, not perfection