Procrastination gets tossed around lightly as if it’s nothing to be concerned about.
This doesn’t take into account one thing that makes procrastination so insidious.
It robs you of the one thing you’ll never be able to get back.
Time.
There are many ways to define procrastination. If we go with the meaning as seen by Webster’s Dictionary1
to put off intentionally the doing of something that should be done
It is actively avoiding something.
It’s a state of inertia.
Still.
Unable to move.
Maybe while you’re completely engrossed in something else.
But the final state of procrastination is that the thing(s) that need to get done are at a standstill.
And instead of doing that thing, you’ve found other easier tasks to occupy your attention.
One of the main reasons we avoid doing the thing we need to do is because it’s hard. And when we have the option to choose between something hard and something easy, we’ll choose easy any day of the week.
In this article, I’m going to break down why we procrastinate, how to understand it, and how to get yourself into action more predictably, reliably, and consistently with just one strategy.
Why we procrastinate
If given the option between two tasks…
One that is incredibly easy, fun, and has a high reward.
And two, that will take a long time, is challenging and doesn’t show any immediate results.
The vast majority of humans will choose option one.
We are built to avoid pain and seek pleasure.
It is a biological drive to do things that don’t lead to injury or death.
At the end of the day, we procrastinate to avoid doing hard things.
This is 100% subjective though.
What you and I consider hard are likely very different.
Hard really only means one of three things:
- It’s above my current skill level
- There’s too much involved with an activity that it is overwhelming due to the sheer size
- It comes at the expense of doing something else and the decision to do it is hard
When you see something as too much in any capacity, it falls into the category of too hard.
Everyone has different ways of procrastinating.
Understanding the source of procrastination can be helpful.
Other than the feeling of something being too hard, there could be other reasons you procrastinate…
- Fear of failure
- Perfectionism
- Lack of motivation or interest
- Uncertainty
- Too many decisions to make
- Poor time management
- Distractions
- Lack of accountability
- Not seeing immediate results
Understanding and connecting with the source of your procrastination can be useful.
While the immediate reward that comes from choosing the easier option may feel good now, it often leads to something far more painful in the long run.
Procrastination fosters regret
There’s one phrase that I remember hearing myself say when I launched my podcast back in 2015.
“I wish I started sooner.”
There is nothing worse than coming up against regret. Mainly because there’s nothing you can do about it at that point. You just have to accept it.
AND learn from it.
For me that translated into shortening the gap between insight and action.
Moving as swiftly as possible but not being in a hurry.
What I started to see was that I got so much clarity through action. And more often than not, the thing that I was putting off wasn’t nearly as intimidating or as difficult as I was making it out to be.
Short-term pain and discomfort may seem hard now but pale in comparison to the pain of regret.
Let’s look at what I believe to be the simplest remedy to overcome resistance and get into motion.
The remedy for procrastination
“Most of us have two lives. The life we live, and the unlived life within us. Between the two stands Resistance.” – Steven Pressfield2
Regardless of why you procrastinate, there’s one thing that stands between you and checking things off your to do list.
Resistance.
There’s something standing between you and the thing you know you need to do.
This resistance creates friction.
Friction impedes movement.
There is a simple fix for this.
Just getting started.
In fact, YouTuber, author, and content creator Ali Abdaal calls this remedy “one of the wisest, most ancient of productivity hacks.”3
It’s called The Five Minute Rule.
Without fail every year tax season comes around it takes me weeks to get myself to do them.
I do them relatively early so it doesn’t cause any major problems, but the resistance is real.
And I’m constantly amazed by how many random things become a priority when it’s time to sit down and get them done.
- Every closet gets cleaned and organized.
- My photos and videos on my phone end up getting sorted and deleted.
- I find new things to add or take away in my office.
- And of course, the kitchen gets reorganized as well.
This year I tested The Five Minute Rule.
In essence, it is what it sounds like.
You do whatever the task is for just 5 minutes.
The theory behind it is if you get 5 minutes into something you’re far more likely to continue doing the thing.
Fear, apprehension, overwhelm… all of this lives in the approach.
We avoid getting started.
This is also why Mel Robbins has blown up so much in the last few years.
The 5 Second Rule is super simple.
Count down from 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, and just get started.
If you’re a chronic procrastinator it’s likely because you’re too smart for your own good.
You probably overthink, overplan, over(fill in the blank)…
Getting started will give you way more useful information than any amount of planning to start.
It may take a handful of five-minute sprints before you start seeing movement but every step in the right direction builds another very powerful multiplier of effort.
An object in motion tends to stay in motion. An object at rest will stay at rest.
Focus on what you can control.
Take action on what you know you need to do. You’ll save yourself a ton of time spent overthinking, delaying, and getting ready to get ready.
And most importantly you’ll save yourself the regret of not doing it.
So…
What have you been putting off?
Can you carve out just 5 minutes today to get started?
If you feel called to share, hit reply and let me know. If you’re reading this on my website, drop a comment below with what you’re going to do for 5 minutes TODAY.
Until next time,
Jeff Agostinelli
1. (n.d.). Procrastination. Merriam-Webster. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/procrastinate
2. Pressfield, S. (2012). The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles (p. Introduction). Black Irish Entertainment LLC; 47716th Edition.
3. Abdaal, A. (2023). Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You (1st ed., p. 165). Celadon Books.