Motivation - Page 7 of 9

How To Stop Procrastinating: 11 Steps To Overcome It

Procrastination can be overcome using these simple steps based on psychological research on how to stop procrastinating.

Procrastination means putting off or delaying tasks until the last minute, or sometimes even later.

Procrastination has been extensively studied by psychologists, probably because they have some world-class procrastinators close at hand: students.

Students don’t have a monopoly on procrastination, though, almost everyone procrastinates now and then.

Up to one-fifth of U.S. adults are thought to be chronic procrastinators.

The difference is that some people learn effective strategies for dealing with it and get some stuff done; others never do.

Here are ten ways to stop procrastinating and overcome procrastination, based on science:

1. Start somewhere easy to stop procrastination

The first tip to stop procrastination is simply to start with whatever is easy, manageable and doesn’t fill your mind with a nameless dread.

Have a look at your project, whatever it is, and decide to do the easy bit first.

The great thing is that after getting going, you start to build momentum and the harder bits are more likely to flow.

The tip relies partly on the Zeigarnik effect: the finding that unfinished tasks get stuck in the memory.

Unfinished you see: a task can’t be unfinished until it’s at least been started.

2. Start anywhere

The trouble with ‘starting easy’ is that it can be difficult to know where to start: there might be several easy bits, or it might be difficult to tell what should be done and what shouldn’t.

Planning can help with this, but planning is also a trap.

Too much planning and not enough actual doing is another form of procrastination.

Take a tip from writers, artists and creatives down the ages: just start anywhere!

You may chuck away the stuff you start with, but at least it gets you into the project and helps stop procrastination.

3. Beware excuses

OK, now all sorts of excuses for procrastination are crowding into your mind.

Be aware that these will come, and they’ll come big.

Here are a few of the excuses that psychologists have found people express to themselves:

Not feeling in the mood to do it.
Believing that you work better under pressure.
Thinking that you can finish it at the last minute.
Blaming sickness or poor health.
Waiting for the right moment.

Recognise some of these? You’re not alone.

This tip is all about developing an awareness that these are excuses that help perpetuate procrastination.

Be mindful of anything that’s expressed like an excuse and label it as such to help stop procrastinating.

It’s natural, but it will also stop you getting anywhere.

4. Value the goal to overcome procrastination

A massive cause of procrastination is simply not valuing the goal enough.

If we don’t care that much, we’re not going to be that motivated.

Other times the goal is unpleasant or aversive and we need to be super-motivated to do it.

Cleaning is a great example of something people often procrastinate on.

The value of this task could be increased by making a game out of it or setting time limits or unusual conditions.

For any task, though, thinking about why it’s important and trying to up its value in our minds will help stop procrastination.

Another way of cognitively increasing value is to think about the costs of not getting the task done.

Does that make the task seem more valuable?

5. The procrastinating personality

Some people are just born procrastinators.

You know who you are.

These people are easily distracted, impulsive and have low self-control (have you even read down to number 5?).

The bad news is that you can’t change your personality (well, not much anyway).

The good news is that you can change your environment.

You can put yourself in an environment in which there are fewer distractions, temptations and all the right reinforcing signals.

Procrastination tends to strike when you have to stop and think, so have everything you need to hand and then lock yourself away.

The more you have a procrastination personality, the more the environment needs to be just right for you to get it done.

6. Success stops procrastination

So far, so easy.

Here things get a little tricky.

That’s because when you expect a project to be difficult or hard to complete, then you are more likely to procrastinate.

But, there’s only one reliable way to increase expectations of success and that is by experiencing success.

But, while procrastinating and not starting, you can’t experience success.

It’s a Catch-22.

Hmm.

This tip is more of a warning about this Catch-22 and a reminder of that Woody Allen quote:

“80 percent of success is showing up.”

You’ve got to at least show up to find out whether you can do it.

7. Think concrete to stop procrastination

Here are two ways of thinking about a task:

Abstract: Wouldn’t it be great to write a song expressing how I feel about the state of the world right now?
Concrete: What’s the first line?

When you are feel like procrastinating, it’s much better to think about the concrete steps you are going to take, rather than abstract aims and ideas.

Thinking concrete helps you get started and stop procrastinating.

8. Don’t rely on memory

Sometimes procrastination is less an intentional thing and more about memory failures.

Most solutions to this problem are some variant of: write it down.

It may not matter that much how you make a list, or where you record the reminder — carve it into a tree if you like, as long as it’s a tree you walk past every day.

Just don’t rely on your memory to stop procrastination.

Not, at least, until you have formed a habit which doesn’t rely on memory and you start doing it automatically.

9. Avoid over-thinking procrastination

Doubts will arise for even the most confident of people.

Unfortunately, doubts cause procrastination.

Here’s a little tip for side-stepping doubts: try doubting your doubts.

One easy way to do that is by shaking your head while thinking those negative thoughts.

It may sound childish, but according to a study it can help the chronically uncertain (see: How to Fight Excessive Doubt).

There are other kinds of over-thinking which are also dangerous:

all-or-nothing thinking,
impossibly high standards,
catastrophising (thinking everything will be a catastrophe).

Being mindful of when we’re wasting mental energy rather than getting on with the task at hand can be useful.

These approaches will help stop procrastination

10. Forgive yourself

Yup, sometimes it’s just too hard, it will take too long, you really didn’t have the time, or it wasn’t worth it.

Forgive yourself.

Here’s a wonderful effect of forgiving yourself: one study has found that it can actually break you out of the cycle of procrastination (see: Procrastinate Less By Forgiving Yourself).

As the authors say:

“…forgiving oneself for procrastinating has the beneficial effect of reducing subsequent procrastination by reducing negative affect associated with the outcome of an examination.”

In other words: forgiving yourself for procrastination makes you feel better about the task, and so more likely to attempt it again in the future.

11. Move the task into the present

People start a task sooner when they believe it is part of their present.

So, the key to stopping procrastination is moving a task from feeling like part of the future to feeling like part of the present.

In one study, the researchers used some neat tricks to make people think a task was part of the present or part of the future.

In one, they gave some participants an assignment on the 24th of April, giving them five days to complete it.

Other participants were given the same five days to complete it, but were not given it until the 28th of April — so that the deadline fell in May.

People in the first group had the feeling the task was part of their present and so they were more likely to begin it.

Those in the second group felt it was part of May so were less likely to begin.

Remember, both groups had the same time — five days — so it was just the perception that caused some people to procrastinate.

Best procrastination quote

My all time favourite procrastination quote comes from Martin Luther King, Jr.:

“You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”

New Year’s Resolutions: 10 Step Guide To Make Them Stick

Here is my quick ten-step guide to making those New Year’s resolutions, based on hundreds of psychology studies.

One of the main reasons that New Year’s resolutions are so often forgotten before January is out is that they frequently require habit change.

And habits, without the right techniques, are highly resistant to change.

But because habits work unconsciously and automatically, we can tap into our in-built autopilot to get the changes we want.

So here is my quick ten-step guide to making those New Year’s resolutions, based on hundreds of psychology studies.

1. For big results, think small

The classic mistake people make when choosing their New Year’s resolutions is to bite off more than they can chew.

Even with the help of psychologists, people find it hard to make relatively modest changes.

So pick something you have a reasonable chance of achieving.

You can always run the process again for another habit once the first is running smoothly.

2. Mental contrasting and New Year’s resolutions

Choosing what to change about yourself and sticking to it isn’t easy.

There is a method you can use, though, to help sort the good ideas from the bad, and to help boost your commitment.

Mental contrasting is described in more detail here but in essence it’s about contrasting the positive aspects of your change with the barriers and difficulties you’ll face.

This helps you to be more realistic about what is possible.

Research has found that following this procedure makes people more likely to give up on plans that are unrealistic but also commit more strongly to plans they can do.

3. Make a very specific ‘if-then’ plan

The types of plans for change people make spontaneously are vague: things like: “I will be a better person” or “This year I’ll get fit”.

These are fine as overall aims but it’s much better to make really specific plans that link situations with actions.

For example, you might say to yourself: “If I feel hungry between meals, then I will eat an apple.”

When repeated these types of actions will help you achieve your overall goals.

4. Repeat your New Year’s resolutions

Habits build up by repeating the same action in the same situation.

Each time you repeat it, the habit gets stronger.

The stronger it gets, the more likely you are to perform it without having to consciously will it.

So, how long will the habit take to form?

Well, it depends on both the habit you’ve chosen and your personality.

The idea that it’s always 21 days is demonstrably wrong.

5. Tweak your New Year’s resolutions

Everyone is different, so what works for one person might not work for another.

Habit change is no different. If your very specific plan seems to be going wrong after a while, or doesn’t feel right, then it may need a tweak.

Try a different time of the day or performing the habit in a different way.

Habit change needs self-experimentation.

Are there any tweaks to your environment you can make?

Those trying to change eating habits might try buying smaller plates, putting fruit on the counter and avoiding TV dinners.

6. Don’t suppress…

An odd thing happens when we try to suppress thoughts: they come back stronger.

It turns out that thought suppression is counter-productive.

The same with habits: if you try to push the thought of cake out of your mind, suddenly it will be everywhere.

7. …instead replace

Habits cannot be killed off.

It’s like the old saying that you never forget how to ride a bike.

Old habits are lying there in the back of your mind waiting to be cued off by familiar situations.

It’s much better to plan a new good habit to replace the bad old one.

Try to learn a new response to a familiar old cue.

For example, if worrying makes you bite your nails, then, when you worry, do something else with your hands, like making a hot drink, or doodling.

8. Shield yourself

There’s bound to be some competition between old and new habits at first.

This is normal.

Try to notice or anticipate what the mental danger points will be and plan for them.

For example, you may want to get up earlier but know that you’ll feel lazy when you wake up.

Plan to think about something that will make you jump out of bed, like an activity you are looking forward to doing that day.

9. Pre-commit to New Year’s resolutions

We’re most likely to give in to old habits when we’re tired, low and hungry.

So pre-commit to your new habit when your self-control is strong.

For example, clear all the unhealthy food and drink out of the house, cut up the credit card or give the gaming controller to a friend for safe-keeping.

Getting in the habit of planning ahead is one of the best ways of keeping your New Year’s resolutions.

10. Self-affirmation of New Year’s resolutions

Another trick to boost your self-control in the moment is to positive affirmations.

This involves simply thinking about something that is important to you, like your friends, family or a higher ideal.

Studies suggest this can boost depleted willpower, even when your ideas aren’t connected to the habit you are trying to ingrain.

The habit of habit change

Once you’ve successfully ingrained a modest new habit, it’s time to go back to square one, choose a new habit to work on and start again.

This is the best, most sustainable path to self re-invention—forget about waking up tomorrow a totally different person.

Instead go little-by-little, step-by-step, and eventually you will get there.

Forget all that haring around, be the tortoise.

The Mindset That Is Key To Discovering New Passions In Life

The common advice to ‘find your passion’ when looking for a new career, hobby or interest could be misplaced.

Passions need to be sought out rather than just stumbled upon, research suggests.

Being open to all possibilities and taking an interest in everything that comes your way could lead to a new hobby, passion or even career.

The common advice to ‘find your passion’ when looking for a new career, hobby or interest could be misplaced.

It suggests that passions are there just waiting to be discovered.

This ‘fixed mindset’ encourages people to concentrate on their existing interests.

Instead, adopting a growth mindset helps people open up to new areas of interest.

It can also make them more likely to stick at those interests despite difficulties along the way, psychologists have found.

The study’s authors write:

“A growth theory, by contrast, leads people to express greater interest in new areas, to anticipate that pursuing interests will sometimes be challenging, and to maintain greater interest when challenges arise.”

The conclusion comes from a study in which people were encouraged to read an article that either coincided with their interests or not.

People who had a fixed mindset didn’t pay much attention to the article that was outside their interests.

However, people with a growth mindset got into the article, even though it wasn’t their usual thing.

Other tests in the same study also suggested that having a growth mindset would encouraged people to push on through barriers.

Moral of the story: take an interest in everything, you might be surprised where a new passion can come from.

Dr Paul A O’Keefe, the study’s first author, said:

“Encouraging people to develop their passion can not only promote a growth theory, but also suggests that it is an active process, not passive.
A hidden positive implication of a growth theory is the expectation that pursuing one’s interests and passions will be difficult at times because people are less likely to give up on them when faced with a challenge.”

The study was published in the journal Psychological Science (O’Keefe et al., 2018).

How To Increase The Motivation To Get Healthy

The key to eating healthily, reducing alcohol consumption and exercising more.

Visualisation is the psychological key to getting more exercise and improving diet, research finds.

Visualising eating healthily, reducing alcohol consumption and exercising more all help people change their behaviour.

The more people visualise the necessary behaviours, the more motivated they become to change.

Professor Martin Hagger, study co-author, said:

“There are strong links between chronic illnesses like heart disease and diabetes and behaviour, and imagery-based interventions offer an inexpensive, effective way of promoting healthy behaviours such as physical activity and healthy eating.
We found that people who simply visualised the steps necessary to do the healthy behaviour on a regular basis were more likely to be motivated, and actually do, the healthy behaviour.”

The researchers synthesised the results of 26 different studies to test the optimum circumstances for visualisation.

They revealed that imagery worked better when:

People were given text message reminders,
the visualisation lasted longer,
and they had detailed instructions.

Professor Hagger said:

“Previous studies have shown that imagery interventions have been used in various contexts including enhancing athletes’ performance, flight simulation training for aircraft pilots and for symptom relief in hospital settings.
Our research shows that imagery is also effective for promoting participation in healthy behaviours.
Our findings may not only be of interest to health professionals around the world, but could be of interest and potentially implemented within other industries.”

The study was published in the journal Health Psychology (Conroy & Hagger, 2018).