I’m going to stop procrastinating tomorrow.

But for real, when I was in high school and my first attempt through college, I had a terrible problem with procrastination. Doing homework at the very last minute worked well enough in high school, but at the post-secondary and professional level it doesn’t really cut it.

In my second and successful attempt at college, I made it a policy to just do all my homework right away. That meant working while I ate lunch, using free periods when they were available, and often staying after class. If I had time leftover by completing a lab early, I’d start on my homework then.

In all, it typically cost me an extra hour or two on my day. But in the end, I didn’t have to take any homework home with me. It became routine that I was staying late most days, so it wasn’t a big problem if I did end up late. There was also a very distinct separation between my work and home life, and I think that helped reinforce the behaviour.

This isn’t always a super healthy attitude to take. I burned out pretty hard after graduation. I’ve since learned to relax, but I do struggle with procrastination frequently now.

Never procrastinating isn’t achievable for some people. Nor do I think it should be. You can’t always summon willpower from where there isn’t will. If you struggle with neurodivergence or mental illness, then you probably know exactly what I’m talking about.

I believe to a certain extent it’s healthy to procrastinate. Often, your brain is telling you that you need rest, and it does so through procrastination. However, you can’t procrastinate yourself out of a problem, lest you end up with more severe problems.

If you want to find a healthy way to reduce your procrastination there are a lot of tips out there that might set you up for success. But if something isn’t working for you, it’s okay to be skeptical of it. There’s an entire industry of pop psychology scientific-sounding crap out there. The behavioural sciences are a constantly evolving field, and what was touted as a solution twenty years ago may be out of touch with today’s understanding.

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Here’s a few tips that have been helpful to me, and with less eulogizing:

Tip 1 - Minimize

• Think of the smallest part of the task you have to do
• Find a triggering event to remind you to do the task
• Do that smallest part
• Congratulate yourself

Example: I have a sink full of dirty dishes that need to be washed. Whenever I get up for a glass of water, I wash one dish and fist pump.

This one’s great for building habits. The reasoning is that you have a reminder event to prompt you into action, and then you’re giving a positive association to the task. It’s also a good technique for large tasks made up of many small parts. Something is better than nothing, and often times I find that I take on more of the task because I’ve already gotten over the largest hurdle of starting.

Tip 2 - Randomize

• Make a list of the tasks you’re avoiding doing
• Randomly select a task
• Do the task

Example: I have six tasks I’m avoiding, so I write out a list and roll a six-sided die to pick a task.

The reasoning is that when we’re faced with too many options, we freeze up. It can take a surprising amount of mental energy to make a decision, so you’re allowing a system to make the decision for you.

Cop out: if you roll the die and it lands on Wash the Dishes and you have a strong feeling that you would have preferred to have selected Take out Garbage, then go ahead and take out the garbage. We can use randomness as a crutch, but we’re allowed to make our own luck too.

Tip 3 - Prioritize

• Accept that you’re going to procrastinate, even if it’s just a little bit
• Think of a task you could be doing that’s more favourable than the one you’re avoiding
• Do that task while you procrastinate

Example: I have to file my taxes and I’m dreading the paperwork. My floor also needs to be swept. I sweep the floor until I feel I’m ready to tackle my taxes.

This technique is mostly about minimizing the impact of procrastinating. Rather than procrastinating idly, you can procrastinate in a way that’s a little productive. It’s not really a solution to the problem of procrastination, but something is better than nothing.

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If you’re struggling with procrastination and as a result have difficulty forming healthy habits, I wholeheartedly recommend Tiny Habits for further reading. I’ve tried a lot of self-help with mixed results, and this one has been the most impactful by far.