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The Procrastinator's Guide to Getting Stuff Done (Eventually)

If you're reading this instead of doing what you should be doing, then you're in exactly the right place. 


The truth is if procastination was a sport I would be an olympic gold medalist. My brain has this amazing way of prioritising all the wrong things. I will tidy my whole room top to bottom and fill ten bin bags full of clothes for the charity shop before I'll start the assignment that's due in 2 days. WHAT IS THAT ABOUT?

Truth is I've spent more time than I care to admit putting off this blog. And the worst part? I know I'm doing it. I'll lay and feel stressed about how much work I need to do and instead of just doing it, I'll stick Stranger Things on and rewatch it in anticipation of the new season coming out. I can't even relax and enjoy it either because my mind is too focused on the mountain of work I have yet to begin. It's self destructive really, but I'm trying to be better, and I want to let you know how to be better too. 

So, What is procastination? And why do we do it?

Procastination isn't laziness, it's avoidance. There are some real reasons behind why we do it. 
  1. Fear of failure - If you know it's going to be really difficult, or you think the task will be stressful to complete, then sometimes it's easier to put it off. 
  2. Feeling overwhelmed - I know this is why I put everything off. And honestly? It really doesn’t take much to overwhelm me. If a task feels too big or too vague, my brain immediately decides that the safest option is to pretend it doesn’t exist.
  3. Instant gratification - Why start an assignment that's going to take hours and hours to complete when you can get instant joy from scrolling through Tiktok (where I waste much of my life, I really have to delete that app), starting a new book, or adopting a new hobby at 11pm. 
  4. Low energy or burnout - Sometimes you're not avoiding the task, you're just tired. Mentally, emotionally, physically, or all three.
  5. Perfectionism - If you don't start the task, you can't mess it up. 
Procastination is a symptom, not the problem. Once you understand why you do it, it will become so much easier to manage. 

Now we know WHY it happens, how do we overcome it?

After far too many late-night meltdowns and library all-nighters, these the things that I do to guarantee I get my stuff done. They probably won't turn you into a productivity machine overnight but if they're realistic. They'll help make your workload more manageable. 

  1. Break it into stupidly small steps. My brain can't handle "write 2000 words", but it can handle open Word, write the title, start the first section. Once you break it into little baby steps, it stops feeling like Everest and maybe more like Errigal (A.K.A a lot more manageable.
  2. The "ugly first draft" mindset. This little hack helped me a lot. It doesn't have to be perfect. It doesn't have to have all the research. It can be FULL of spelling mistakes. It just has to give you a starting point!
  3. Reward yourself like a toddler. Get two sections done and treat yourself to an episode of your favourite show. Work for 20 minutes and make yourself a cup of tea and a little biscuit. It's like training a dog and using positive reinforcement, except you're the dog.
  4. Set the vibe. Tidy your space (but don't get distracted doing it), put on some comfy pjs, set up some snacks, put on some music. Whatever you need to do to turn it into a positive experience and make it feel like less of a punishment. 
  5. Set a timer. A 30 minute timer is great. If you get started and get in the flow of it then GREAT. You can keep going even after the timers done (and this is usually what happens). But if you're done after 30 minutes, then that's all good too, you still got something done.
Be kind to yourself too. Remember it isn't easy juggling work, uni deadlines and classes, and having a social life. It's ok to want some down time, but if you get the work done (or at least make a start to it) then you can relax a little easier. 

So now you've finished this blog, grab a cuppa, set a timer and PLEASE pull out the laptop. Or don't... I once read the whole ACOTAR series in two weeks as a way of avoiding an assignment, so I really can't judge. 

Toni x

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