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How to avoid being a procrastinator

"We're in a very interesting time now. It's wonderful and terrifying simultaneously."

So says Dr Piers Steel, an expert on procrastination who has spent his career trying to understand why people do it (or don't do it). And, like all of us, he's someone who puts things off himself. As he says: "Everybody procrastinates at least a little."

James Marriott is a journalist who admits to doing online geography quizzes to avoid getting on with work, so is seeking help for his affliction.

He spoke to Piers for an episode of 大象传媒 Radio 4's One to One to find out what procrastination is, why we do it to ourselves and – most importantly – what steps we can take to overcome it.

Listen to the episode in full here

What is procrastination?

As Piers succinctly puts it, procrastination is "wanting to do things and not wanting to do things at the same time".

It's not laziness. The person procrastinating is determined to achieve something and might well achieve the thing eventually. But they are either distracted by other things as they work or avoid beginning a particular task. And what's even more painful is the fact that, as Piers says, "the person getting in the way of what you want is you".

Why do we do it?

Procrastination is connected to the prefrontal cortex, which makes plans and decisions for the future. Sudden, impulsive, distracting thoughts make it more difficult to engage that forward-thinking machine effectively.

The person getting in the way of what you want is you.

It could be related to a fear of failing the task at hand or a worry that the completed task will fall far short of expectations. If it won't be perfect, you wonder, why should you even begin? It could be connected to boredom or FOMO, the worry that something more interesting is occurring while you work.

Procrastinators will undertake any number of tasks (cleaning, cooking, online geography quizzes, regrouting the bathroom), rather than start the task they wish to connect with. Some indeterminate obstacle stands in the way of beginning, or continuing with, the project they desire.

So, if procrastination is something that you struggle with, how do you stop doing it?

Tips on beating procrastination

1. Break through the surface tension

The very beginning of a task is always the hardest part. But once it's started and you've broken the 'surface tension', as Piers describes it, then you're on the road to victory.

Once you've identified the optimum amount of time you can work for, you'll feel less guilty when you stop working.

The secret is to not put too much pressure on yourself as you begin. Piers likens it to making your first batch of pancakes – the first ones don't necessarily have to be perfect. Don't put them in the garbage.

2. Start in the middle

It can help to think about tasks in a non-linear fashion. Don't start at the beginning, start in the middle. Or begin with wider-reaching ideas or the basics of your plan. "Get your bricks down first" as Piers puts it.

3. Find ways to make it more enjoyable

"The more you enjoy the task, the less hard you have to work to get it away from temptation," Piers says. Ensure your working environment is a place you want to be in. Possibly 'gamify' the task at hand to make it more interesting. And consider rewards for completing a project successfully.

4. Make your temptations less accessible

Ensure that all those annoying, bleeping notifications are silenced. If you can, try to work on a machine disconnected to the internet. Place your phone out of reach. All of these distractions can eject you from your 'flow state', when you're in the zone and working freely.

5. Make it a ritual

If you work at the same time and in the same place, then eventually your mind will do the work for you. It will identify the time and location with the task you're about to begin and, as Piers states, "habit will take the place of willpower." Pick one location, and a recurring starting time, and strictly stick to them.

6. Constrain your time

"In the morning, when you have the most energy, block off a period of time you can commit to," says Piers. But the secret is to not work beyond that sanctioned period of time. Once your time is up, stop.

"Time constraint does wonders for motivation," he says. After working this way for a while, experiment with expanding the time. Once you've identified the optimum amount of time you can work for, you'll feel less guilty when you stop working. Then you'll be free to procrastinate to your heart's content!

Which type of procrastinator are you?

Learn about procrastination types and what you can do about it with these top tips.

Who does it?

Finally, Piers identified a variety of procrastination types. Which one are you?

The People Pleaser

These are personalities that contain high levels of agreeableness while also being conflict avoiders. They perpetually agree to take on projects, as it makes them feel good to say 'yes', but then get overloaded and overwhelmed and seek to distract themselves rather than face up to the prospective work.

Sensation Seekers

These are people who love the thrill of a looming deadline and convince themselves they can work effectively under pressure, giving themselves too little time to complete a task. When the time allocated inevitably evaporates, they distract themselves to avoid their responsibilities. Piers says that these people might not technically be procrastinators, as they love procrastinating and do it on purpose.

The Disgruntled

Individuals who actively hate what they're doing but rather than change their situation, find something else to do in order to avoid doing it. Sound familiar?

Listen to James and Piers' conversation about procrastination and the dread of deadlines in full here. You can also listen to James talk to novelist Geoff Dyer about his struggles with procrastination here.

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