8 Minimalist Ways to Overcome Procrastination

How to use minimalism to avoid putting things off

Picture by Kacper Zaremba / Unsplash

Procrastination is like a slot machine. Putting a few coins in sounds fun, but once you’re at it, you don’t stop.

You start with an innocent 5-minute spell before realizing that your time and money are running away.

To ward off the negative ramifications of work deferrals, here are eight minimalist ways to overcome procrastination.

“Putting things off is the biggest waste of life: it snatches away each day as it comes, and denies us the present by promising the future.” - Seneca

We’re all guilty of delaying crucial tasks in one way or another. A Facebook message here, a Youtube video there — and our two minutes of downtime turn into two hours.

That’s why we need a proper anti-procrastination system in place. Once incorporated into our daily routines, these methods will automatize themselves.

The 2 recognitions

Countering the effects of procrastination starts with two simple realizations. Before you can fight the symptoms, your mind needs to comprehend the nature of your holdups.

Recognize that you are procrastinating

The first step toward overcoming procrastination is the pure recognition that you are dawdling and delaying crucial tasks.

Ask yourself the following: am I doing something of value right now? Do I have important tasks to complete? A well-structured to-do list always helps in defining urgent tasks.

I use a simple rule in this regard. When determining what I am doing right now, I look at my daily to-dos and ask myself whether I am actively advancing those projects. If not, I know that I am procrastinating, and this leads me to recognition number two.

Recognize why you are procrastinating

Is it out of pure laziness? Are you struggling to define essential and non-essential tasks? Are you distracted by social media or other futile activities?