[A] Utilize cue cards

[B] Stay organized in an emergency

[C] Avoid distractions

[D] Have a procrastination “diet”

[E] Take a break and get outside

[F] Prioritize based on urgency and importance

[G] Don’t hesitate to act

How to Actually Stop Procrastinating and Be Productive

We’ve all been bitten by the procrastination bug—delaying important tasks week after week. When it comes to procrastination, what matters is how you respond. Here are some strategies to combat your procrastination syndrome and promote your productivity.

【R1】________

Most people sit back and wait for things to happen to them. Don’t be that person. Working overtime doesn’t impress anyone; get the job done accurately and quickly.

Nike says it best: “Just do it.” If you hesitate, you lose. So whatever you have to do, stop thinking and talking about it and just tackle it now in an organized manner. And if you feel stuck and struggle with procrastination, you probably need to find a job that you enjoy and are good at.

【R2】________

Whether it’s Netflix, Facebook, or your dog, life serves up distractions that take away your attention from important tasks. You justify it because it’s just five minutes here, five minutes there; but before you know it, you’ve wasted an hour. To beat procrastination, you cannot compromise or get distracted by activities with little or no value.

You can divide each hour into 15-minute blocks, and then work fast and furiously to see how much you can accomplish in each block. When you approach time this way, you have little room for distraction as you move from one thing to the next.

【R3】________

People fill their time with trivial tasks because they provide immediate rewards. So the secret to beating procrastination is devising a system to reward you whenever you act on the important things. Break down projects into small, manageable tasks. For example, if you’re writing a book, break it into 500-word sections. Keep a stack of cue cards with notes on each section. Every time you complete 500 words, flip that card face down on the other side. This reward gives you a shot of the feel-good hormone dopamine, pulling you through the process.

【R4】________

It’s human nature to dodge things that don’t feel good, which is why the tasks we want to avoid linger week after week. When something starts to create anxiety or pressure, we resist it and run away.

The best way to break a habit is to develop new ones, so put yourself on a procrastination diet. Whenever you feel resistance, give yourself one task and then do it. Do two the next time, then three. The first few days of a diet can be hard, but it gets easier if you stick with it. What’s important is getting started. Before you know it, you’re breaking old habits and doing things that make you uncomfortable.

【R3】________

You can group your tasks based on urgency and importance. Urgent and important tasks get done. Tasks that are important but not urgent get planned. Urgent, unimportant tasks get delegated. If it’s not urgent or important, you can ignore it. Ideally, you can spend at least 80％ of your time on important items.

【R3】