Stop procrastinating at work by addressing the core emotional and organizational habits that hold you back.
According to a survey conducted by Darius Foroux, an estimated 88% of workers struggle with procrastination.
Procrastination is a very human phenomenon. Even the most productive business leaders procrastinate from time to time, and there are psychological reasons for this. But just because it’s common doesn’t mean it’s healthy—for you or your business.
Procrastination indicates two underlying issues you need to address:
- Emotional Self-Regulation: At its core, procrastination isn’t a problem with your workload or feelings; it’s a problem with how you manage uncomfortable emotions when they arise.
- Organization: When you operate with structure, there’s little room for delay. You know what needs to get done, prioritize effectively, and experience less stress. Less stress means fewer uncomfortable emotions to avoid.
5 Steps to Stop Procrastinating at Work
1. Understand Why You Procrastinate
Procrastination happens when you want to avoid uncomfortable feelings. Avoidance only strengthens those emotions. There are key psychological triggers at play:
- Task Aversion: You simply dislike the task.
- Present Bias: You favor an immediate, small reward over a larger long-term payoff.
- Overwhelm & Disorganization: Without clear systems, trying to organize a million moving pieces makes prioritization difficult and leads to burnout.
2. Name Your Feelings
Take a moment to identify where your resistance stems from. Ask yourself: “What does the discomfort I’m feeling right now remind me of?” Identifying past memories or anxieties holding you back allows you to remind yourself that the current task is not the past moment.
3. Make Goals More Manageable
Large, ambiguous tasks percolate in your mind and become daunting. Break them down by writing small, clear action steps on paper or in a document. Small steps keep big goals manageable and reduce overwhelm.
4. Give Yourself Deadlines & Hack Your Morning
Set deadlines for each intermediate step rather than relying on a single distant target. Hacking your schedule this way brings immediate satisfaction with every completed step.
Additionally, tackle your biggest, most uncomfortable task first thing in the morning. Willpower expires as the day progresses. A 2018 study on decision fatigue published in the Journal of Health Psychology explains that decision fatigue reduces executive function and inhibits reasoning ability—meaning complex decisions are best made early.
5. Reinforce a “Do-It-Now” Attitude
In The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg explains the neurological loop behind habits: a cue, a routine, and a reward. For procrastination, the cue is an uncomfortable emotion, the routine is distraction, and the reward is temporary relief. To break this loop, create real rewards for action that outweigh the temporary relief of avoiding work.
A virtual assistant can also help you stop procrastinating at work by taking repetitive tasks off your to-do list and keeping you accountable to high-priority goals.
Are you ready to enjoy your work more and stop procrastinating? Book a discovery call now!