99% of the time, procrastination has nothing to do with laziness or ineptitude. It does, however, have much to do with a vast collection of other factors over which you have more control than you might realise.

If procrastination could be your middle name and you’ve had enough of tripping yourself up on the daily, here are some tools that will help you get unstuck and back into (aligned) action:

1. Understand why and how you procrastinate

What’s the real issue behind not getting to your tasks? Is there a belief or fear driving your inaction? How do you like to procrastinate? What’s your go-to ‘put stuff off’ behaviour? When you have an awareness of your own patterns, you have the power to change them. 

2. Set boundaries for yourself and others

Taking on too much by saying ‘yes’ to every request from everyone else is a one-way ticket to overwhelm-ville. A lack of self-discipline and trying to multi-task rather than sitting down and completing a task even if you don’t feel like it is another route to the land of ‘too much to do’.

3. Manage your stress

Feeling stressed is a sure-fire way to get very little accomplished. A stressed mind is a mind that’s unable to focus, think clearly, prioritise or come up with creative solutions. The good news is that stress can be calmed on demand and the best way to begin is by breathing with intention. Watch a demo of Heart Focused Breathing here which is a scientifically proven stress reduction technique to get you started.

4. Reward yourself

There’s nothing wrong with incentivising yourself to complete a task, especially if it’s one that’s boring, tedious or difficult. Your reward might be a cup of coffee, an afternoon at the spa or a Christian Dior handbag; whatever it takes to get the job done. Carrots are usually better than sticks in the land of self-motivation. 

5. Use a to-do list properly

Here’s how: don’t put too much on the list.  The goal is to complete it each day, not ignore it and add what you didn’t get done today onto the overflowing list for tomorrow.  Write yours the night before the next day and ensure you take a moment to congratulate yourself every time you tick one of your to-dos off AND enjoy the ensuing dopamine boost.

6. Do one thing at a time

Multitasking is not a skill, it’s a guarantee that whatever you’re doing will take twice as long. Tackle your tasks one at a time, from start to finish and watch your output increase. This might mean asking people not to disturb you for a period of time or switching off your phone notifications. Do what you need to to minimise distractions and then crack on.

7. Manage your time

If you regularly get to the end of a day and think to yourself ‘wow, I sure was busy, but I have no idea what I got done’ I’m going to take a guess that you’re not managing or prioritising your time very effectively. Over the course of a week, make a note of how much time you spend doom scrolling or allowing yourself to be distracted, then use some of that time for tasks that generate a useful outcome instead.

8. Know why you’re doing what you’re doing

The absence of a clear reason for doing something means your motivation is likely MIA too. In order to have the self-discipline and motivation to complete tasks, you need to know WHY you’re doing them. This is especially important when the task you’re doing is mundane or challenging and forms part of the journey to completing a bigger goal. Motivate yourself by keeping the end result in mind when the going gets tough.

If you’ve had enough of procrastinating and you’re ready to change the way you show up for yourself, my brand new course ‘7 Days to Stop Procrastinating’ is packed with tools, strategies and practical ways to get unstuck, improve your productivity and move your life forward. I created this course with expert procrastinators in mind (I used to be one) so I know it’s going to transform the way you get stuff done. Access it here.