Don't Let Procrastination Ruin Another Year for You 🫵

Remember you said you were going to win this year?

Jan 27, 2025

Ed Note

“Procrastination is not Laziness", I tell him. "It is fear. Call it by its right name and forgive yourself.” — Julia Cameron.

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So Shall We?

Procrastination, procrastination, procrastination… This is a sensitive topic I hold close to my heart. You see, procrastination has always had me in a chokehold; even as I write this newsletter to you, I am still fighting it with everything I've got, and this year, I intend to win.

Last year, The Stack Journal joined the “We listen, we don’t judge” remote work edition trend on X (Formerly known as Twitter) and here was my reply:

No lies were detected. Am I proud to say that? No. Have I been making changes towards it? YES.

Anyway, the post had one of my highest engagement and views, which made me realise that I’m not alone. In fact, you can’t judge me because you’re probably a victim of procrastination too, and that’s okay. Remember? We listen, we don’t judge.

But seriously, procrastination, the thief of time, mother of laziness, and father of failure, has wreaked enough havoc and will continue to do so unless we decide to start holding ourselves accountable and fight back.

As I said earlier, I’ve been making changes to stop this bad habit, and they’ve been working for me. Now, because I don’t gatekeep, I will share with you some helpful tips I have picked up along the way to help you overcome procrastination:

Set Goals: Setting your goals and tasks is a proven effective way to stop procrastinating. The trick is to start by setting a small, realistic goal that you know you can easily achieve. Define what you want to accomplish, how you want to achieve it, and the timeframe for you to complete it. This can help you stay focused and motivated.
Share Your Goals with Others: Now, I can vouch for this; telling my friend about my goals creates accountability and keeps me on my feet. This will come in handy and help you focus on achieving the goal you spoke to your friends about.
Make a List and Prioritise Your Tasks: You can start by waking up in the morning to write down what you want to do for that day. Make a list of things you want to do according to their importance and tick them as you complete each of them. At the end of the day, go back to check if you were able to complete all of them; this gives you a sense of accomplishment.
Reduce Distractions: Try to identify things that can distract you and reduce them. For instance, it could be notifications on your phone or social media. Turn them off or put your phone in a Do Not Disturb mode. As a remote worker, it could be your bed, television, or people you live with. Try to move your workspace to a secluded area without noise or distractions. Also, set boundaries and make sure people at home stick to them.
Reward Yourself: Celebrate your wins no matter how small. Whether it’s a bowl of ice cream, a break, or a little treat, having something to look forward to after completing a task can be a great motivator. So, reward yourself for finishing a task within the deadline.

It’s easy to feel guilty after procrastinating, but don’t dwell on the past. Instead, focus on taking charge and consciously getting your work done within a set timeframe. Remember, Procrastination is not a habit you can just stop at once; it takes commitment, dedication, and intentional efforts to make and see the changes you want.

So take your time and start with small, manageable goals. Stop waiting for the perfect moment or headspace. Just start it. And as you do, be kind to yourself because progress is what really matters, not perfection.

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