3 Simple Mind Tricks to Help You Defeat Procrastination

One of the biggest dejections people face in the world today is procrastination. We all know procrastination is a bad habit

and yet we frequently find ourselves staring down that 8:00 am deadline as we pull an all-nighter. It’s a fight that is both constant and challenging.

We are continuously in a tug of war with our desires for comfort, entertainment, and instant gratification as endless leisure activities and algorithms fight for our attention.

Merriam-Webster defines procrastination as “putting something off intentionally and habitually.” We make it a habit of hindering crucial work by letting external factors steal our focus. Wouldn’t it be amazing if there was a way to defeat procrastination? A way for us to regain our focus and get those critical tasks done? In order to confront procrastination, we must understand it at its core.

The act of putting off work is mainly just a mental process. We encounter an obstacle that stops us in our tracks and distracts us from what we should actually be accomplishing. In other words, we are faced with something that our brains perceive as negative or hard (whether that’s because it takes too much time, energy, or prevents us from doing something else we deem as more enjoyable) and because of this our brain now creates a response of stress, overwhelm, anxiety, and fear. Instead, we turn to more pleasurable tasks (scrolling through Tik Tok, watching Netflix, etc.).

The good news is we aren’t doomed for a life filled with procrastination forever. With the right strategies, you can train your mind to overpower your impulse to procrastinate.

Read below for 3 simple mind tricks to overcome procrastination.

Trick #1 Ask your highest self for advice

Next time you feel your focus slipping, pause and consult with your highest self. Ask yourself “What would my highest self say about this?” “What would the best version of myself do in this situation?”

More likely than not, your highest self gets things done (and on time) because she knows the long-term effect and impact of acting NOW (rather

than later).

Trick #2 Separate your tasks

Multitasking can play a huge part in why people procrastinate. We often have a million to dos and frequently fail to differentiate between what needs to get done now and what can wait until later (or tomorrow). As we stare down our “apparent” massive to do list, our brain begins to feel anxious, worried, and overwhelmed, thus creating a breeding ground for distractions.

Every night, check your to dos for the next day, ranking them by urgency and time commitment. By organizing your tasks the night before, your mind already knows what to expect the next day and procrastination will be stopped in its tracks.

Trick #3 Set your mind up for success

What does setting your mind up for success look like? This means removing all the thoughts, beliefs, and ideas that justify why you procrastinate. Your list may look a little something like this:

Need for instant gratification

Fear of failure

The task/project feels uncomfortable

Exterior distractions

Plain laziness

After you have your list, write action steps you can take to prevail against that argument. Once you can comprehend the reasoning behind your procrastination, you can eliminate the negative action and implement a positive one.

If you are looking for more ways to use your mind to conquer procrastination, Click Here

to listen to one of my podcast episodes where I provide an easy exercise to help you tap into your mind magic and overcome procrastination.