The Briefest “How to Beat Procrastination” Guide You’ll Possibly Ever See

BS-free research and years of experience compressed into 3 minutes

“Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone”
― Pablo Picasso

Procrastination is the most surreptitious killer of dreams, aspirations, and potential.

The more you put things off, the wider the gulf between “What Is” and “What Could Be” becomes.

But don’t beat yourself over this — even the best of us procrastinate. The key is in mastering how not to procrastinate:

• Don’t rely on willpower. Willpower is finite and unpredictable. So is motivation. Instead, rely on building meaning-fueled habits, routines, and systems.

• Make distractions hard to access. Flip the phone on DND and pop it at the far end of your room. Block apps, sites, and searches using ColdTurkey Blocker. Get someone to latch your room from the outside for an hour.

• Make your tasks easier to do. If you want to hit the gym first thing in the morning — set out your shoes, grab a fresh pair of socks, prepare your protein shaker, and pack your gym bag the previous night itself.

• Taper off the dopamine fest. The neurotransmitter dopamine drives your motivation—but social media, porn, video games, binge-watches, and junk food leach it away. Taper off them — even better, hop on a 14-day dopamine detox.