If you are trying to figure out how to stop procrastinating, you are not alone.
Most people do not procrastinate because they are lazy. They procrastinate because the task feels too big.
When something feels big, your brain wants to avoid it.
Clean the whole house.
Finish the entire report.
Study for three hours.
Exercise for one hour.
When you think about the whole thing, it feels heavy. So you wait. You tell yourself you will do it later.
Instead of trying to change your personality, try changing the size of the task.
Make it smaller.
Not a little smaller. Much smaller.
If you need to clean the kitchen, wash five dishes.
If you need to write something, write one paragraph.
If you need to study, read one page.
If you need to exercise, put on your shoes and walk outside for five minutes.
That is enough.
Set a timer for five minutes and start.
When the timer rings, you can stop if you want.
Most of the time, you will keep going.
Why does this work?
Because starting is the hardest part. Once you begin, your brain relaxes. The task no longer feels as scary.
Procrastination grows when you focus on finishing everything. It gets smaller when you focus on starting one small piece.
If you really want to stop procrastinating, stop trying to do everything at once.
Do one small thing.
Do it today.
Then do one small thing again tomorrow.
Small starts build momentum.
Momentum makes starting easier.
And easier starts help you stop procrastinating.
Keep Going
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