Why do people procrastinate?

If you already know you procrastinate, but want to find the reason behind it, the answer is simple.

People procrastinate because their drive to delay is stronger than their drive to act.

This is mostly caused by time inconsistency. Unfortunately, the human brain tends to prioritise immediate rewards over future benefits.

For example, instead of going to the gym, you might choose to dine at a restaurant.

Enjoying a meal out with friends can be pleasurable, but if you stay committed to your gym routine, you will begin to see its benefits in a few months.

Similarly, planning for retirement at a young age can be challenging.

While you might understand the importance of saving for retirement in your 20s, it can be difficult to prioritise it over immediate expenses.

This is because envisioning financial struggles 50 years into the future is not always easy.

How to stop procrastinating now

To stop procrastination, you need to move your future self to now.

Here are a few strategies to deal with procrastination:

Make the task doable

If you set yourself unrealistic goals, you are more likely to fail.

Instead, focus on clear tasks that do not seem too daunting.

For example, instead of planning to go for a run every day, start doing it once a week.

Instead of aiming to read 30 books a year, commit to reading for 10 minutes daily.

You will observe two benefits of making your tasks doable:

• You will feel better for achieving your tasks
• Your progress might be slow, but you are taking steps to achieving your goals

Starting your day with a quick, easy task gives a sense of accomplishment and reduces procrastination.

Feel the consequences

It might be difficult to focus on consequences if it is difficult to envision what they might be like in a few years’ time.

For example, if you do not go to the gym, you might not regret it as you cannot envision what the future will bring.

However, if you plan to join your friend at the gym session and you do not turn up, you will look unreliable.

Getting goals aligned with somebody else might be a good idea.

A Colorado State University study found that being accountable to someone makes you 95% more likely to succeed.

Commit to a goal alongside someone else to increase your accountability and boost your chances of staying consistent and achieving success.

Change the environment

To overcome procrastination, minimise distractions in your environment—or remove yourself from it.

If you tend to procrastinate while watching TV, try hiding the remote in a drawer to reduce temptation.

Setting time limits on social media can help curb mindless scrolling, and wearing noise-cancelling headphones at work can block out distractions from colleagues.

If these steps are not enough, take extra measures to stay focused, such as:

• Turning off your phone.
• Placing it in a drawer.
• Locking the drawer.
• Storing the key in another room.

By eliminating distractions, you can stay focused and get more done.

This or nothing

Give yourself a clear choice: either complete the task or do nothing at all.

For example, if you do not want to write a report, then simply sit and do nothing instead.

Avoid rewarding yourself for unfinished tasks—boredom can be a powerful motivator, pushing you to act.

And most importantly, reward yourself only after the task is done.

The less decisions, the better

Planning your day in advance reduces the chances of procrastination.

For example, scheduling a gym session with a friend makes you less likely to cancel, and preparing your lunch ahead of time encourages healthier eating at work.

By staying organised, you free up time for important tasks and maintain the energy to focus on what truly matters.

Overcoming procrastination with ISM

Procrastination is one of the biggest barriers to productivity, leading to last-minute stress, missed deadlines and decreased efficiency.

ISM’s stress and time management course helps professionals tackle procrastination with practical strategies. Participants will:

• learn to prioritise tasks,
• set realistic deadlines, and
• break projects into manageable steps to stay focused and in control.

By overcoming procrastination, employees can reduce stress, boost efficiency, and achieve a better work-life balance. Since 1998, ISM has empowered professionals in the UAE to succeed in fast-paced work environments.

Take the first step towards reducing procrastination. Contact ISM Dubai today to learn more and start overcoming procrastination for good!