Procrastination used to control my life — missed deadlines, anxiety, late nights, and that constant guilty voice in the back of my head.
The good news? You can overcome it, and you don’t need to rely on motivation alone. Here’s the 3-step system that helped me finally beat procrastination — grounded in psychology, personal experience, and a bit of data science.
Step 1: Observe the Behaviour & Understand the Pattern
Like in behavioural experiments, the first step is observation.
Take a few days and track your actions. What tasks are you putting off — and what are you doing instead? That’s your “procrastination hierarchy.”
💡 Why it works: Understanding what you’re avoiding (and why) gives you power. Often, it’s the hardest or most emotionally aversive task at the bottom of your list.
Step 2: Use Productive Procrastination to Your Advantage
Turns out, procrastinating can be productive — when used wisely. Instead of fighting it, use the energy of avoidance to complete easier tasks higher up in your task hierarchy.
🎯 Quick win: Do the second-hardest thing first. Trick your brain into working through the list while avoiding the worst one.
💡 Science behind it: This is called productive procrastination, and it’s backed by research (Piers Steel, 2007). Outsourcing or collaborating also adds behavioural reinforcement to the task.
Step 3: Create the Right Stress Level & Momentum
Most people don’t work well under high stress — but moderate pressure can actually boost performance.
- Set a soft mini-deadline (a few days ahead)
- Break down the task into micro steps (2-minute actions)
- Add small pleasures to boring or aversive tasks (snacks, music, sunlight)
💡 Bonus Tip: Use ChatGPT or another AI tool as your coach. Try this prompt:
“Break this task into 3 micro-steps. I only have 15 minutes.”
This helps reduce overwhelm and builds instant momentum.
Bonus Tips
- Combine boring tasks with something fun or comforting (snacks, music)
- Start with tasks you already know to build confidence
- Get better sleep — research shows it helps reduce next-day procrastination
Final Thoughts
Procrastination doesn’t make you lazy. It just means something deeper is going on — discomfort, perfectionism, or overwhelm.
Use this 3-step system to gently shift your behaviour, get more done, and actually feel good at the end of the day.
✨ Want more science-backed 3-step solutions?
Coming soon: A free guide to help you fix focus, beat burnout, and build habits that stick. Stay tuned!