To Stop Procrastinating, Start by Understanding the Emotions Involved

- Schedule the activity

- When the time comes, you'll probably try to think of ways to put it off - ohh the great internal debate: to do, or to punt. Tell yourself that you might as well get started while you rethink your position.

You'll find that you only need to be motivated for about five minutes before you're cruising right along! =)

This is especially evident in relationships when we put off "difficult conversations." It's not that we don't want to have the conversation (typically we rationally accept the "need" to have it). It's that we fear it probably will not go well. So we procrastinate until the odds are in our favor, either because the effort to achieve the desired outcome has decreased (waiting), or because our total available effort has increased (resting). This is a rational response and strategy toward achieving goals.

The problem of course becomes when the outcome is not something directly within our control, such that there is potentially no amount of energy or time that will make success possible. In these cases, we must "make your own fate" as many say. Or, to put it another way, one must gain leverage over the outcome by changing one's relationship to it.

Thus, the best way to overcome procrastination is to focus on setting outcomes you have control over (e.g., studying for a test vs getting an A), which creates a positive feedback loop since your goals are regularly achieved and thus rationally worthy of additional future effort.

This is also a circuitous way of defining momentum and it's importance stemming from a default to action.

In psychology, it's been shown empirically to be better to praise children for their efforts and actions than praising with identifying language (e.g., "that was a smart thing you did" instead of "you're so smart"). As stated above, this sets a rational positive feedback loop in favor of "smart" actions over behavior, which may include inaction, that successfully perpetuate a "smart" identity.

Procrastination is protecting yourself from feeling the upcoming revolting disgust these activities can bring. You avoid feeling it, like you avoid touching a hot plate, that's why the disgust never shows. Only when somebody forces you to do it anyway.

The (scientifically tested) theory for this is called Anstrengungsvermeidung (german for "effort/stress avoidance") and isn't widely adopted.