Overcoming Procrastination: How to Prioritize Tasks and Projects

Procrastination is often a hurdle that can stand between us and our goals. It can prevent us from starting tasks we need to accomplish and stopping us from doing things we want to get done. So how do we learn to prioritize tasks to work more efficiently and effectively? In this article I’ll discuss some common reasons behind procrastination and share some tricks and strategies about ways to overcome procrastination and get work done.

People procrastinate for a variety of reasons, and this behaviour often stems from a combination of psychological, emotional, and situational factors. One of the most common reasons we procrastinate is due to a lack of motivation. When a task is perceived as boring, uninteresting, or has little personal meaning, more enjoyable or rewarding activities may be a source of delay. Alternatively, when a task or series of tasks feels too difficult, or perceived as challenging or overwhelming in number, it can cause paralysis and feel difficult to know where to start. A lack of urgency can also contribute to procrastination, and in the absence of incentives, may lead you to starting a task far too late. Emotions such as stress, anxiety, and depression can also contribute to feelings of paralysis, further exacerbating patterns of procrastination.

To address tasks efficiently, a good first step is to understand the different types of tasks that exist. I find the Eisenhower Matrix a helpful tool as it helps prioritize tasks based on urgency and importance. Breaking down tasks into one of the quadrants can help organize priorities and decrease feelings of being overwhelmed. This technique helps me focus on the “do” tasks that are both urgent and important (green) in the moment and “eliminate” the tasks that are not important or urgent (red). The purple (urgent but not important) and teal (important, yet not urgent) quadrants are the tasks that are often a cause of procrastination. As stated earlier, a lack of urgency or importance can make it difficult to get anything done. One way to work around this is to find a way move these tasks into the red or green sections. For urgent, not important tasks (purple), ask yourself, “Why isn’t it important?” If the task isn’t necessary and you don’t have the resources to address it, consider eliminating it (red) or delegating it. For important and not urgent tasks (teal) the best approach is usually to figure out when you can find time to fit it into your schedule. Personally, I tend to work best scheduling (teal) tasks close to deadlines, artificially adding urgency (making them green), allowing me to work more efficiently.

Once you have categorized tasks, the next step is to start tackling those that are either green or teal. Starting a new task is often the biggest barrier. It can be easy to feel overwhelmed and paralyzed at the scale or difficulty of projects before you begin, especially if you don’t have enough time to get them done in one sitting. However, starting or at least scanning projects early can allow you to quickly get a realistic picture of the scope. Starting tasks and projects early can also lead to ruminating. When I look at projects right away, I start brainstorming solutions even when I’m not actively working. Ultimately, I become increasingly eager to finish a project once I have a concrete idea of the task ahead and an approach in mind, rather than facing of a black box of unknowns which can feel intimidating. A good way to initiate these kinds of tasks is to use "chunking." This approach breaks down larger tasks into smaller, more manageable steps and can help with time management. Chunking can help make big tasks seem less daunting and are often a good way to get started. It can also jumpstart the rumination process, help overcome starting paralysis and cause you to schedule pre-planned times to return to a project.

Starting to work on projects, chunking, and scheduling only work optimally if you have set deadlines to complete projects, but only if you hold yourself accountable. Therefore, it can be helpful to give yourself outside accountability. Letting colleagues or friends know about your deadlines can be a source of external pressure and help get projects done on time. Rewarding yourself with breaks or social commitments is another way to artificially impose a deadline. Telling a friend that you’re available at a certain time to socialize, for example, is both incentivizing and motivating as it creates external pressure to self-imposed deadlines.

If you have set deadlines and still find yourself procrastinating, it may be because you are giving yourself too much time to do the task. In this situation it can be useful to do something I call “productive procrastination”. Rather than feeling paralyzed by the excess time you have given yourself, switch tasks entirely; work on a purple or teal task, exercise, clean, or otherwise be productive until you can return to the task at hand without wasting time procrastinating.

While sometimes we all have trouble getting to work, learning the right techniques to avoid procrastination and prioritize projects can make it easier to get started and become more Efficientlyou.