Getting the Work Done: Tips to Combat Procrastination

During my undergraduate studies in the early aughts, I struggled with procrastination. 20-page research papers? I started them the night before, research and all, cursing at myself the whole time. It's not that I was lazy; apparently, I needed that sense of urgency and dread before starting the most important projects for my courses. This is probably a familiar experience to most academics, as surely the procrastination monster has visited us all. Some of us know them well.

Over twenty years later, and it's still a struggle some days. But I've gotten much better, mostly out of necessity. I'm in my 40s, and pulling an all-nighter is out of the question. In my undergraduate degree, my main responsibility was school. Now, my priorities include an intense full-time job, graduate courses, content creation, family time, and my mental and physical health as I age with a progressive disability. So I've had to be strategic about my time, utilizing best practices I've learned along the way to ensure I get everything done without jeopardizing my sanity.

So here are the procrastination hacks that have worked for me. I hope they help you! Know that these tools and routines did not occur to me overnight; they come from years and years of trial and error. Sometimes you have to throw every system out and start all over again; I've done that a lot. Let me know in the comments any tips you may have and how you manage your procrastination.

Use a Simplified System

I'm a Virgo. I love organizing shit. I appreciate a good planner, journal, and to-do list. As a modern-day academic, I've also fell victim to the allure of Notion, the free (for basic users) organization and database tool that many use to keep track of their life. When I first started using it, I spent hours creating multiple pages for every segment of my life: databases to track all of my spending (ALL of it), course databases to store and organize my lecture and reading notes, spreadsheets to input ideas for videos ... I was a little obsessed. And then I was overwhelmed. I soon realized this wasn't working for me. It got to a point where the idea of doing anything felt insurmountable because I knew I'd have to input it into Notion. That extra step stopped me from starting projects, especially for school. I was losing track of my tasks.

So I tossed it out and started fresh. I still use Notion, but I made what I call my Grimoire (because everything I do has to have a vibe). Essentially, it is one page that has:

• A to-do list (labeled "potion ingredients") for every day of the week, and each task has a checkbox. If I don't get to a task, I can easily drag and drop it to the next day. This is the bulk of my Grimoire and I use the same to-do list for every part of my life: work, school, and personal. Having everything on one page has been a game changer.

• A notes section for when I have to type something quickly during a meeting ("herbal remedies")

• A section to house my tasks during the week that I want to bring up in my weekly reporting at work ("necromancy")

• Reminders, usually about work or something I saw that I want to research more ("spells")

• A photo of Nicole Kidman in Practical Magic because I love Nicole Kidman and I love that movie.

This system has been the most effective I've used and stuck to in decades. I find it easier to keep track of my work. And that hit of dopamine every time I check something off is magical.

Want to use the same template for your Notion? Find my Grimoire here.

Break Down Tasks Into Manageable Chunks

This feels like common sense, but one of those things many of us may know but don't practice. Or maybe it's just me.

Instead of writing down "write research paper," I break it down into steps and add each step on different days in my Grimoire. For example:

• Open Word (yes, I write this down as a separate task—sometimes this is the hardest part!)

• Find 5 scholarly articles

• Read 1 scholarly article and take notes (and I space out one or two articles per day, depending on their length)

• Draft outline

• Write introduction

• Write 500 words (over several days, of course)

• Proofread/edit 2 pages

• Send to professor

Setting up a big project using this method has made such an impact on my work and mental health. What once seemed impossible, or at the very least overwhelming, has become something I can accomplish with minimal stress. Not no stress, of course, but the type of stress that feels like an incredible accomplishment once you get through it.

Be Realistic: Set Your Goals When You Feel Like Shit

You know that feeling when you're energized by life and feel like you can conquer the world? Yeah, don't set your goals and tasks when you feel like this; I've made this mistake throughout my life, and beat myself up when I don't accomplish what I've set out to do. Like, write ten pages TODAY and also edit ten documents at work? What was I thinking? Wait until you're tired, unmotivated, and overwhelmed to set your goals and tasks; they will be far more realistic and doable even on days when you aren't feeling your best. And if you end up feeling fine and want to do more than you set out, go for it! Just be careful not to burn out.

Give Yourself Buffer Days

This mainly applies to projects, especially for a quickly-approaching deadline. When scheduling out all the tasks you need to do, give yourself one or two buffer days (if possible) to account for surprise illnesses or other responsibilities that may pop up. For some reason, for my first two courses at Villanova, I'd befallen some type of bad luck the very last week when papers were due. For my first class, I had the flu, and for my second class, I had to get a tooth pulled. The buffer days I included saved me—I didn't even have to ask my professors for an extension.

Somewhat related, so I won't add it as a separate tip, but always schedule in breaks every day! Burnout is the killer of all motivation, so make sure you include rest in your to-do list. It can be easy to get tunnel vision and work for hours and hours without even realizing it.

Don't Finish Your Work

You know how I wrote that sometimes opening Microsoft Word is the hardest part of starting a paper? It's because you know you have to start from scratch with a long process ahead of you, which can be overwhelming. You're always going to have to start, and it's like ripping off a band-aid—you just gotta do it. But once you get past that initial step, don't end your work day with a task fully complete. Stop writing mid sentence. Stop reading on the page before the end. Vacuum the floor except for one corner. Whatever it is you're doing, always leave yourself something to complete the next day. Psychologically, for me, this works because I don't feel like I have to rip off the band-aid every day. It gives me greater incentive pick up the work the next day.

Virtual Academia & Study Groups

Sometimes you need the presence of another person or people to get things done. Recently, I joined the Accepted Society, a group for academics and non-traditional scholars that offers online study sessions, virtual and in-person events, and support through message boards and chats. I've found it incredibly inspiring to see all the different fields of research in the community. The silent study sessions, which are basically hours of being in the same Zoom room with folks where everyone is doing their own work, gives me that same feeling of being on a campus library. I love being surrounded by all things academia, and being a virtual/online student sometimes feels isolating. Finding this group has motivated me to not only get started on my tasks every week, but they've reconnected me with my love of writing and blogging and sharing my work with others.

Pomodoro Sprints & Spirit City

When I just want to be alone with my thoughts and my work, I use a pomodoro timer on the productivity game, Spirit City: Lofi Sessions. This is a cute productivity tool, available on PC/Steam, where you create a character, dress them up, decorate their environments (a bedroom, kitchen, train, and garden), and leave the game running while you study or work using pomodoro timers. As you complete sessions, you earn points that unlock cute magical companions that sit beside your character as you work. The environments are beautiful, and there are different sounds and playlists available to create a space that works for you. I have over 400 hours in this game because I use it for everything—ambience for reading, motivation to complete tasks, and relaxation when I'm feeling stressed. It doesn't feel like a chore at all to just open the game, and once I'm in my virtual space, I am motivated to start with my work!

How Do You Combat Procrastination?

I hope you were able to find something here that works for you. I'd love to know any ideas you may have. What's worked for you? Was hasn't? Let me know in the comments.