Note: This article is based on the work of businessman Thanh Pham, in which he tells us how to stop procrastinating.
As one of the most prevalent obstacles to productivity, procrastination is one reason for this. Even when you are busy, this can still occur because there are days when it's easier to do things that consume your time instead of completing your tasks. Therefore, you'll learn how to quit procrastinating in this article.
What is Procrastination?
Procrastination is when you put something off or postpone it. It's the invisible force between what you intend to do and taking action on it. You usually know what needs to be done; however, you lack the focus to achieve it, as planning is easier for you than carrying it out.
Procrastination Is the Barrier Between You and Your Goals
Removing the barrier preventing you from completing your tasks is the most effective way to stop procrastination. This barrier can be conceptualized as preventing you from immediately doing your tasks. Let's say you want to drink water as soon as you wake up as part of your morning routine, but you always check your phone first because it's right next to your bed while you still need to get up and go to the kitchen to get water.
In this example, the barrier is that water is not readily available. Although our example might seem simple, it becomes more than a small issue when you consider the amount of time you wasted procrastinating on your goals and the associated anxiety about finishing some tasks. Moreover, your to-do list grows longer when you put off tasks regularly.
We all hate a never-ending to-do list, but it will become inevitable if you keep procrastinating. Just think of the last time you procrastinated: Why did you postpone your task? Where was the barrier? Most likely, the reason falls into one of the three following reasons:
The Three Types of Procrastination
- Lack of clarity about the outcome you hope to achieve.
- Failure to start the task, even though you know exactly what needs to be done.
- Lack of energy and willpower to do anything, especially if the task is challenging.
After working with several people to address procrastination challenges, we found that most fall into one of three categories. In my experience, the first one is the most common. At Asian Efficiency, we have helped over 15,000 clients and readers clarify their goals. This has helped them stop procrastinating and get things done.
You shouldn't compromise on your priorities because you will end up procrastinating all the time and achieve nothing. It's simple to put things off until the last minute when you lack clarity about the outcome. However, you will likely start working toward your goals if you are enthusiastic about them and know all their benefits.
Clarity About Long-Term Goals
Most procrastinators lack clarity, and even when things are clear, there are still various reasons why we put things off. For example, there are days when I wake up and don't feel like working, even though I am highly motivated to work on expanding the Asian Efficiency company and am deeply aware of all the benefits. Everybody has these days occasionally. Then, what ought to we do?
Eliminate all barriers from your life. Many of the reasons for procrastination we teach include barriers in our way. Getting started on the tasks we need to complete is simpler when common procrastination triggers are eliminated. We teach all of our clients a habit we call "Clearing To Neutral," which gets rid of most of our procrastination triggers.
Note: This is one of the first things I teach other productivity experts who join the "Asian Efficiency" team. It is one of the core concepts that sets our company apart. Also, I want them to be able to put it into practice on their own and enjoy all of its advantages. Happy people are productive people, as we like to say.
Clearing to Neutral
The concept is straightforward: How can you start "your future" by simplifying your life? Cleaning the grill is a crucial task in restaurants. It enhances the food's flavor, keeps bacteria from growing, and guarantees the grill will run longer. The kitchen staff always cleans the grill before the restaurant closes to be ready for use the following day.
Imagine for a moment that you're a chef. You're extremely excited to cook delicious dishes for your guests. When you enter the kitchen, you see pots and pans lying on the floor. There are dirty dishes in the sink. The grill is covered in grease, and the place smells like rotten eggs. Will you still be excited to cook for your guests? You will undoubtedly lose your desire to do anything. You'll need to mop the floors, wash the dishes, double-check the food to ensure it hasn't gone bad and clean the grill before you get to work.
You won't have the time or energy left over to cook or focus on your strengths by the time you're done. That's how our lives are sometimes. We're so disorganized with our notes, papers, and digital files before we can even begin writing our book that by the time we sit down to write, we're annoyed and in a bad mood.
Therefore, before you can open your computer and begin working, you need to clean your workspace, arrange items, and eliminate unnecessary paperwork. Then, when you open your laptop, you see 34 open tabs in your browser, a video on YouTube, and 12 notifications on the sidebar.
Now, you're a little angry and distracted. Also, your plan to sit down for the weekly review has become confusing. Can you see how easy it is to procrastinate? Procrastination and delaying tasks for later is understandable when there are numerous obstacles to completing your intended task.
Clearing to Neutral Will Help You Stop Procrastinating
Clearing to Neutral is a habit we introduced to the world in 2012 that changed the work rules. The reason we call it this name is that when you finish an activity, you need to organize everything so that it is in a neutral position. When something is organized and in a neutral position, it is ready for immediate use.
For example, after you've done your teeth brushing, put the toothbrush back so it is ready for use the next time. When finishing writing, close all browser tabs and apps on your computer. Also, after cooking, clean the grill, pots, and pans so they are ready for use next time.
Clearing To Neutral is crucial because it keeps you from procrastinating tasks in the future. Ensuring that everything is organized and neutral for future use makes it simple for you to get started on work, as there are no barriers to prevent you from starting work.
3 Phases of Taking Action
Consider this from another perspective. There are three phases to everything:
- Setup phase.
- Execution phase.
- Clearing to the neutral phase
Everything in life is a system, as the team at Asian Efficiency frequently discusses. Since most of us get through the first two phases with ease but falter in the third, we suggest making Clearing to Neutral a basic habit in your daily routine.
3 Daily Examples for Clearing to Neutral
Once you've finished your morning routine, set everything up for the following day by returning everything to neutral. Make sure your computer and inbox are clean and organized before you leave the office. Additionally, whenever you are ready to turn off your computer, close all open browser tabs and applications to return everything to its neutral state.
Ultimately, you will find that the Clearing To Neutral habit will improve almost every aspect of your life. Therefore, consider how you can make it easier for yourself to quit procrastinating in the future.
Taking Action
Here's how we recommend you start working:
- Write down the first 3 habits that come to your mind.
- Ask yourself about each habit: "What can I do in these habits to make it easy for myself in the future to execute tasks?"
- Add the "Clearing to Neutral" habit to your new habits.
Lastly, before you end your workday, I want you to shut down all open browser tabs and clean your desk. Though it may seem easy, please complete it today.
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