How to Stop Procrastinating: a simple Guide to Mastering Difficult Tasks and Breaking the Procrastination Habit

Practice #1: Say No as Early and Politely as Possible
Be up-front with people about their requests. If you know you can’t follow
through on a task, then be firm and tell them right away.
Honesty really is the best policy here. Simply tell the person that you have
a few priority projects that require your full attention and you can’t afford
the distraction. Usually, most people will understand the need to focus on
the priority tasks.
Try to end the conversation on a positive note. If you can’t help the
person, recommend someone who can. If you know of a helpful resource,
offer that as an alternative. And if you think that you might grant the
request sometime in the future, then ask the person to follow up on a
specific date.
Saying no doesn’t make you a selfish person. It makes you someone who
clearly understands what’s important. By having clear goals, you don’t
allow the demands of others to distract you from completing important
projects.
Practice #2: Identify the Mandatory Tasks
We all have obligations that aren’t always fun but still need to be
completed because they’re a vital part of being a normal, well-adjusted
adult. In other words, if you say no to every request for your time, you
probably won’t get very far in life.
We all have things that must be done, so you might as a well accept that
you have to do things, no matter how much you don’t like them.
My only advice is to relate each task to one of the five core projects that
you’ve previously identified.
For instance, let’s say you hate doing the dishes. It’s an annoying task
that eats into your schedule and sometimes you’re too tired to worry

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about a few dishes in the sink. On the other hand, if being part of a
harmonious marriage is an important goal, then you can view the dishes
as an important part of the relationship because you’re doing something
that makes your spouse happy.
Now, don’t worry if you find yourself procrastinating on these mandatory
tasks. In
Step #6
, I will detail 14 practices on how to take consistent
action—even when completing a specific task is something that you’ve
been dreading.