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

Practice #12: Bundle Rewards with Actions
In a blog article titled “How to Stop Procrastinating and Boost Your
Willpower by Using ‘Temptation Bundling,’”
James Clear talks about a
concept called temptation bundling, which comes from the work of Katy
Milkman. The idea here is simple: you create a rule where you’re allowed
to engage in a specific enjoyable experience only while you’re engaging in
an activity that has a positive long-term impact on your life.
In his article, Clear describes examples of temptation bundling:
“Only listen to audiobooks or podcasts you love while exercising.”
“Only get a pedicure while processing overdue work emails.”
“Only watch your favorite show while ironing or doing household
chores.”
“Only eat at your favorite restaurant when conducting your
monthly meeting with a difficult colleague.”
It’s simple to implement the temptation bundling strategy. Just create a
list with two columns:
1. In the first column, write down all the activities that you enjoy and
find pleasure in.
2. In the second column, put down the tasks that you frequently
procrastinate on.

---

You’ll find the temptation bundling is perfect for those important but not
urgent Q2 tasks. These are the activities that you know you’re supposed
to do but that you keep putting off because they don’t seem as urgent
your day-to-day activities.
By attaching small rewards to the habits related to your long-term goals,
you’ll be adding a little bit of enjoyment to the activities that often feel
grueling.
Practice #13: Attach All Tasks to a Goal
It’s amazing how a shift in perspective can be enough to motivate you.
Whenever you have a task that you’ve been dreading, ask yourself: “How
does this relate to one of my important goals?”
Odds are you’ll realize that even the most mundane activity is related to a
value you hold dear.
As an example, while I’m responsible for doing the dishes in my house,
it’s not an activity that I find pleasurable. At no point in the day do I say
to myself: “Ooohhh, I can’t wait to get to those dishes.”
That said, I do them happily, because this task is part of the large, really
important value of building a great relationship with my wife. She likes to
live in a clean, organized household. And I like to make her happy. This
means that doing the dishes has become one part of the important goal of
maintaining a quality marriage.
You can apply this mindset to any task that you’ve been avoiding. Simply
make a list of your personal and professional responsibilities. Then
connect each one to an important value or goal. And whenever you’re not
in the mood to get started, remind yourself of how it relates to one of your
long-term goals.