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What reviewing books taught me about how to procrastinate less

Here are the key takeaways from various authors on overcoming procrastination that I talked about in earlier posts or book reviews:

From Steven Pressfield (“Turning Pro” & “The War of Art”):

  • Procrastination is a form of stress relief and can be like addiction, characterized by passive, easy, and guilt-inducing behaviors.
  • Facing underlying fears is crucial; simply willing your way through tasks without addressing these fears not enough. That’s not actually what he says, he’s more about using willpower but Barbara Oakley (more science-based, below) says that as a finite resource, willpower isn’t a good tool to tackle procrastination. Building self-trust and reducing stress can gradually reduce the need to resort to procrastination as a coping mechanism.
  • Posts about or inspired by reading Pressfield on this blog are: Procrastination, addiction and Turning Pro and The habits of a pro vs amateur.

From Mel Robbins (“The 5 Second Rule”):

  • Count down from 5, then add some form of physical movement (such as standing up) and take action on whatever it is you need to do but were dreading and procrastinating. It’s quite effective for all sorts of reasons that she explains in her book.

From Barbara Oakley (“A Mind for Numbers”):

  • Procrastination is a reaction to the brain’s pain response when facing daunting tasks.
  • The Pomodoro Technique (25-minute work sprints) is recommended for managing procrastination without over-relying on willpower. Set a timer for work to focus on the process rather than the outcome, which can be less intimidating.
  • Awareness of the impulse to procrastinate is the first step towards change; replace it with a different action.
  • Rewarding yourself only after accomplishing a task, rather than as a means of procrastination, reinforces positive behavior. Substitute procrastination habits with rewarding actions that contribute to completing tasks.
  • Implement strategies to reduce digital distractions, such as placing devices out of reach or using social accountability.
  • Use meeting times or lunch dates as mini-deadlines to boost productivity.
  • Accept that failure is part of the learning process; have a contingency plan for setbacks.
  • Procrastinators often experience worse health, lower grades, and higher stress levels; addressing procrastination can lead to a more fulfilling life.
  • Related blogposts: Procrastination and the PhD life, Don’t check your phone first thing in the morning.

That’s it for today. Let us know if these listicle-type posts are useful!

Given that I usually write way too long blog posts that probably bury the takeaways, I thought this might be a good type of post for our arsenal. Plus, it’s actually really useful for posting more consistently, as these posts take a lot less time to compile and edit than my usual ramblings.

Best,

S


OpenEdition suggests that you cite this post as follows:
Sarah Lang (September 2, 2024). What reviewing books taught me about how to procrastinate less. Epigrammetry. Retrieved April 25, 2025 from https://doi.org/10.58079/128ka


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