How to Beat Procrastination

To beat procrastination, you need to increase your motivation to do each task on which you are tempted to procrastinate. To do that, you can (1) optimize your optimism for success on the task, (2) make the task more pleasant, and (3) take steps to overcome your impulsiveness. And to do each of those things, use the specific methods explained above (set goals, pre-commit, make use of success spirals, etc.). A warning: Don’t try to be perfect. Don’t try to completely eliminate procrastination. Be real. Overregulation will make you unhappy. You’ll have to find a balance.