How to stop procrastinating when you can’t get started
Begin by changing the task you are asking yourself to do. A clear, small action gives you something to try before you feel ready.
1. Separate the project from the next action
A project describes an outcome; an action describes what you will do. “Find a new job” is a project. “Open one vacancy and underline its three main requirements” is an action. If your to-do list contains only outcomes, each entry asks you to invent the plan at the moment you start.
Write the project on one line. Under it, write an action that begins with a verb and has an observable endpoint. Avoid “work on” and “think about” when you can name something more concrete. Your action can be imperfect, provisional, and small.
2. Find the obstacle before choosing a technique
Ask what happens just before you turn away from the task. Different obstacles call for different adjustments:
- Unclear task: write the question you need answered before continuing.
- Fear of a poor result: make a deliberately rough first version and postpone editing.
- Too much to do: choose one bounded part and leave the rest outside this session.
- Easy distractions: close the competing tab or move the phone before beginning.
- Low energy: choose a lighter action or schedule a realistic time after rest.
This is a way to make a useful experiment, not a diagnosis. If changing the task does not help, you have learned something about what support or conditions may be missing.
3. Make a start that does not depend on feeling motivated
Give the action a clear cue: “After breakfast, at the kitchen table, I will open the form and complete the address section.” A cue is more actionable than “I will do it sometime tomorrow.” Keep the materials ready so the start does not require another search.
For this site’s starter, we suggest five minutes as an easy-to-understand initial commitment. There is no special threshold at five minutes. Use two minutes if that is realistic, or a longer block if you are already ready to begin.
4. Decide what happens when the session ends
At the end, record the actual result. “Drafted two headings” gives you better information than “failed to finish report.” Choose whether to continue, take a break, or write the next action for later. The timer should create a boundary you can trust.
If you avoided the session, revise the plan without turning the revision into another project. Was the action too large? Was the cue unrealistic? Was a necessary resource missing? Change one thing and try again.
A worked example
Project: Submit an expense claim.
Obstacle: Receipts are scattered and the whole job feels tedious.
First action: Find just the train receipt and put it in the claim folder.
Cue: After lunch, before opening email.
Endpoint: One receipt filed; the next action written down.
What the research can and cannot tell us
A 2018 systematic review of randomized trials found small overall benefits from psychological treatments targeting procrastination, with substantial variation between studies. It does not validate this website’s particular timer or guarantee an outcome for an individual. Treat the suggestions here as practical exercises rather than a promised cure.
Source: Rozental and colleagues, Targeting Procrastination Using Psychological Treatments (2018).
One idea is enough to start with.
Make a first-step plan
