I hate long-demand tasks. Like… really hate them. And it’s not the task’s fault. It’s mine because my brain has the magical ability to procrastinate on command.
Sometimes I simply don’t know where to start. You know it:
The description is three lines long, the system is new, the weather sucks, Mercury is probably in retrograde, and Christmas is close enough to feel festive but far enough to not be a real excuse.
So instead of working, I read Reddit, scroll through Instagram, and do highly professional pseudowork, such as “planning,” “organizing,” or “recoloring sticky notes.”
Why I Actually Procrastinate
Last month I did a small research project about my own dysfunctions and here are the most common reasons:
- perfectionism (love-hate relationship)
- fear of big tasks (a.k.a. boss battles)
- boredom with routine work (hello, boilerplate code)
- chaos in my workflow (tabs everywhere, ideas nowhere)
In summary: the problem is not my colleagues, tools, or the alignment of planets.
The problem is me.
(But like… nicely.)
My Strategies to Beat Procrastination
I really love working as an Android developer, so I’m trying to upgrade the “default program” running in my head. Currently the default program is "procrastinate();" so I had to push a patch.
Here are the fixes.
1. Microsteps + Three Daily Priorities
I slice big scary tasks into tiny baby tasks.
Small enough that even Monday-Me can handle them.
Then I set three key priorities for each day. I’m less stressed, more focused, and—bonus—I can finally estimate work without crying.
2. Deep Focus With a 5-Minute Start
The hardest part of any task is starting.
But I’m a morning person, so from 8:30 to 12:30 I enter my deep focus fortress.
Every morning I lie to myself lovingly:
“Just five minutes.”
I log in, check emails, maybe do a code review (my guilty pleasure), and suddenly—surprise—I’m working. My own psychological trap works flawlessly.
3. No Notifications. Zero. Not Even Cute Ones.
During deep focus: everything is off.
No notifications. No messages from husband, mom, or dad.
If the house isn’t on fire, it can wait.
(And if it is, I assume someone will shout.)
4. Deep Relax: 20-Minute Breaks
I take several 20-minute breaks because I like functioning as a human being.
Most often I read one chapter of a book—perfect reset.
What never works?
Scrolling social media.
I open Instagram, and suddenly it’s 2097 and humanity lives on Mars.
Absolutely not relaxing.
5. Preparing My Workspace the Day Before
Morning Me hates preparing the workspace.
Evening Me tolerates it. So now I:
- answer all emails
- clean my desk
- delete 147 screenshots
- prepare a merge request
Future Me appreciates this every single morning.
She walks into a clean battlefield.
6. Automation Everywhere
If I repeat something twice, that’s already one time too many.
Scripts, routines, templates—automation saves my sanity.
Emails? ChatGPT drafts them for me.
I just read, approve, and pretend I’m productive.
What Doesn’t Work for Me (aka Failed Experiments)
- Non-stop Pomodoro: felt like someone was timing my suffering.
- Multitasking: all tasks ended up 37% done and 110% chaotic.
- Huge to-do lists: instant motivational death.
- Skipping workouts: always led to scrolling social media instead.
- Deep work after lunch: food coma mode = developer.exe has stopped working.
Conclusion
Procrastination is still my biggest weak spot.
But now I understand it, I can work with it, and I have strategies that actually help.
And if not—well, there’s always another “five-minute start” waiting tomorrow morning.
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