How to Stop Postponing Important Tasks

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Updated: October 5, 2018

This article establishes the basic fundamentals of how to stop postponing important tasks.


  1. 1
    Identify your important task(s)
  2. 2
    List your important task(s)
  3. 3
    Start on the easiest of your tasks, if there are several tasks you must complete. It'll get you more "into the mindset" of work, and you'll be ready to roll.
  4. 4
    After you complete a task, scratch it off your list, it'll make you feel like you accomplished something. It'll spark up motivation to continue and work harder.
  5. 5
    After every hour of work, stop, and take a ten minute break. Drink water, stretch, go outside, breathe in and out, do something. As soon as those ten minutes are up, continue to work.
  6. 6
    Attempt speeding up your process by looking at each way possible to lessen the amount of time to complete the most amount of work. Don't procrastinate. Start now. Now. Now. Now. Emphasize the importance of now. Now or never, so start now.
  7. 7
    Once you complete your work, make sure it's 100% ready to go. Never leave "half-way done" work for another day, unless it's very necessary. If you can do it right now without having to post pone it for later, then do so.
  8. 8
    If you're sleepy and you need to finish work, but you're so tired you can't think, then you have two options: Don't sleep, and do it! Or chicken out and go to sleep. Mind you, if you don't have a lot of time you might have to toughen it out and do it before your time runs out. But, if you can sleep on it, then it might be beneficial to you since the following day you'll have a fresher mind. If you have to pull an all-nighter, make sure to keep ice cubes around to put on your face when you feel like dosing off. Also, drink plenty of water, run for 5 minutes or so every hour of work to keep your body stimulated so you won't fall asleep. But as soon as you can, after you complete your work, go to sleep.
  9. 9
    Don't be a perfectionist. Be a realist. If its complete, its complete. Some of the best things in life aren't pretty. Think of the wall, it might be ugly as can be but if it prevents your home from having leaks and the rain coming on top of your forehead while you sleep, then it must indeed be a beautiful wall!
  10. 10
    Stay encouraged and motivated to do the work. I cannot emphasize how important it is to maintain having fun. If the work you must handle isn't fun for you, make it fun. If you don't like working on your Resume that's due 6 AM tomorrow, while you're up 3 hours before trying to prepare it, you really have no choice, so make the best of your situation and make it fun. Ask yourself how many people are doing what you're doing? Probably not many. It's also a good way to learn things about yourself, and you enhance your "toughness" because you stayed awake for work! The more you do it, the easier it'll become. Make a game out of your work. If you have a limited time to complete the said homework, pretend that you must complete five pages within every 20 minutes because if you don't you'll be forced to drink one cup of vinegar. Make it fun.
  11. 11
    Maintain intensity and endurance throughout your work experience, whatever the case may be. If you stick in with it all the way through the end and you worked hard all the way through, without slacking off, you'll be sure to be a great success and most indefinitely have something worthwhile.

Community Q&A

Add New Question
  • Question
    What should I do if I get sleepy when I read?
    Community Answer
    Sit in a brightly lit room. If you feel sleepy, take a 5 minute break and do some exercises. Drinking water and washing your face may also help.
  • Question
    Why is it important not to postpone what we ought to do?
    Community Answer
    There is a saying that no matter what the problem, no matter how severe, eventually it will go away on its own, if only you wait long enough. That could be interpreted as both good and bad advice. There are a lot of things we think require our urgent attention, and that might not be the case. You really need to know how to prioritize and know where your time needs to be spent, rather than make a blanket statement like that.
  • Question
    If I am not in the mood to do any work, what can I do?
    Community Answer
    Find the type of work you look forward to doing. We all go through this temporarily, where we have to do things that we don't want to do. However, it needs to lead to a path toward doing those things that you do like to do.
  • Question
    How to stop postponing homework?
    Community Answer
    Make a schedule. Organize your homework in a way that you can be productive. Start easy when you first start scheduling. Take breaks so you can pay attention easier. Promise things to yourself for motivation. For example, "If I finish all of my homework, I can sleep an extra 15 minutes."
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      • Be healthy. Eat good meals every day. Your mind must be healthy, then your spirit, then your body, then all your daily outputs will also be healthy and strong. It's like the human chain, if you're good, your work will be good. But, don't be good, be great. Treat yourself right. Act accordingly. Keep it in your thoughts that you are invincible, and you will be. Believe it. No limits.


      • Sleep everyday, and if you have tons of work to do make sure you get at least four hours of sleep. I say four because that's how much Newton or Einstein got daily. Maybe Franklin? Oh well. Sleep enough. 8 hours is good and will re-charge your batteries. Finish all your work, and don't let other business or distractions get in the way. Your work and tasks are your primary concern at the time. Be focused.

      About This Article

      61 votes - 87%
      Co-authors: 11
      Updated: October 5, 2018
      Views: 30,518
      Categories: Procrastination
      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 30,518 times.

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