PDF Summary:Immediate Action, by Thibaut Meurisse

To be honest, all of us are procrastinators: We put off the tasks we don’t enjoy until later, or tomorrow, or the last possible minute—even when we know there are likely to be negative consequences. Personal development writer Thibaut Meurisse argues in Immediate Action that procrastination served a function early in human evolution, but these days, it prevents us from reaching our goals. Meurisse contends that if you face your procrastination habit head-on and figure out why you’re putting off your most important projects, you’ll be able to build healthier habits—and reduce the impact procrastination has on your work, your education, or your life in general—in as little as a week.

In this guide, we’ll explore Meurisse’s approach to understanding procrastination and examine his methods for minimizing it. We’ll also compare his ideas with recommendations from scientists and experts on productivity and motivation for approaching your work so you aren’t derailed by procrastination.

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Typically, we’re not nearly as empathetic or concerned with our future selves as we are with the version of ourselves we are today. But psychologist Timothy Pychyl, author of Solving the Procrastination Puzzle, explains that people who are more in touch with their future selves tend to be less likely to procrastinate. Pychyl writes that you can get more in touch with your future self by imagining your future self—and putting yourself in their shoes. He also suggests forgiving yourself for procrastinating (and creating headaches for your future self) and then taking a small step to get started on the task you’ve been putting off. This will make you feel better about the task. Then, you’re likely to keep going—and your future self will thank you.

Address the Feeling of Being Overwhelmed

In addition to being tricked by faulty patterns of thinking, a second reason that we procrastinate is that we have too many unfinished tasks on our to-do lists. Meurisse contends that these tasks take up considerable mental space and make us feel overwhelmed or stuck. This impedes our ability to get work done.

The solution he recommends is simple: Dedicate some time to taking stock of the things that you’ve left undone and starting to complete them. When you complete a task that you’ve left unfinished, you’ll start to chip away at your to-do list, clear up cognitive capacity, and increase your motivation to address your most important work.

Why Are We So Overwhelmed by Our To-Do Lists?

For many people, our brains tend to become preoccupied by our unfinished tasks. When we’ve left a task for later, our memories recall the particulars over and over (and over). We don’t like feeling overwhelmed by these thoughts, but that’s exactly what happens when we habitually postpone our work.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by worries about the items on your to-do list, it might be because your brain has made procrastination a habit. Researchers say that procrastination becomes a habit because our brains have evolved to respond strongly to rewards. When you avoid a task you don’t want to complete, you feel better temporarily—just long enough for your brain to perceive that feeling of relief as a reward. But when it wears off, you feel more overwhelmed and anxious about the tasks on your to-do list than you did before.

Some experts believe that practicing mindfulness—observing what you’re feeling in the moment—can help you see that your negative feelings get worse the longer you put off a task. To avoid getting overwhelmed, try substituting curiosity for procrastination: Find out how your feelings change if you tackle an item on your to-do list rather than putting it off. Once you tune into the difference between how it feels to put off a task versus how it feels to just get it done, you might find it easier to make productivity, rather than procrastination, a habit.

Making productivity a habit might be a useful long-term goal. But if you need some short-term help getting started on tasks you’ve been avoiding, Peter Bregman, author of Four Seconds, has some advice. He writes that the transition to working on a dreaded task is the hardest part of the process. Once you get through that stage, you can reach your new normal: where you’re making progress toward your goal. Bregman writes that to do this, you’ll need to exercise willpower and commit to getting started. Life coach Mel Robbins suggests one way to do this in The 5 Second Rule: Count down from five to one and then begin to work on the task you’ve been avoiding, which interrupts the patterns of thinking that lead to procrastination.

Cultivate Your Ability to Focus

A third reason that we procrastinate is that we have trouble focusing on what we need to be doing. Sometimes we’re overstimulated, distracted, or otherwise unable to pay complete attention to the task at hand. Meurisse contends that being in the wrong mental space can keep us from immersing ourselves in our work and focusing on the work we need to get done. He explains that two different mental experiences interfere with our ability to work productively.

First, overstimulation—the experience that your brain or senses are overwhelmed by all of the things demanding your attention—is common when we can access addictive social networks or an endless loop of YouTube videos at all times. Meurisse writes that even worse, the need to divert ourselves with these activities feels more compelling the more we indulge it. Second, distraction comes in the form of tasks that feel productive but prevent you from making progress on more important tasks. (For example, your email inbox might feel urgent but can distract you from tasks that are much more critical to your goals.)

(Shortform note: We all have trouble focusing. Chris Bailey, author of Hyperfocus, writes that our brains are even “wired for distraction.” But like Meurisse, Bailey believes that it’s not just distraction, but also overstimulation, that hurts our focus. The modern world is so stimulating that we change our focus on average every 40 seconds. Each time, our brain is rewarded with a hit of dopamine, a chemical that makes us feel good. To increase your attention span, you have to decrease this overstimulation of your brain. Bailey advises deleting unnecessary apps, using software that blocks the internet, or leaving your phone in another room. By reducing demands on your attention, you can focus more and accomplish more of what you intend to do.)

There’s a simple solution that can help with overstimulation, distraction, and other issues with focus, according to Meurisse: building an effective routine. He writes that procrastination has become a habit for many of us. But by building a daily routine, you can intentionally cultivate habits that help you to get your work done on a timely basis.

Ideally, you should build a pre-work routine that you can complete at the same place and time each day. The routine will signal to your mind that it’s time to focus on your work. For example, you might get a glass of ice water and open the windows in your home office to get your mind into “work” mode. Meurisse also recommends that you begin work right away after completing your routine (preferably on the most important task that you need to complete that day so you don’t get sidetracked by less critical projects). The sense of accomplishment you feel after you finish that task will motivate you through the rest of your day.

Does Creating a Routine Really Work?

You’ve heard the advice to create a routine countless times. But do routines really work? Scientists say yes. When you start a new routine, parts of the brain that learn patterns and process rewards kick into gear. As you repeat the routine, you signal to your brain that the activities are important. So your brain learns that getting them done feels good. It eventually learns to respond automatically when you begin the routine, which increases your focus, reduces stress, and might even boost your sense of purpose.

One expert notes that a good routine can also help you make the most of your time. When you have a routine to get yourself into the state of mind that’s conducive to work, you reduce the likelihood that you’ll be distracted or multitasking while you’re trying to get through your to-do list. In addition, a good routine can make a calming start to your day, preparing you for the work you need to do and helping you feel more capable of handling any challenges that arise unexpectedly.

An effective routine might even help you get a jump on your most important tasks, as Meurisse recommends. Brian Tracy, author of Eat That Frog!, also advises that you begin your day with the highest-priority item on your to-do list. He explains that this helps you start your day with a boost of endorphins, hormones that increase your sense of well-being. But consistently tackling your most important task first can also make you feel happier with your productivity over longer periods of time. That feeling sets you up for more success (and more happiness!) over the long term.

Make Sure You Fully Understand the Task at Hand

Fourth, we tend to procrastinate when we don’t fully understand the task we need to complete. Meurisse writes that this confusion comes in a variety of forms. When we’re undecided as to how we should approach a task, unsure of what the final outcome should be, or unclear about the ultimate purpose of the task, we find it difficult to make progress. Even a lack of urgency about the project can undermine our ability to get to work.

One solution to having an inadequate understanding of an item on your to-do list is to take the time to examine the specifics of the task. Meurisse writes that when you don’t fully understand what you need to do, why the task is important, or how you can best approach it, it’s worthwhile to sit down and figure out the answers to those questions. You might make your goal more specific and measurable, ask yourself why it’s important to complete the task, or even ask someone else how they would tackle the task.

(Shortform note: Other experts agree with Meurisse’s advice to go back to the drawing board when you’re procrastinating and unclear on what you need to do. Cal Newport, author of Deep Work, explains that since procrastination is an evolutionary adaptation, you can assume that you’re postponing a task because your brain thinks your plan isn’t sound. Newport writes that that means you have to confront procrastination by coming up with a stronger, more certain plan—one that your brain can get on board with. There are many ways you can do that, but one you might try is following Smarter Faster Better author Charles Duhigg’s advice to set goals that are “SMART”: specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely.)

Alternatively, says Meurisse, if you fully understand what you need to do, then you might need to heighten the urgency of the task. Reflecting on how you can make the task feel more important and more urgent can help you get started on it. For example, you might think about the colleagues who need your report before they can move forward with a project, or envision all of the people who will read a blog post that you’re supposed to be writing.

(Shortform note: Developing a sense of urgency about a task you don’t want to complete can feel like a challenge. But Brian Tracy writes that it’s a key part of developing an “action orientation,” a mindset that will help you get important tasks done efficiently. He explains that you can think of urgency as a sense of racing against yourself to get something finished. When you truly feel that a task is urgent, you’ll feel almost impatient to get to work on it. Then you can not only spring into action, but you may even be able to experience flow, the state that psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi says helps you feel present and purposeful in your work.)

Confront Your Fear of Not Being Up to the Task

A fifth reason we procrastinate arises from our sense of inadequacy: Meurisse writes that when we fear we aren’t good enough to reach our goals, we keep putting off tasks we need to complete. But this fear often doesn’t reflect our actual ability: It’s just about how we perceive ourselves.

Meurisse proposes a solution that doesn’t require you to change how you feel about yourself or about a particularly challenging task: Let your fears fuel your efforts. He points out that even the most successful people feel inadequate; they’ve just learned to use those feelings to motivate them to keep making an effort. If you use your sense that you aren’t good enough as an excuse to keep putting off the things you really want to do, your sense of inadequacy will only grow worse with time.

It might help to reframe your sense that you aren’t good enough. Instead of resigning yourself to being a person who doesn’t have the ability to reach your goals, you can think of yourself as a person who’s able and willing to continually grow, learn, and improve as you pursue your goals.

Meurisse also suggests learning to accept your feelings of inadequacy as a signal of the high expectations you have for yourself and for the impact you could have on the world. Then, you can cultivate a sense of compassion for yourself and any mistakes you might make. That can help you stay motivated to challenge yourself and take on difficult tasks that will push you closer to what you want to achieve.

How Can We Face Our Fear of Failure?

Many experts agree that procrastination often involves fear and avoidance. In The Procrastination Equation, Steel writes that when we think we’ll fail at a task, we put it off as long as we can to avoid risking the pain of failure. Steel explains that if this is the reason you’re postponing your tasks, it might help to focus on building your confidence. He recommends doing this by breaking the task down into smaller, more manageable steps. (If each step is something you know you can achieve, you’ll feel more confident from the start—and experience a boost of confidence each time you check a task off your list.) He also advises surrounding yourself with people who have positive and encouraging attitudes.

Mark Manson, author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, takes a more unconventional approach to letting go of the fears that cause you to procrastinate. He explains that according to the Buddhist concept of “no self,” the idea you have of yourself is just an illusion. When you let go of the labels you use to define yourself—leaving behind both the dauntingly high expectations you have for your work and the fears that you aren’t good enough to achieve those lofty goals—you can simplify how you see yourself. Reframe your identity so that you’re just a student, a creator, or a writer (rather than a great student, creator, or writer). Then, you’ll define yourself less narrowly, and your fear of failure might feel like less of a threat.

Philosopher Alain de Botton suggests another approach to curbing your fear of failure: focusing on reducing your perfectionism. De Botton points out that it’s typically preferable to complete a task imperfectly rather than to leave it unfinished. He contends that if you can feel more afraid of getting nothing done than getting something done badly, you can finally get to work on the tasks you’ve been putting off. (Plus, to Meurisse’s point about how even the most successful people struggle with feeling inadequate, those successful people tend to work toward progress, not perfection, and many even welcome failure.)

Stop Blowing Tasks Out of Proportion

Finally, Meurisse notes that many of us procrastinate when we distort tasks into something much bigger and more important than they really are. Your mind might have a habit of telling you that the items on your to-do list are far too difficult or monumental, as a way of deterring you from expending the energy on trying to achieve those tasks.

You can get around this cause of procrastination by recognizing your tasks for what they are. The goal is to see beyond the illusion that your tasks are too big and too important for you to successfully tackle, and put the items on your to-do list back into perspective. Meurisse recommends looking to other people as an example and adopting the attitude that you can do most of the things that others can do.

Additionally, if something feels impossible to you, that might be a good reason to try to accomplish it: Imagine the boost of self-confidence that you’ll experience after you achieve something that felt unattainable, whether it’s stepping up to give a big presentation at work or striking up a friendship with a classmate you’ve always admired.

How Can We Look at Our Tasks More Realistically?

If you struggle to determine how difficult a task will really be, you’re not alone. Psychologists use the phrase “hard-easy effect” to describe how we often feel overconfident about difficult tasks and under-confident about simpler tasks. This cognitive bias might be one reason why we sometimes overestimate the difficulty of a task, as Meurisse describes. Researchers believe this bias comes about because we’re generally bad at making accurate predictions about the future. They’ve also noticed that we spend a disproportionate amount of time answering simpler, easier questions (which might translate to spending more time working on the to-do list items that you perceive as easier).

To more realistically assess the tasks on your to-do list, you might cultivate a little more knowledge about each task, especially if it’s in an area that’s new or unfamiliar to you. Following Meurisse’s advice to look to others’ example, you could learn about what other people have accomplished (and how they’ve achieved it) to get a better idea of what it’ll take for you to succeed at a similar task. This might also help you to avoid a cognitive bias related to the hard-easy effect: the Dunning-Kruger effect.

This infamous bias kicks in when we routinely overestimate our ability in areas where we aren’t very skilled. We often make this mistake not only because we’re too confident about our own skills, but also because we fail to recognize the skills and knowledge that have led to other people’s success. To conquer the Dunning-Kruger effect, experts recommend trying to continually learn more and practice your skills. You can also make a point of asking others for constructive criticism about your performance. And you might find it helpful to consciously question your assumptions and seek out information that might challenge your ideas.

Particularly if the tasks you need to get done will be difficult for you, it might be worthwhile to consciously work on your confidence, too. Therapist Amy Morin, author of 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do, writes that it’s important to prove to your brain that you’re capable of doing difficult things. Trying something new, practicing a new skill, or even achieving something that previously felt impossible (as Meurisse suggests) can show your brain that you have the skills to do things that aren’t easy. That can result in a boost of confidence, which makes it easier to keep things in perspective and take big steps toward the goals you really want to achieve.