23 Apr 4 ways to deal with procrastination

Procrastination can feel like an invisible wall between intention and action. Fortunately, moving beyond it doesn’t require drastic overhauls, but rather smart, simple systems that lower resistance and create momentum. Four effective strategies—habit stacking, the Pomodoro Method, the Seinfeld Method, and task chunking—offer powerful tools to outmaneuver procrastination and build lasting productivity.

1. Habit stacking, a concept popularised by James Clear in Atomic Habits, involves anchoring a new, small task to an existing habit. For example, if you already make coffee every morning, you might stack a two-minute journaling session or task review right after. This eliminates the need for willpower, making the new task feel automatic. It’s a gentle way to start the day with intention.

2. Next, the Pomodoro Method uses timed work sessions—typically 25 minutes of focused work followed by a 5-minute break—to make daunting tasks feel more manageable. The time constraint fosters urgency, while the built-in breaks keep burnout at bay. Knowing you only have to work for a short burst often makes starting far less intimidating.

3. The Seinfeld Method, named after comedian Jerry Seinfeld, is about consistency. The core idea is to perform a task daily and mark it on a calendar—then never break the chain. Over time, the visual streak becomes motivation in itself. Even doing a small portion of the task daily reinforces progress and identity: you become someone who shows up.

4. Lastly, Task chunking, or breaking a large project into smaller, concrete steps, removes ambiguity. Procrastination often stems from feeling overwhelmed “Write the book” is too big and vague. But “Write a 200-word introduction” or “List five-chapter ideas” is clear and doable. Mini tasks create micro-wins, which build momentum.

Together, these methods tackle procrastination from different angles—routine, time management, consistency, and clarity. By combining them, anyone can shift from avoidance to action, one small, deliberate step at a time.

If you’d like to explore more productivity, planning and time management techniques, consider our 1-day Productivity Masterclass.