Breaking the chains of Procrastination: A practical approach to getting things done quickly.

Introduction

In Nigeria, we say, “Tomorrow has its own tomorrow,” a reminder that putting off today’s work only piles up regret for later. Procrastination is that sneaky habit we all wrestle with—whether it’s a developer dodging a tricky bug or a job seeker delaying that perfect application. As a tech leader who’s steered teams through tight deadlines and big ideas, I’ve seen procrastination stall progress firsthand. But it’s not unbeatable. This post blends a bit of local wisdom, a global perspective, and a personal story to show you how to kick procrastination to the curb and boost your innovation—starting today.

The Cost of Waiting

Procrastination doesn’t just delay tasks; it dims your creative spark. In tech, where every day brings new challenges, waiting too long can mean missed opportunities or half-baked solutions. Tim Urban, the procrastination guru behind Wait But Why, nailed it in his TED Talk: “We’re all living with a monkey in our brains—the Instant Gratification Monkey—who’d rather scroll Twitter than tackle the hard stuff.” Sound familiar? The good news is you can tame that monkey with a few smart moves.

Here’s how to break free and triple your results:

1. Know What’s Holding You Back

Are you scared of failing? Chasing perfection? Or just overwhelmed? Pinpointing why you procrastinate is half the battle.

Quick Fix: Jot down what you’re avoiding and why. Seeing it on paper makes it less scary.

2. Chop It Up

Big tasks feel like mountains. Break them into small, doable steps—like “write one function” instead of “build the whole app.” Jot things down when you plan. Its popular knowledge that writing things down help you accomplish task faster and it also aids critical thinking. You can adopt this.

Quick Fix: List 3 tiny steps for your next task. Start with the easiest one. Be best friends with your notepad. Free advice, buy a fancy notebook and pen. (It works)

A Lighthearted Detour: Unauthorised Document Access.

Picture this: I gave a junior developer a two-week task. Every few days, they’d nod and say, “Oh, I’ve started, I’m almost done” Two days before the deadline, panic struck— they came to me, asking for access to the document containing the brief of the task they claimed to be almost done with. They didn’t even have access to the document, let alone a single line of work done. I couldn’t help it; my hand met my forehead in a classic facepalm. We sorted it out eventually (barely), but it was a lesson for us both: procrastination loves a good bluff until reality hits.

3. Timebox Your Work

The Pomodoro Technique—25 minutes of focus, 5-minute break works wonders. It tricks you into starting, and before you know it, you’re rolling.

Quick Fix: Set a timer for 25 minutes. One task, no distractions. You’ll be shocked how much gets done.

4. Get a Hype Squad

Tell someone; a teammate, a friend about your goal. They’ll nudge you when you slack. Make sure they are high achievers. You can even create a community and have a public PDP plan.

Quick Fix: Share one task with a buddy today. Ask them to check in tomorrow.

5. Celebrate the Wins

Don’t wait for the finish line. Reward the small stuff; a snack, a stretch, a victory dance, watch an SNL skit, or a round of FIFA on me (winks).

Quick Fix: Finish a step? Take 5 minutes to savour it. Keep the good vibes going.

Wrap-Up

From “Tomorrow has its own tomorrow” to taming Tim Urban’s monkey, procrastination doesn’t stand a chance if you act now. Whether you’re coding the next big thing or chasing a dream job, these steps will get you moving. So, what’s your first move?

Let’s Chat: Share your favourite procrastination buster below—or your own facepalm story. We’re in this together!