How I beat procrastination with the FAST method 🎯

Ever find yourself watching TV or scrolling through your phone instead of tackling that big project? You’re not alone. A survey conducted by Talker Research in 2024 revealed that around 2 out of 3 adults admit to procrastinating.

The good news is: you don’t have to let procrastination run the show — there’s a way to hit pause and take back control of your time.

Since procrastination is like quicksand — the more you delay, the deeper you sink. The key is to move FAST. This method will help you tackle overwhelming tasks, stay on track, and turn procrastination into productivity!

Forget the official deadline. Set yourself your own deadline earlier than the official one — and believe it. Write it down, put reminders in your calendar, and commit to it. This creates a sense of urgency that could stop you from procrastinating.

It could be just a day earlier, or even a week — whatever works best for you. A good rule of thumb is: the bigger the task, the earlier your deadline should be.

For example, I once had a research paper due on January 27. Instead of sticking to that date, I set my own deadline for January 20. This gave me time to review my work stress-free.

Make a list of everything you need to do. You can do this on paper, digitally, or even on a whiteboard — whatever method works best for you. The important thing is that you get everything out of your head and onto a list so you can clearly see what needs to be done.

For example, in the research project I mentioned earlier, I made a to-do list based on the chapters I needed to complete.

I know the list could be long, and it may seem overwhelming, but you can look at it in a brighter way: you don't need to finish everything all at once. One task at a time, baby steps are big steps.

Now that you have a clear list of the tasks you need to do, it’s time to estimate how much time you’ll need to complete them. Be realistic and account for contingencies — things often take longer than you think.

For example, in the research project I mentioned earlier, one task was writing Chapter 1: Introduction. I estimated it would take me 3 hours, but I blocked out 4 hours.

Also, time-block everything that occupies your day — sleeping, eating, relaxing. If you don’t time-block these downtimes, you’ll stray from your schedule, and once you do, procrastination sneaks into your routine.

Watch the TikTok video below from Giorgia Markos, who demonstrates how she time-blocks her Google Calendar with a color code for different types of activities:

Once you have your time blocks in place, it's time to chunk your tasks and break them down in more detail for what you'll actually do in those blocks.

For example, in the 4-hour time block I have for writing Chapter 1, I broke it into multiple sub-tasks based on sections of the chapter (e.g., Background of the Study, Statement of the Problem, Purpose of the Study, Research Questions, Significance of the Study, and Definition of Terms).

You're basically doing the same task, but you're tricking your brain into feeling more accomplished by checking off smaller parts.

Watch the video below for some tips on how to task chunk with Google Calendar:

Remember, the key to overcoming procrastination is acting FAST — Fake Deadlines, Arrange To-Do List, Set Time Blocks, and Task Chunk.

Take that first step, no matter how small. Let this excerpt from The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy be your inspiration:

'I can't see a way through,' said the boy.

'Can you see your next step?'

'Yes.'

'Just take that,' said the horse.

So, act FAST! Take that step today: