How I Became Productive after Procrastinating for Years

I used to be super unproductive. I had a lot of things I knew I should do and all these ideas for projects I wanted to do, but it was really hard to actually sit down to work and get anything done. Even doing something really simple, like writing an email or making a phone call could take days to accomplish. There were plenty of creative projects I wanted to start, but never got around to them. I wanted to become productive, but every time I tried, I failed.

Today, I’m a completely different person. I may not be perfectly organized all the time, but I do get things done. I just wish there were more hours in a day to do even more! But how did this happen? How could I change from a sloth to a go-getter? Keep reading, and I’ll tell you everything.

1. I found my calling

This was possibly the most important thing. For years, I had started different projects and tried many different things. When I was 18, I was adamant that I wanted to become a scriptwriter. I spent two years studying film, and although I had a great time, I also had a really hard time working on any extra projects, like writing scripts for short films. I was constantly procrastinating. Looking back, that was a tell-tale sign.

Then I went to university to study sociology and development studies. Again, this was something I loved, but maybe not quite enough. I was constantly putting things off and leaving essays till the last night. I really wanted to be productive, but it was a daily battle I just could not win.

I’ve always really enjoyed working on online projects, especially on websites. In 2020 I started my blog. And this time everything was different. I could write blog posts and create Pinterest pins 24 hours a day, and I’m not even kidding.

In other words, finding my calling definitely helped me to become more productive because doing what you’re meant to do feels worthwhile and you know it will pay off.

2. I understood that everything is easier than it seems

It took a while, but I finally understood that nothing really is as hard as it seems. When I first started university, I thought you had to know the books inside and out to do well in exams and that you have to write practically perfect essays to even pass. That couldn’t have been further from the truth!

You really just need to understand the basic points of the books and no one wrote anywhere near perfect essays. Many students did the bare minimum and they always passed. Understanding that my standards were too high not only for me to reach, but for literally anyone else to reach either, helped me relax.

There have also been many situations in my life where I’ve thought that I just can’t do this or that there’s no way out of the situation. But one by one those situations have been solved and looking back, nothing was as difficult as I first thought. This is something I remind myself of every day. Whether I need to finish my to-do list or find a new job, I don’t consider the task any more difficult than it really is.

3. Progress over perfection

Many of us were taught to think that you have to constantly produce excellent quality, whether it’s a middle school essay or a simple report you have to write for work. The problem is, that focusing on perfection slows you down immensely and makes you too critical of your own work.

You have to focus on making progress, not perfection. When you first start doing something, whether it’s a new project or a new job, you have to remember that won’t be at your best yet. But if you keep going, you’ll slowly but surely get better. And when it comes to writing, you can always edit later. So there really is no reason to sweat over the quality of your work when you haven’t even started yet!

It’s also good to keep in mind that in reality, mediocre is much closer to perfection than you might think. If you’ve written a solid good essay that is easy to read and covers everything it should, it’s pretty much perfect the way it is.

4. I looked at how others were doing

People always say you shouldn’t compare yourself to others. I disagree. If you look at how well others are doing, you’ll notice that they aren’t that perfect either. And no one has the whole package. Someone has a great job, someone else has a big family, and someone is happily traveling around the world. But people seldom have all of this.

Many things look better on the surface than what they really are. Working for a big, famous company doesn’t necessarily mean that the job itself is interesting or good for you. And at the same time, a job that sounds really boring can be a lot of fun or simply be the right fit for you.

You have to understand that while other people’s lives may look much better or much more interesting than yours, chances are that you are pretty much as happy with your lives. And no matter what they are doing, you have to concentrate on your own journey.

5. I improved my self-confidence

This is an important step to take. Some people believe that you are what you are and that there’s very little you can do about having low self-esteem or not being confident with your skills. But there is so much you can do about it!

After I made a conscious decision to focus on improving my self-confidence, everything got a bit easier. This also meant that it was easier to become more productive and stop procrastinating.

I spent many years worrying about my potential and my skills, but looking back, it’s easy to see that I did very well on many occasions. So why worry? Being productive isn’t as hard as you think.

6. Only focus on what is important

Last but not least, it’s important to only focus on what is important and not judge yourself because of something meaningless that doesn’t even make a difference. University is a great example of this because you’re constantly given new tasks and you get a grade on everything.

But at the end of the day, it really doesn’t matter what grade you got on your 101 courses or whether the introduction chapter of your thesis was comprehensive enough. What matters is that you get the degree and the skills you need. That’s all.

Did this story resonate with you? Are you on the road to becoming more productive, or have you already made a huge difference? I’d love to know, share your story in the comments!