I Tricked Myself To Avoid Procrastination

Hello, friend!

A few weeks ago, I was approaching a deadline for my next ebook. I’d already mapped out the chapters. I even liked the topic. But instead of opening the draft and getting started, I found myself going down a rabbit hole researching Notion template ideas I might use someday. It’s a classic ADHD move—avoid the thing you have to do by doing something that feels productive but totally isn’t the priority.

What helped me start? A three-part trick I now keep in my back pocket.

1. I made the task microscopic.
Instead of “write the ebook,” I changed the goal to “open the doc and write a sentence.” When your brain sees a mountain, it freezes. But a sidewalk crack? You can step right over that. Once I started, momentum kicked in and I ended up writing for 45 minutes.

2. I did some body doubling.
I started using online body doubling with Flown, video co-working sessions where you do tasks alongside a group of others. Just seeing real people doing focused work helps me stay on track. It adds gentle pressure to start, keeps me accountable, and makes the work feel less isolating. Strange how something so simple makes such a big difference!

3. I set a visible timer for 15 minutes.
It wasn’t about the time. It was about permission. I told myself I could quit guilt-free after 15 minutes. The pressure melted. And by the time the timer beeped, I was deep enough into the zone that I wanted to keep going.

The secret isn’t discipline. It’s designing the environment to work with your brain’s resistance. Low-stakes entry points. Dopamine triggers. Gentle nudges.

If you’re procrastinating right now, don’t try to win the whole game. Just put on your shoes and walk to the field.

AI Prompt of the Week

Create a Procrastination “Why” List in Google Docs or Notion:

“List reasons why I might be procrastinating on this task and suggest ways to overcome each one. [Add brief task details].”

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