4 Ways to Stop Procrastinating Right Now

Get more out of your workday—and your business—by following these guidelines, writes Inc.com columnist Dan Scalco

1 — THE (10 +2) X 5 RULE

No, that’s not algebra. That’s doing 10 minutes of focused work and then taking a two-minute break five times in a row. Routine breaks make work less intimidating.

2 — DONATE TO CHARITY FOR EVERY HOUR YOU WASTE

Hold yourself accountable by giving $5 to a charity of your choice for every hour you procrastinate. This will help you stay focused.

3 — GIVE YOURSELF A (FAKE) DEADLINE

The longer you give yourself to complete a project, the longer it will take. Set a false deadline—it will force you to get more done.

4 — DON’T BE DEFEATIST

Procrastinators often let their lack of productivity justify the same behavior in the future. If you’ve wasted your morning, you can still start your day over in the afternoon.

“If I hadn’t reached rock bottom and lost everything, I wouldn’t understand what it means to be an entrepreneur.” Roy Choi, co-founder of Kogi inc.com/lift