I keep putting my work off
Work out what you're really avoiding and make starting cheaper than putting it off.
In short
Start here, today. Pick the task you've avoided longest. Write one sentence about what you're worried will happen when you start it. Then write the very first physical action, such as “open chapter2.docx and reread the last paragraph”, and do only that. This takes about 15 minutes.
After that, work through these steps. Choose one to jump to it.
Step by step
Tick each step as you finish it. Open a step for the how.
0 of 7 steps done
Name what you're avoiding
When you notice yourself drifting, ask what starting this task feels like. Unclear, boring, frightening and overwhelming each need something different. An unclear task needs a decision, a frightening one needs lower stakes, and a boring one needs a time limit.
Shrink the task
Break the work down until the first step takes less than 25 minutes and needs no more thinking. “Draft section 2.3” becomes “list the four points section 2.3 has to make”. If you still can't start, the step is still too big.
Start badly on purpose
Give yourself permission to write a rough version: bullet points, sentences in the wrong order, [check this] instead of a proper citation. Call the file “rough draft” so nobody, including you, expects it to be good. Fixing a messy page is far easier than filling an empty one.
Use the Reset when you sit down stuck
If you open your laptop and can't decide where to begin, run the 15-Minute Reset instead of scrolling. It ends with one action you can start straight away, which is often the only thing missing.
Put distance between you and your phone
Leave your phone in another room or a drawer, and log out of the sites you drift to. If you can, work somewhere that is only for work: a library carrel, a particular café, one end of the kitchen table.
Work alongside other people
Body doubling means working in the presence of someone else, even if they're doing something completely different. Writing groups, Shut Up & Write sessions and a silent video call with a friend all use the same idea. Saying out loud what you'll do in the next hour makes it much harder to quietly drift away from it.
Leave tomorrow's starting point
Avoidance is strongest in the first few minutes of a session. Before you stop, note exactly where you'll start next time in Writing Sessions, so tomorrow begins with a clear action instead of a blank decision.
Words you can use
Is this you? Signs to look for
- You tidy your desk, answer email or reorganise your references instead of opening the draft.
- A task that would take an hour has been on your list for three weeks.
- Your stomach drops a little when you think about one particular file.
- You only get real work done the night before a deadline, and feel awful the rest of the time.
- Your phone is in your hand before you've decided to pick it up.
Why this happens
Procrastination is rarely laziness. Most people who put off their PhD work care about it a great deal, which is part of the problem. What they're avoiding is a feeling: the fog of a task that isn't clear yet, the worry that the draft will show how much you don't know, or the dullness of a job with no end in sight. Putting it off brings instant relief, and that relief is what keeps the habit going.
PhD work is almost designed to trigger this. The tasks are large and vague, nobody checks on you for weeks, the next step is often a decision in disguise, and everything you produce will eventually be judged by someone more experienced. So the answer is less about willpower and more about lowering the cost of starting.
Worth a look (5)
- Shut Up & WriteFree in-person and online writing sessions. A ready-made way to work alongside other people.
- How to Write a Lot, by Paul SilviaA short, funny book that takes apart the usual reasons for not writing.
- Shut Up & Write!Free writing sessions, online and in person in over 80 countries, where you write quietly alongside others for a set time. It's a gentle push when you keep putting off your thesis.
- FocusmateBook a short video session with another person, say what you'll work on, then work quietly side by side. The free plan gives you three sessions a week.
- Time managementVitae's guide to managing research time, with simple techniques like logging your hours, separating urgent from important, and working back from deadlines.
When to bring someone in
If focusing and getting started have been hard for most of your life, at school, at work and at home, and not only since the PhD began, it's worth speaking to a doctor or to your university's accessibility or counselling service. They can help you understand what's going on and what support exists, including accommodations. If the avoidance comes with low mood or exhaustion, read the guides on burnout and mental health too. And if you're avoiding the work because of a problem with your project or supervisor, raise it with them or with your graduate coordinator.
Find the right person, or talk to Ify