Think of a project that requires your attention. It might be a work presentation. Or a creative idea that would enrich your life outside of your job. It might be clearing out the attic. Now, how do you approach it? Do you simply focus and get on with it?
Or do you need to make a cup of tea first, and maybe a snack? If you’re at home, you might have a sudden urge to put a wash on, or organise the spice rack. If you’re in the office, a colleague’s inane chat might suddenly seem fascinating, or you might decide to have a quick glance at your inbox, or your social media feed. The next thing you know, time has evaporated and you either have to work like crazy to meet a deadline, or end up abandoning the project altogether.
If you’re in the latter group, you’re very much not alone. According to a study by King’s College London, 49 per cent of people feel their attention span is shorter than it used to be, and 50 per cent say they can’t stop checking their smartphones when they should be focusing on other things, with this proving as much of a struggle for middle-aged people as well as the young.
I can relate to the above. Although I’m also old enough to remember life before smartphones, and I was pretty good at procrastinating back then, too.
My skill at postponing action goes back to my school days, when essays were completed late into the night before being due. It now often manifests as being very behind with invoicing, or emails going unanswered while I work out a polite way to respond – then end up ignoring them altogether and spending far too much time feeling guilty about it.
So I was excited to learn about Ahead, a new app designed by behaviour change experts, which promises to help me beat procrastination for good.
You’re probably thinking: an app? To reduce procrastination? But surely apps and smartphones are part of the problem? Well, this is a rare instance of the problem being part of the solution.
“Mobile apps are so woven into our daily lives that it’s an opportunity to make learning interactive,” says Ahead’s co-founder Kai Koch. “And these interactive elements allow us to really apply what we have learned.”
Beating procrastination is just one element of Ahead’s offering, which covers everything from anger management to improving confidence and overcoming anxiety. The idea is that emotional intelligence can be trained and learned just like anything else.
“Think about more tangible skills, like riding a bike or skiing,” says Koch. “You wouldn’t buy a book on it. You’d get on that bike or up that mountain and actually try it.”
If you’ve ever used Duolingo to brush up on French before a holiday, then aspects of Ahead’s learning techniques will be familiar, with digital trophies and rewards gamifying the process. You don’t just read the productivity tips; you are tested on them to make sure that you’ve understood, with cheers and confetti filling your screen when you do it well. And irreverently pushy notifications encourage you to maintain your streak.
After downloading the app, I complete a quiz to learn what type of procrastinator I am: a Juggler with too many different things on my plate, an Artist who’s anxious that the work is not good enough, or a Thrillseeker who can only work under pressure.
I would never have called myself a Thrillseeker, but the app’s quizzes make me realise that I do work best under pressure, so often leave things to the last minute and allow admin to stack up because it’s just too dull to command my attention.
You can set custom reminders, and checking in with the app starts to become a habit. I notice signs of procrastination, such as checking my phone, worrying about something rather than doing it, and prioritising an easier task (hello, inbox). It’s amazing how simply becoming more aware of these habits makes it easier to stop doing them.
Logging moments of procrastination in the app, I’m taken through a process to untangle not only how I’m sabotaging myself (the avoiding behaviours) but also why, which means looking at the trigger emotions – such as fear, distraction, pressure, low energy or feeling unclear on the task in hand. The aim is to see procrastination as “a pause button” – a moment to identify our triggers and prevent them spiralling into a cycle of avoidance.
Then there are the science-backed practical tips. For example, a boring task like invoicing can take up most of the day if I’m constantly distracted and trying to drag myself back to it. On Ahead’s recommendation, I set a timer for 25 minutes and see how much I can get done in that time. Miraculously, it works. Gamifying the task makes me more efficient, and the explosion of heart-eye emojis I get for logging it makes me feel pretty too.
So has this app cured my procrastination for good? Well… it’s an ongoing practice. But it has certainly made me a lot more aware of how and why I procrastinate, and checking in with Ahead for just a few minutes each day helps me feel that I’m using my time wisely. The learning is presented in such a fun way, it’s actually enjoyable, and you can save your personalised techniques to a procrastination toolkit that works for you.
On Koch’s recommendation, I switch off email notifications, delete social media apps from my phone and put Ahead prominently on the home screen. It’s like armour against the interruptions of modern life and makes me feel – almost – indistractable.
Your anti-procrastination toolkit
Try ‘timeboxing’. A traditional to-do list is too easy to ignore. Spend 10 minutes every morning using your calendar to block out the times at which you will do tasks – and stick to it.
Set a timer. One of Ahead’s challenges is to gamify a boring task. Got some admin to do? Set a timer and see how much you can do in 25 minutes.
Get accountable. Sometimes accountability is obvious (your boss) but sometimes you’re only accountable to yourself, so it helps to tell a friend your goals and have them check in regularly – you can do the same for them.
Clear your mind. Switching between tasks never allows your brain to recharge. Pick moments in the day to strategically rest.
Declutter your phone. Delete social media apps – or at least hide them from the home screen so you won’t mindlessly open them.
Switch off email notifications, and set certain times in the day for your inbox. Spend 30 minutes on whatever task is most important before opening your inbox at all.
Remove distractions. Putting your phone in another room is the oldest trick in the book, but how often do you actually do that? It works!
