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One of the best habits I was told to enact in my professional life also applies to all parts of my life. Permitting yourself to finish early is in direct conflict with procrastination. When I am busy, I tend to get more stuff done. When I have more free time, I tend to get less stuff done.

In my head I say, “why would I finish something early if I have all of this time?” I’ll just take it easy for now. Then when it’s the last minute I rush to finish before the deadline. This is a common occurrence in my life and in many of the lives of the people I know.

The pattern I see is that we fill the time we have no matter how long a task is supposed to take. If we are super busy and only have 30 minutes to do something, it will take us 30 minutes to complete it. If we have the whole day open, it will take us the whole day to finish the task.

I am not saying that complicated tasks or things that require many revisions before they can be considered done shouldn’t take more than 30 minutes. All I’m saying is that when we know we have to finish something and have MUCH more time than we need, we tend to procrastinate.

When I procrastinate until the last second, I usually produce sub-par results and cause myself more stress in the process. Procrastination also leads to missed opportunities because something else could come up in the future. At that point, I may have to turn down the opportunity because I still have my original task to complete.

This is one example of the many negative outcomes procrastination can lead to. So how do we fix our procrastination habit? We replace the routine with something else.

The Procrastination Habit

We can follow James Clear’s habit loop to ensure that our habit of procrastination ends so we can create a new and better habit. When a procrastination habit loop kicks in, something gets triggered. The cue is that we know how long it takes to complete the task and we know how much time we have to do it.

Humans crave relaxation. Therefore, when we know we have time to relax and complete the task, we will choose to relax first. Our bodies respond with lowered stress levels and we are rewarded by a calming sensation. But these responses and rewards are only temporary.

Because once we realize that we have relaxed for too long, we get hyper-anxious and hyper-stressed. This causes tension in our body and adrenaline rush to our brain. Once the deadline passes, we collapse from sheer exhaustion. This is quite the roller coaster of bodily responses.

The Finishing Early Habit

It’s okay to finish early

It might sound crazy but we all fight this procrastination craving every day. The difference between the highly productive people and those that aren’t is that they have changed their responses/routines. Productive people start right away and then relax afterward.

I know way too many people that do their workout before going to their job. That can be because they know that they won’t get to it after work hours. They’re too busy with their family or are just too tired and want to relax after work.

When I get the craving to relax thereby procrastinating on the task I need to accomplish, I remind myself, “It’s okay to finish early.” This simple little statement permits me to do something that is not natural. I can actually be early for something and it’s okay.

Not only do I feel a sense of relief by being ahead, but I have also given myself extra time to review my work or be available for unexpected opportunities. If nothing comes along, then I have time for stress-free relaxation without the cloud hanging over my head and the nagging feeling that I still have work to do.

Updating Habits Responses

When replacing old habits or creating new ones, updating the response to the craving is key to ensuring the rewards are still felt. As I’ve said before, rewards are the keys to habits. If not properly controlled, bad routines lead us to rewards that aren’t good for us long term.

There are many times when I have permitted myself to do something outside of what is considered normal. Showing up early to meetings or reservations. Packing a couple of nights before a big trip rather than waiting to wash and pack all of the clothes I want the night before.

Each one of these scenarios is a conscious choice that I make. I choose to complete a work task two days before it is due. I choose to attend meetings early so that they can start on time.

That being said, I am not perfect but I am working at it. All of these choices are routines I have created for myself. When I repeat routines over and over again, they become habits. When I repeatedly practice good habits, I am rewarded with a more productive life. And so can you.