How to Stop Procrastinating (Without Spending 4.5 Hours To Do It)

From The Productive Indie Fiction Writer:

A few days ago, Mark Manson released a 4.5-hour video on YouTube titled “How to Stop Procrastinating”. Yes, four and a half hours. About not wasting time. The irony practically writes itself.

Maybe it’s warranted. Humans have been trying to defeat procrastination since we first sat around campfires telling ourselves we’d start the hunt “first thing tomorrow.” But watching a video that long is also a top-tier way to… well, not write for 4.5 hours.

Here on the PIFW site, I’ve danced this dance many times. (Because I, too, am a world-class procrastinator.) I’ve posted strategies, mindset shifts, hacks, reminders, and the occasional tough love rant. Here are a few greatest hits:

Rise Above Procrastination

I am a perfect machine. My self-discipline is extraordinary.

Let’s Pull Self-Discipline Off the Garbage Heap

Learn to Love Writing, Not “Having Written”

The Flip Side To Beating Resistance – 2022 Edition

5 Powerful Strategies to Defeat Resistance And Get More Written

Writing Through Disfluency: How to Embrace the Grind and Keep Moving Forward

The Core Truth: There’s No One Way to Beat Procrastination

Procrastination isn’t a single villain with a weakness you can exploit. It’s more like a hydra—cut off one head and three more pop up, each wearing glasses and holding a fresh productivity book. The solution that works for me may do squat for you.

“Beware: learning more is a smart person’s favorite form of procrastination.”

Sound familiar? How many times have you read one more book on productivity, thinking this one will finally cure you?

The truth is: there’s no perfect fix. But there is a mindset that helps—solve and move on.

Analyze, Adapt, Advance

If you’re serious about improving your writing habits, start by doing two things:

1. Just Start – Don’t wait for perfect. Action creates momentum.
2. Track your behavior – Every time you catch yourself procrastinating, ask:
   • Why did I stall?
   • What was the trigger?
   • How could I design around that next time?

And here’s the magic part: don’t aim for perfection. You won’t “solve” procrastination. But if you get curious, and keep fixing each little detour as it comes up, you’ll find yourself slowly writing more than you’re inventing reasons not to write.

“We often avoid facing what’s important by excelling at what’s unimportant.”

Ouch. But true.

So maybe don’t spend 4.5 hours watching a video on how to stop procrastinating. Maybe spend 10 minutes writing instead. Then again tomorrow. Then again the day after that.

Welcome to your imperfect, persistent path around the monster.

Tracy Cooper-Posey

SRP Author and owner of The Productive Indie Fiction Writer

Tracy is one of Stories Rule Press’ most prolific authors. She also hangs out at The Productive Indie Fiction Writer, where she writes about issues facing today’s indie author, and solutions that make the indie life a little easier.