Procrastination is much easier than work, don’t you think? Let’s see...couch or strain my brain? Hmmm. Tough decision.

Let’s face it, we all procrastinate at least sometimes. But the one thing that makes procrastinating even easier, is procrastinating on something we perceive as being “easy.” Because, you know, we can finish it right quick. 

A couple of personal experiences that come to mind are while reading books and answering emails.

For example, I try to read a book a week; it doesn’t always happen but that’s my goal. If I start a book that I think of as being a short, quick read, I always end up taking twice as long to read it. On the other hand, if I start a book that I think of as plus-sized (usually double the page count as the "easy" read) I will usually hit my one week goal. Odd, isn’t it?

The other example is when answering emails. On days when there'd be significantly less emails than what is typical, I'd start multi-tasking. I'd start reading blog articles, watching YouTube videos, doing my laundry, etc. The emails would become secondary. The result is that it would end up taking me wayyy longer to finish than it would have if there were more emails to begin with.

What’s wrong with this picture?

For one, it’s backwards as hell. And the other thing is when it’s all said and done, these “small” tasks end up stretching into larger ones and thus sucking up more of your time.

Yeah, sure. I’ve procrastinated on large projects, too, but once I start those, I accept the fact that it’s going to take time to complete, and so it’s easier to chip away, little by little.

With a small project or task that needs to get done, it’s so easy to push it to the back of the importance line. It’s all about perception. We underestimate the time something will take, or don’t really give it the focus nor the attention that it deserves, all because in our mind we perceive it as “easy.”

How do we treat every project the same so that we give it the focus and efficiency that it deserves? 

First we contact the ACLU about discriminatory procrastination. Then we enforce equality on our projects!!! In reality, though, we must have the mindset that whatever we're working on, it's something that's important and that needs to get done in a timely manner. That will keep a sense of urgency on our shoulders so that we can reach the finish line without too many time-wasting detours.   

Be on guard against "easy." If the thought crosses your mind, realize that it's a trap. For the sake of your time, treat all projects, both big and small with the same mindset.