The Best Guide to Timely Year-End Planning For Procrastinators

Did you know that nearly half the population of adults (42.6%) procrastinate often? The average adult procrastinates for over 3.5 hours daily—just enough time to squeeze in a third rewatch of The Wolf of Wall Street while the pile of tasks on your to-do list waits its turn.

Source: Zippia

There's a general sense of urgency at the end of every year. People want to evaluate how far they went with their New Year's resolutions and make new plans for the coming year, including financial, business, personal, and even holiday preparations.

Sadly, procrastination is a habit. Regardless of their intentions, most people will find themselves on New Year's Eve stuck with empty pages on their planners and an unmarked checklist of year-end tasks.

Like other harmful habits, procrastination can be managed and unlearned. In this article, we'll explore how to avoid procrastination and offer essential tips for last-minute year-end planning.

First, why do people procrastinate?

Why Do People Procrastinate So Much?

Surveys show that 20 - 25% of adults worldwide procrastinate chronically in one or more areas of their lives—a 400% increase from the 5% recorded in the 1970s.

While it is easy to conclude that the population has gotten progressively lazier, procrastination does not equate to laziness. Instead, psychologists define it as a coping mechanism.

According to Professor of Psychology Tim Pychyl, people put off tasks to delay experiencing the negative emotions they associate with that task. For instance, a person with an extroverted personality type will likely put off activities or experiences they consider boring or isolating to keep feeling good in the moment.

Let's break down some primary reasons people procrastinate on their year-end planning:

1. Lack of Clarity

About 10% of procrastinators struggle with tasks or goals they do not understand. They are likely to put off year-end tasks that do not include clear directions for execution.

2. Low Self-Confidence

The fear of failure or lack of trust in one's abilities can result in avoidant behavior. Procrastinators will put off their year-end tasks if they do not think they can pull them off.

3. Boredom

For 41% of procrastinators, a lack of motivation is their undoing. If they are motivated by fun or creative experiences, less engaging or dull tasks like creating budget spreadsheets will keep getting bumped down the list.

4. Anxiety

Some people procrastinate because they are afraid of the outcome of carrying out a task. This category of people will procrastinate on year-end tasks that involve progress evaluations or tests whose results they fear will be negative.

5. Poor Self-Regulation

24% of procrastinators admit to delaying tasks that don't feel urgent. People in this category cannot manage time efficiently, prioritize tasks, or navigate distractions. They are prone to last-minute efforts.

While procrastination provides emotional regulation in the moment, it comes at a high cost. From time wasting to poor work performance, stress, depression, and low goal achievement, procrastination results in a range of physical, economic, and mental health issues.

So, how can the student, career professional, or anybody passionate about self-improvement avoid procrastinating their year-end planning?

How To Avoid Procrastination

Acknowledging that you tend to procrastinate is a great first step. Below are proven strategies to help you complete your year-end planning on schedule.

1. Quick-Start Techniques

* The 2-Minute Rule

This rule dictates that any task that takes 2 minutes or less should be carried out immediately. Productivity consultant David Allen popularized it in his book Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity.

The 2-minute technique prevents individuals from postponing small tasks, which reduces the possibility of anxiety and avoidant behavior that stems from having an overwhelming amount of tasks to go through.

For example, do your year-end plans include setting a savings goals reminder in your banking app or updating your LinkedIn headline? Do them immediately—don't wait for an ideal time.

* Break Down Plans

To overcome inertia, break down vague goals into clear, manageable steps and focus on taking the first step. For example, if one of your year-end plans is to update your professional documents, you can break down the task into the following steps:

Step 1: Prepare new information

Step 2: Update resume

Step 3: Update LinkedIn profile

Step 4: Revamp portfolio

Step 5: Proofread documents

You can also employ the 5-minute strategy to ease into each step: set a timer for five minutes and commit totally to the task for that period. When the timer goes off, you can take a break or continue.

2. Minimalist Year-End Planning

Identify 1 - 3 most important areas of your life and prioritize them. This approach allows you to make progress on what's most important while reducing the risk of mental fatigue or burnout, which can trigger procrastination.

For instance, if you are a busy career professional, you can choose to focus on:

• Financial planning: Assess savings, review monthly budget, organize tax documents, and optimize tax strategies
• Career planning: Evaluate achievements, update professional documents, and set career goals for the new year.
• Self-care: Schedule annual health checkups, plan a fitness routine, and take time off work during the holidays.

3. Time-Management Techniques

* Pomodoro Technique

In the late 1980s, Francesco Cirillo developed the Pomodoro technique, which breaks work into intervals. Each cycle includes a 25-minute work session and a 5-minute break. After the first four cycles, the breaks get progressively longer.

Some other well-known time management systems include creating morning routines, time-blocking, and David Allen's GTD (Getting-Things-Done) system, which emphasizes detailed task organization.

* Digital Time-Trackers

Use digital tools to streamline your year-end planning tasks. Set reminders to review your checklist and use automation features to monitor progress with minimum manual effort.

For instance, if you struggle with procrastination, set a daily reminder starting on the 1st of December to review your plans. You can also track your consistency with GoalScript's streak feature—carry out daily tasks to make progress.

5 Practical Tips For Last-Minute Year-End Planning

What if you missed the lesson on how to avoid procrastination? It's the 30th of December, and you still have a long list of tasks to go through before the year ends. Don't worry—there is a method to last-minute planning.

Here are tips to help you pull through:

1. Reflect on the past year.

Do a 10-minute reflection session where you make simple lists of your achievements, lessons, and challenges in the past year. Keep it brief to save time.

1. Prioritize tasks

Separate your checklist into two categories: mandatory and optional tasks. Start with the mandatory tasks, working through the urgent ones first.

1. Refine and breakdown tasks

Ensure that each task is specific and measurable. For example, instead of tackling a task to 'plan finances,' break it down into actionable steps like 'set up a savings plan' and 'create a monthly budget.'

1. Identify your ‘why’

Before you take on individual tasks, take a minute to remind yourself why they matter and how they align with your long-term goals and vision. This strategy will motivate you to maintain momentum until you complete your year-end planning.

1. Take breaks

As you work through each task, use the Pomodoro technique and other efficiency systems to manage time and prevent burnout.

How To Overcome Planning Anxiety

As you consider your year-end planning goals, you may feel anxious and want to do everything perfectly. However, perfectionism is a recipe for procrastination. Here's what to do in this situation:

1. Shift your mindset—pursue progress, not perfection.
2. Start small and build progress with consistent small steps
3. Take on easier tasks first to create a loop of achievement and reward
4. Envision success and stay positive
5. Leverage technology

Efficient Year-End Planning: Ditch Procrastination With GoalScript

When dealing with demanding tasks, the brain's amygdala triggers avoidance, which manifests as procrastination. However, with the right strategies and tools, it is possible to manage your procrastinating tendencies and carry out efficient year-end planning.

If you are already hurrying through last-minute efforts, Digital tools like GoalScript can automate essential parts of your year-end planning, such as:

• Task Organisation: Create and manage multiple tasks aligned with your year-end planning goals.
• Progress Tracking: Visualize your progress with streaks that prove your consistency and commitment
• Daily Planning Triggers: Get timely reminders to plan your day and review your progress to keep you on track.

Ready to overcome procrastination and make your planning more effective? Download GoalScript from the App Store today and discover a new way of achieving your goals.