If you're like me, you procrastinate terribly and leave things to the last minute, then stress out like mad while you rush to get shit done, causing yourself to burn out. If you're like me, you will have tried a number of hacks/tips to stop procrastinating, but can't make them stick because you don't establish good habits. Like me, you've probably tried the following without success:

• Watching TED talks on overcoming procrastination: Since this is a passive activity, a watcher tends not to absorb or retain much of what has been watched and, therefore, is unlikely to make a habit of implementing anything gleaned therefrom.
• Time management with calendars and to-do lists with due dates: These can easily be ignored or over-ridden with distractions one excuses with "I still have enough time to do the work later".
• The Pomodoro Technique: By breaking up work into manageable chunks of time (about thirty minutes, but no more than an hour each) with short breaks, one can minimise distractions.

What is the Pomodoro Technique?

The Pomodoro Technique is a time-management method in which you do focused work during thirty-minute to hourly intervals — known as pomodoros — and take a five-/ten-minute break.

"Pomodoro" is Italian for "tomato". This technique works on the concept of slicing time into short sections for work and shorter breaks in between. This way, one can maintain concentration/focus and avoid fatigue for longer than when grinding through several hours at a stretch (the daily grind).

Combination of Factors

Unfortunately, just using the Pomodoro Technique alone won't completely get rid of one's tendency to procrastinate unless it becomes a habit (which can take at least a month of continuous use/practice. One might be able to use this technique to maintain focus for a few days to a week at most. To make this effective, a number of other factors (in combination) come into play:

• Divide and Conquer: Break big tasks into smaller ones and write them down (using some sort of project planner and/or todo list). This makes tasks more manageable and less intimidating to start. Hours of planning can save you days to months of work later.
• Mark/Tick off Completed Tasks: This helps to give one a sense of accomplishment and progress, which is vital for staving off the demotivating feeling of stagnation.
• Use Trello Boards: Trello is a project management tool that allows you to create linked lists and move items between them. Make sure to create a "Completed" list and move items to it as you complete them.
• Create a Dedicated and Distraction-Free Work Environment:
  • Clean Up: Make sure that you desk and surrounding area is clean and free of clutter.
  • Put Your Phone Away: Put your phone on silent and out of reach during the work day. This way, you remove the distraction of messages and other activity on it.
  • Get Dressed for Work: When you're working from home, don't stay in your pajamas. Dressing in formal or semi-formal clothing helps your brain to recognise that you're going to be working.
  • Get Some Exercise: Exercise is good for you and helps to release endorphins. Go for a run or hit the gym before starting the work day. Forming this habit might also make it easier to form good work habits.
• Use the Pomodoro Technique: Working long and uninterrupted hours at a time fries my brain, making the later hours less productive and efficient. The Pomodoro technique divides one's time into short bursts of work with breaks in between. Here's how it works:
  • Decide on the task that has to be done. Divide it into short (thirty minutes to one hour) sections with ten-minute breaks in between each.
  • Set a timer for each work section (pomodoro). Work solidly until the timer rings.
  • When your session ends, mark off one Pomodoro and record what you completed.
  • Set the timer for a break period. Take a break to drink some water or go for a short walk.
  • Take a 15-30 minute break after four work sessions. Use this time to make tea/coffee and/or have something to eat.
  • Repeat the previous four steps until the work day is complete.
• Remove Distractions: You might want to invest in some earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones, so that you're not distracted by other people or background noise. You might also want to invest in something like LeechBlock so that your access to certain Websites is blocked during work sessions.

If you can combine all these techniques and follow them for a month or two, you should be able to decrease the amount of time you spend procrastinating, hopefully eliminating it entirely.