How to Beat Procrastination with When-Then Plans

Ever wish you had a quick script for the exact moment you start drifting off-task? A When-Then plan is your pocket-sized rescue for those foggy moments when focus starts to slip. It transforms vague intentions—like 'I really need to get back to work'—into a clear, actionable next move: when you notice a warning sign, then you take a short reset and do one small step to restart. No drama, no guilt, just action.

This simple framework is especially powerful for neurodivergent minds that thrive on structure and clear triggers. Let's break down how to build your own When-Then plan in four manageable steps.

Notice the Sign

The first step is to become a detective of your own patterns. What are your personal alerts that the procrastination fog is rolling in? Common warning signs include:

• Telling yourself 'I'll just take a quick break' when you haven't even started
• Opening a new browser tab 'just to check one thing'
• Suddenly feeling the urgent need to organise a drawer or tidy your desk
• Getting up to make yet another cup of tea

These moments aren't failures—they're signals. The book 'Procrastination Playbook' suggests writing down your unique warning signs so you can spot them more easily next time. Think of them as your brain's way of saying, 'I need a different approach right now.'

Activate Your Plan

Here's where the magic happens. Once you've identified your warning signs, you create a simple When-Then rule for yourself. When a sign pops up, you don't argue with it or beat yourself up—you simply switch to your built-in reset sequence.

The 'Then' part has two components: a buffer break followed by one manageable next step. This isn't about forcing yourself to power through. It's about acknowledging the signal and responding with a pattern that actually works.

Take a Buffer Break

Think of this as a pit stop in a race: fuel up, change the tyres, then back on the track. Your buffer break should be short—five to ten minutes is often enough. The key is that it's intentional, not the sneaky 'procrasti-break' that somehow ages into an hour-long scroll session.

Effective buffer breaks might include:

• Standing up and stretching your arms above your head
• Taking three deep breaths with your eyes closed
• Walking to the window and looking at something in the distance
• Getting a glass of water and drinking it slowly

The goal is to reset your nervous system, not to escape into distraction.

Pick One Small Step

After your buffer break, you return to your task with one tiny, specific action. This step should feel almost laughably easy. You're not committing to finishing the entire project—you're just doing the next small thing.

Examples of manageable next steps:

• Open the document or application you need
• Write just the email subject line
• Set a 10-minute timer and work until it goes off
• Type one sentence, even if it's rough

Over time, these tiny pivots add up. You train your brain that noticing a warning sign means you already know what to do next. That's how catching procrastination becomes a habit instead of a constant struggle. The pattern becomes automatic: sign, buffer, small step, momentum.

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