Beat Procrastination by Aiming Low: One Tiny Step at a Time

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Have you ever felt trapped in a cycle of delaying or avoiding tasks? Have you ever needed to start on a project only to shift focus to some inconsequential, easier, or preferred thing?

If so, you may have also been told to eat a frog in the morning or asked how to eat an elephant. Maybe the reason both analogies are less than impactful is due to the contemplation of such a thing. Yet, the lesson is simple: It can be done in one or many small bites.

This is where the surprisingly effective principle of "aim low"¹ can help. Aiming low, in this case, is not about lowering expectations or goals and not in opposition to the classic motto of “aim high.” It is simply to focus on the smallest step necessary to get started, regardless of how unappealing or daunting the task may seem.

Why Don’t We Just Do It?

Procrastination is typically labeled as a counterproductive behavior marked by the pursuit of immediate rewards at the expense of long-term costs.

Studies show that around 20% of adults procrastinate chronically.⁵ However, when it comes to college students and long deadlines, up to 80-95% of people postpone tasks to a greater degree.⁵

Why do we do this? The most common causes are feeling bored, lack of belief in one’s abilities, fear and anxiety, perfectionism, and distractions.³ Specifically, research suggests that task characteristics, such as unclear instructions, the timing of rewards and punishment, as well as task aversiveness followed by personality facets such as motivation, and cognition, and environmental factors such as temptation, incentives, and accountability are the main determinants of procrastination.⁷

A fascinating 2022 study reveals that we often procrastinate even though we know the task won't magically become easier later. An additional finding stands out, in that our brains have a cognitive bias where we believe tasks will be easier in the future.²

However, we still instinctively prioritize immediate rewards, even if that means just not doing the task. This persistent delaying may create a feedback loop: the task remains undone, anxiety grows, and the list of procrastination triggers expands with each cycle, further increasing anxiety leading to stress and even poorer health.⁸

To circumvent the paralysis often induced by overwhelming tasks or ambitious next steps is to simply start. In my case, aiming extremely low, by typing a single word. Then the next. And so forth.

Aim Low to Get Started

Interestingly, research finds that we are already aiming low by focusing on less important urgent tasks such as constantly checking and responding to emails, which could have a high-payoff completion factor as the more important task is farther away from the goal.⁴

But forget perfection or tackling everything at once. Start with a ridiculously small, manageable task—but make sure it’s the one that needs to be done—to get the ball rolling. Tiny steps are far less intimidating and provide a sense of accomplishment and progress leading to:

• Reduced Resistance. Our brains struggle with big, imposing goals, while small steps feel less threatening and achievable.
• Boost in Confidence. Finishing even a tiny task provides a sense of accomplishment and encouragement to tackle the next step.
• Momentum Builds. Action breeds action; each tiny win sets a pattern of success and progress.

Aiming low offers a simple, practical way to get started, allowing us to take those crucial first steps toward progress. These minimal actions are designed to initiate momentum, creating a path for continuous progress with each completed micro-task encouraging the next. Think of it like starting a car on a cold day: It might take a few attempts, but once the engine turns over, the rest of the tasks become easier.