We all have tasks that we put off and put off, but actually accomplishing them is rarely as bad as we expect. Sometimes beating procrastination is about just getting over the initial hurdle. Instead of forcing yourself to tackle the entire task at once, focus on the first piece of it. Start by thinking about the task and your resistance to it, and then find a time period that you’d be willing to commit. Could you focus on the task for an hour? What about 30 minutes? Shorten the amount of time to something that doesn’t make you resist getting started. Then figure out the bare minimum you can do — writing a few paragraphs, reading a few pages, or whatever won’t make you return to your procrastinating ways. Once you begin, the task will seem much more manageable. Working on something, even in small pieces, means you’ll continue to process it, which makes you more likely to resume the work later on.

Source: Adapted from “5 Research-Based Strategies for Overcoming Procrastination,” by Chris Bailey