Still waiting for the perfect time to start? That moment isn’t coming. If you’re ready to say goodbye to procrastination, this post is your turning point.
The Secret to Productivity
What if the secret to productivity… is procrastination?
Not avoiding it – but using it intentionally.
In Four Thousand Weeks, Oliver Burkeman flips the script on time management. He writes:
“The real measure of any time management technique is whether or not it helps you neglect the right things.”
Instead of trying to do everything, the real power lies in doing what matters most — and letting the rest go.
This is how you say goodbye to procrastination — not by forcing yourself to do more, but by choosing less on purpose.
The Art of Creative Neglect
Imagine your life is a glass jar. And every responsibility, dream, and demand is a rock. There are too many rocks. They’ll never all fit.
So the question becomes: which ones will you choose to leave out?
That’s what Burkeman calls “creative neglect.” It’s not laziness. It’s leadership.
It’s how you say goodbye to procrastination — not by doing everything faster, but by saying “no” to the wrong things so you can say “yes” to the right ones.
And when you remember you only get Four Thousand Weeks… you realise every yes comes at a cost.
Three Ways to Say Goodbye to Procrastination
Let’s get practical. Here are three powerful principles from Four Thousand Weeks that have helped me — and might help you — break the cycle of reactive, scattered work.
Principle 1: Pay Yourself First
Don’t wait for the perfect time to start your most important project.
Burkeman reminds us: there is no future where everything is done and you’re finally free.
So claim your time now.
For example, I block out the first hour of my day for deep work. This is my number one priority for the day.
No emails. No messages. Just me and what matters most.
That single habit helped me finally say goodbye to procrastination on writing my books.
I no longer think about doing it or not, I just do it.
Principle 2: Limit Your Work in Progress
You’ve probably got 10 unfinished tasks bouncing around in your brain. I used to have more.
Burkeman recommends a radical approach: no more than three active projects at a time.
It’s a bit like using fewer tabs in your browser — your brain loads faster.
And you start finishing things.
This approach, grounded in Four Thousand Weeks, taught me that saying goodbye to procrastination sometimes just means doing less at once.
Principle 3: Say No to Middling Priorities
This one stings.
The biggest threat to your focus isn’t junk — it’s the stuff that’s almost worth doing.
Burkeman calls out our tendency to say yes to “pretty good” opportunities… which then crowd out the truly great ones.
You only get Four Thousand Weeks. Don’t waste them on “maybe.”
Real productivity means choosing excellence over options, and saying goodbye to procrastination means letting go of everything that’s almost right.
How I stopped procrastinating
For the first four months of this year, I made just six videos. That’s one every three weeks.
Most mornings, I’d wake up and just drift. Should I write a book? Make a video? Paint a watercolour?
I’d spin my wheels, second-guess myself… and usually end up doing none of them.
Then I re-read Four Thousand Weeks, and Burkeman’s idea of Creative Neglect hit me like a bolt of lightning.
I remembered: I work best when I have one clear priority. One thing. No debate.
So I made a decision. I set a challenge: 10 videos in 30 days.
No overthinking. No procrastination. And no jumping ahead to what’s next.
Just show up. Make the videos.
And when they’re done, then I’ll decide what comes next. Until then, my only job… is the next video.
That’s when I finally understood the message of Four Thousand Weeks:
Time isn’t something to conquer. It’s something to honour.
The Power of Settling
We’ve been sold a myth: never settle. Always keep your options open.
This makes it too easy to procrastinate.
But Four Thousand Weeks makes a bold claim:
“You should definitely settle.”
Because not choosing is a choice — one that burns time.
Real freedom comes from commitment — when you close the door on fantasy and finally say:
“This is who I am. This is my path. And this is my project.”
And in that choice… anxiety fades.
You’ve chosen your direction. Now you move forward.
That’s how you say goodbye to procrastination — you stop flirting with every option and live one real life.
The Joy of Missing Out
Forget FOMO — Four Thousand Weeks invites us into JOMO:
The Joy of Missing Out.
You’re not here to do everything. You’re here to do what matters.
Letting go of all the lives you could live is what gives power to the one you do.
You say goodbye to procrastination when you accept the cost of meaning: that every meaningful “yes” comes with many “no’s.”
And that’s not a sacrifice — it’s a gift.
Get Better at Procrastination
So here’s the truth:
You don’t need to stop procrastinating. You need to get better at it.
Let go of the trivial. Say no to the middling. Start what matters. Finish what you start.
And if nothing else… remember this:
You only get Four Thousand Weeks.
Use them wisely. Say goodbye to procrastination — and hello to a life that’s truly yours.
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