I read a pretty good rule of thumb to avoid a lot of procrastination that ends up making things worse for you later on.

It’s something like the 2-5 minute rule. If it can be done in 2-5 minutes, just do it now.

So, for example:

• Milk carton empty? Take it to the recycling now. You won’t remember to recycle it later and it will sit there for days
• Need a shower? Jump in now. Not later. Do it now.
• Need to call somebody or email somebody about something? Do it right away. You won’t remember later.
• Need to pay a bill online? Pay it when you remember, don’t say “Oh I’ll remember later, I still have 10 days to pay it.” This leads to defaulting on your bills.

It’s harder for items that take longer than 2-5 minutes, so for example needing to do large projects or invest several hours in something can lead to massive procrastination because you’re not ready to invest that time. But if it can be done quickly just do it now and get it over with.