How to Stop Procrastinating Like Benjamin Franklin Did

Benjamin Franklin wasn't naturally disciplined. He created his 13 virtues system because he struggled with self-control. His fourth virtue—Resolution—was specifically designed to combat procrastination.

Franklin knew the temptation to delay. He also knew its cost: "You may delay, but time will not." His methods for defeating procrastination are as practical today as they were 300 years ago.

Key Takeaways

• Franklin created his Resolution virtue to combat procrastination
• His core rule: "Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today"
• He broke overwhelming tasks into "little strokes"
• Daily tracking made procrastination visible and accountable
• Morning intention + evening review created a closed loop

Franklin's Resolution Virtue

Franklin placed Resolution as his fourth virtue, defining it precisely:

"Resolve to perform what you ought. Perform without fail what you resolve."

Notice the two parts:

1. Resolve to perform what you ought — Make a firm decision about what needs doing
2. Perform without fail what you resolve — Execute completely, no exceptions

Procrastination breaks the second part. We decide to do something—and then don't. Franklin's virtue system attacked this gap directly.

Why We Procrastinate

Franklin understood procrastination as a psychological challenge, not a character flaw. Modern research confirms his intuition:

The Real Causes

• Task overwhelm: Large tasks feel impossible to start
• Unclear next action: Not knowing what to do first
• Emotional avoidance: Tasks trigger anxiety or discomfort
• Lack of accountability: No one notices if we delay
• Present bias: Future consequences feel distant; present comfort feels immediate

Franklin's strategies address each of these causes systematically.

Strategy 1: Never Leave Till Tomorrow

"Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today."

This isn't just a motivational slogan—it's a decision rule. When faced with a task you can complete now, the rule eliminates deliberation: do it now.

Why It Works

• Reduces decision fatigue: No debating, just doing
• Prevents accumulation: Small tasks don't pile up
• Builds momentum: Completing tasks creates energy for more

How to Apply

• For any task under 5 minutes: do it immediately
• For larger tasks: start the first action now, even if you can't finish
• When tempted to delay, ask: "Can I do this right now?" If yes, do it.

Strategy 2: The Morning Question

"What good shall I do this day?"

Franklin began each day by defining what mattered. This prevents procrastination's favorite trick: staying busy with unimportant tasks while avoiding important ones.

How It Beats Procrastination

• Clarifies what "productivity" means for you today
• Makes avoidance obvious—you know what you're avoiding
• Creates commitment before distractions arrive

How to Apply

• Ask the question before checking email or phone
• Write down 1-3 meaningful outcomes (not tasks, outcomes)
• Start with the most important or most avoided item

Strategy 3: Little Strokes Fell Great Oaks

"Little strokes fell great oaks."

We often procrastinate because tasks feel too big. Franklin's insight: massive accomplishments are just accumulated small actions.

The Psychology

Starting is the hardest part. A huge task triggers overwhelm and avoidance. A tiny first step feels manageable. Once started, momentum often carries you further than planned.

How to Apply

• Break any overwhelming task into the smallest possible first action
• "Write a report" becomes "Open document and write one sentence"
• "Clean house" becomes "Clear one counter"
• Commit to only the first "stroke"—but start it now

Strategy 4: Evening Accountability

"What good have I done today?"

Franklin's evening question created accountability. You cannot answer this honestly without facing your procrastination directly.

Why It Works

• You must report to yourself daily—no hiding
• Patterns become visible over time
• The knowledge that evening-you will ask makes daytime-you work

How to Apply

• Before bed, review your morning intentions
• Note what you accomplished and what you avoided
• Be honest—the point is awareness, not judgment
• Ask: "What interfered?" and plan around it tomorrow

Strategy 5: Track Your Failures

Franklin's most innovative anti-procrastination tool was his virtue-tracking system. He marked each day he failed to live up to a virtue—making procrastination visible.

"I was surpris'd to find myself so much fuller of faults than I had imagined."

Why Tracking Works

• You can't improve what you don't measure
• Seeing failures accumulate motivates change
• Patterns reveal your personal procrastination triggers

How to Apply

Use our Ben Franklin Virtues app to track the Resolution virtue weekly. Each day, mark whether you "performed without fail what you resolved." Watch your patterns, and improve.

Franklin's Anti-Procrastination Quotes

• "Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today."
• "You may delay, but time will not."
• "One today is worth two tomorrows."
• "Little strokes fell great oaks."
• "By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail."
• "Have you somewhat to do tomorrow, do it today."
• "Sloth makes all things difficult, but industry all things easy."

For more Franklin wisdom, see our Time Management Hub and Success Quotes Hub.