Fight Procrastination Day-The Joys & Perils of Procrastination Through Tech

I've been put off writing this post for weeks, but in the spirit of Fight Procrastination Day on September 6, I figured I finally had to do it!

Technology and procrastination go hand in hand: whether we’re using our favorite apps and gadgets to put off something pressing for just a few more minutes, or using tech to motivate and inspire us to be our best selves. It’s a daily tug-of-war between deciding to float along with the current or swim toward the goal, and there are plenty of anti-procrastination aids out there.

We surveyed some St. Louis residents about the biggest digital distractions in their lives and what they lean on to stay focused. Use our online locator to find a Verizon store near you, where our team members won’t hesitate to show you the best devices on the market for increasing your productivity. “Facebook is the #1 time waster on my phone and on my desktop.

There is a Mac application called Self Control that lets me block out the sites I need to stay off of for a bit. This helps me stay motivated and on-task. I also use Evernote religiously. If it's not staring me in the face I'll forget.”– Matilda G.

“I use gaming as a reward for completing difficult tasks. If I solve something that took two hours, I'll play a round of the game I’m into at the moment. Right now, it’s Pac-Man 256, which is a brand new, endless version of Pac-Man.” – Julian F.

“I find Facebook useful, but it can easily turn into a waste of time if not utilized as a tool for production. My iPhone helps me be very productive, as long as I keep it limited and for business. There’s an app called Forest that helps with that – the longer you stay off your phone, the more you earn coins that can be redeemed to plant real trees somewhere in the world. That’s quite an incentive. ” – A.K.

“For getting things, done nothing beats the combo of Any.Do and Trello. My go-to procrastination apps are Hootsuite for Twitter and Facebook, and the Bandcamp mobile, which is fun to search.” –Jason R.

“Procrastination? Snapchat. Most of the things I don't even want to see, but I'll click through it quickly anyway. For some reason, I feel compelled to clear everyone's story.” – Dustin S.

“Just wearing my Fitbit is a daily reminder to keep working at my fitness goals. It’s like a colorful little little accountability bracelet.” – Sharon K. “MyFitnessPal keeps me accountable for what I eat. Pinterest and Amazon are my time-sucks. Carrot is a strange iPhone task app that yells at you when you aren't checking things off, if you’re into that sort of thing. Freedom is a piece of software and app that lets you block distractions in a less yelling sort of way.” – Jenna H.

“Reddit has ruined my life. All day. Every day. There is no escape. Send help.” – Katie F.