How to stop procrastinating and actually get things done

So it’s been a long day, you’ve had some fun, maybe some much needed leisure time, but now it’s time to get back to work.
You’ve got a boatload of things to do, but you just can’t get yourself to start. You end up being frustrated, you are neither productive nor are you enjoying your time leisurely.

Sounds familiar?
This tends to happen to me on the weekends, when I need some time to rest, so I allow myself to get out of my regular routine and enjoy myself a little. That’s all great, until I have to get back on track and start gettings things done. Then I find myself unable to do anything, simply scrolling endlessly through my todo list, Facebook, chatting with friends, etc.

I tend to find a way to snap out of it, but I couldn’t find a way to make it work consistently, until recently (or so I hope).
The conclusion I tend to reach time and time again is that in order to snap out of a procrastination slump, I need to do something. It doesn’t really matter what, just to get things moving.

However, this doesn’t always work. It seems there’s a missing piece, and today I think I finally found it. It’s not just doing anything, although doing anything is better than doing nothing and feeling frustrated (doing nothing and feeling great is pretty great, but I have not achieved this level of bliss just yet).
The key is doing something that is meaningful.
But what does that mean?

It could mean a few things. It could be a task that is meaningful for you in general. For example — making dinner, not super meaningful (although it might also help). Going over your core values and refining them — pretty meaningful.
It could also be meaningful simply because it’s something you have been putting off for a while. Striking off a task that’s been hanging out in your todo list for a month tends to have a pretty significant impact, restoring your belief in yourself and your capacity for productivity.

So next time you find yourself in a situation where you’re procrastinating and just can’t move yourself to do anything, try doing something small but meaningful. Or better yet, something you’ve been putting off for a while.
You’d be surprised to find yourself back on track going at full speed towards your goals.