Ever stare at your task list and feel completely paralyzed, not knowing where to start? Tired of productivity apps that add more complexity instead of actually helping you get things done? Well, here’s a free and open-source app that helped me finally beat procrastination.
Say hello to Super Productivity
Super Productivity is my favorite productivity app. It’s built from the ground up to help you do deep work and actually get things done. At its core, it functions as a cross between a to-do list and a task manager, with powerful features like time tracking, Kanban boards, projects and tags for better organization, and much more. In fact, it’s so capable that it can replace paid apps like Todoist, Trello, and Toggl—all in a free and open-source package.
But all of that mainly helps people who are already engaged and trying to finish their work. What if you’re procrastinating and struggling to find the motivation to even get started? That’s where Super Productivity stands out. It’s one of the few apps that includes a thoughtful set of features designed specifically to help you overcome procrastination and start working.
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The Procrastination buster plugin
This is one of those deceptively simple features that turned out to be incredibly useful. Head to Super Productivity’s settings page, scroll down to the Plugins section, and enable the Procrastination Buster plugin. It adds a star icon to the top toolbar. Click it, and a sidebar appears on the right with a list of feelings you might be experiencing.
The idea is that every time you procrastinate, there’s usually a specific emotion behind it. Maybe you’re feeling overwhelmed by how big the task is. Or maybe it feels too easy, and you’re too bored to start. The Procrastination Buster sidebar shows a list of common reasons for procrastination. Click the one that best matches your current state, and it suggests practical strategies to help you push past it.
On the surface, it can feel too simplistic—but that’s exactly why it works. When you’re stuck procrastinating, you don’t need a complex solution—you need a quick, practical nudge to get you unstuck, and this plugin delivers exactly that.
Eisenhower Matrix for task prioritization
Super Productivity lets you quickly capture task ideas throughout the day using global shortcuts. It’s a great way to avoid losing ideas, but it also creates a problem. By the end of the day, I’m staring at a massive list of tasks with no clear sense of what actually matters. That overwhelming feeling often leads straight to analysis paralysis, where I end up doing nothing at all.
To solve this, there’s a built-in Eisenhower Matrix. Head to the Boards view, select the Eisenhower Matrix tab, and agree to create the “urgent” and “important” tags. You’ll now see the classic 2×2 grid where you can drag tasks into four quadrants:
- Urgent and important
- Important but not urgent
- Urgent but not important
- Not urgent and not important.
This visual breakdown instantly shows what needs your attention right now versus what can wait, cutting through decision fatigue and helping you actually get started.
Breaking down big tasks into subtasks
Ever had that moment where you suddenly start cleaning your entire room right when you’re supposed to sit down and tackle your math homework? This is called productive procrastination (also known as task substitution)—where you avoid a difficult or overwhelming task by doing easier, less important things instead.
Whenever we’re faced with a task that feels too big or daunting, we get overwhelmed and put it off, focusing instead on smaller tasks that are neither urgent nor important. The Eisenhower Matrix can help you identify what’s important, but that alone doesn’t make a task feel less intimidating or paralyzing. One of the best ways to deal with this is to break the task down into smaller, more manageable pieces.
Super Productivity makes this easy by letting you split any task into multiple subtasks. I usually break a task into things I can finish in 5–10 minutes. For example, if I’m procrastinating writing an article, I’ll break it down into subtasks like this:
- First jot down the main argument (should take no more than five minutes).
- Next write the outline (around 10 minutes).
- Then write the main argument for the first subheading (another five-minute task).
- Flesh out that argument into a full section (about 10–15 minutes).
- Keep going.
The goal isn’t to create broad subtasks like “outline, write, and edit,” but quick, specific actions you can complete fast. These small wins build momentum, boost motivation, and make the overall task feel much less intimidating.
Pomodoro timers with Domina Mode
Another effective way to beat procrastination is by using Pomodoro timers. Instead of looking at a task and feeling overwhelmed that it might take hours to finish, you’re only committing to 25 minutes of focused work. And you know there’s a five-minute break waiting on the other side—you just need to push through those 25 minutes.
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With Super Productivity, you can select a task and start Focus Mode. It offers three time-tracking options, including a Pomodoro timer. By default, each work session is set to 25 minutes, but you can add an extra five minutes if you’re in the zone and want to keep going.
I find Focus Mode especially useful in a dual-monitor setup—or when I’m running Super Productivity on my tablet while working on my computer. Having the timer off to the side where I can glance at it keeps me aware of how much longer I need to keep working.
Super Productivity is cross-platform but doesn’t have a native cloud server to sync data across devices. I personally use Syncthing to sync my Super Productivity data between my Windows PC, Android smartphone, and iPad.
If you still find it difficult to push through a full 25-minute session, there’s also Domina Mode to provide words of encouragement—literally. It lets you enter a custom motivational message and uses text-to-speech to repeat it at set intervals. For example, I’ve noticed I tend to lose focus around the 15-minute mark, especially when I’m working on something boring.
So I’ve set Domina Mode to remind me—”Get back to work. You need to earn money.”—which is usually enough to keep me going. The core idea is to remind yourself why you’re doing the work and how it connects to the bigger things you’re working toward.
Super Productivity is one of the most powerful task management apps I’ve used. Beyond these anti-procrastination features, it’s packed with useful productivity tools—so much so that I’ve ditched all my paid apps for it. If you’ve been trying to get more done and stay consistent, this app makes a strong case as an all-in-one solution.
