Learn Italian: Anziché procrastinare, preferisco lavorare subito. - Instead of procrastinating, I prefer to work right away.

In English, we usually use the "-ing" form after prepositions like "instead of". In Italian, when you want to express an action following anziché or invece di, you must use the present infinitive (the base dictionary form of the verb).

Can I use invece di in this sentence instead of anziché?

Yes, they mean the exact same thing and are completely interchangeable here. Just remember that invece must be followed by di, while anziché connects directly to the infinitive verb. You could just as easily say: Invece di procrastinare, preferisco lavorare subito.

Why isn't there a preposition like a or di between preferisco and lavorare?

The verb preferire (to prefer) connects directly to the infinitive verb that follows it. You don't need a preposition in between, much like how you would say voglio lavorare (I want to work).

I remember preferire is a bit tricky to conjugate. Why is it preferisco and not "prefero"?