How to End Procrastination
Scenario: "Dude, just do it. You'll win. Yay!"
- Imagine staring up a freakish mountain. It's big, it's tall, it's freaky, and it's scary. You don't wanna go up, now -- you don't wanna fail.
- Now, imagine starting at a bunny hill. It's small, it's kiddy-like, and it's oh-so-easy-to-accomplish. You could do it with your eyes closed.
Typical Entrepreneur Elemo imagines his workload as if he's staring up some big, freakish, Everest-like mountain. So:
- He avoids his work as much as possible.
- "It's too scary now! Maybe the workload will scare me less later!" he subconsciously thinks.
- That leaves him little room to really kick butt on his work, resulting in mediocrity-after-mediocrity.
Uh-freakin-oh. What to do, what to do?
Reverse your mindset.
Instead of seeing your pile of work as some Everest-colossal-like mountain, tackle your plethora of tasks by completing one, easy, feasible bunny hill. Ask yourself the secret sauce: "What can my badass accomplish in 60 seconds?"
Piles of Work Starts With a Bunny
Freakishly efficient people accomplish their freakish workload by starting with one small, easy, bunny-hill-like, accomplishable thing that they do in minutes. Bite-sized chunks. Easy, simple, and digestible. Why? If you accomplish something in 60 seconds, you build more momentum to accomplish more stuff -- then some more, and some more -- until you're working like a rapid ostrich on crack.
The Power of the First Bite-Sized Chunk
Imagine a big-giant flywheel -- similar to what Jim Collins describes in his bestseller.
- Initially, you can barely move the giant flywheel.
- But, as you continue to push some more, the increasing momentum makes the flywheel rotate faster -- then faster.
- You push some more, and it goes even faster.
Accomplishing your massive tasks works the same way:
- At first, you'll see minimal-but-promising results.
- But as you complete accomplish an initial task, the follow-up task becomes easier.
- You complete that, then the third, fourth, fifth, etc., becomes increasingly oh-so much easier.
After a while, you start seeing yourself leveraging the work momentum you've created to complete task-after-task-after-sexy-task. "Hey, this ain't bad. Oh, no. Let's accomplish something else!" you tell your bad-self. Follow-up work becomes freakishly easier, resulting in a cherished: "@#$, wtf! I'm one productive mofo!" From a 60-second bite-sized start, you prep yourself to become one vigorous, focused, efficient mofo that chases down tasks -- and beats them into utter submission.
The 60-Second Trick: It's Oh-So Magical
Feel like you're procrastinating? If at any point -- in your fabulous life -- you ever feel like an unproductive crazy person, try the trick:
Accomplish something in 60 seconds.
Then, see the resulting magic: You'll accomplish more -- then, increasingly, more. Becoming the efficient mofo you've always wanted to be:
"What can I accomplish in 60 seconds?"
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5 Comments
on How to End Procrastination
Dave Navarro
2007-06-25 09:20:36 UTC
I just stepped someone through this same process last night to kill procrastination and rock rock your focus:
- First, decide to do something - anything - rather than sitting still trying to figure out what to do (or how to do it). The act of taking action conditions you to take more action in the future. Make conditioning yourself to act your focus, and it will become easier.
- Second, take 15 minutes and make a list of things you want to make progress on this week. Don't worry about getting it perfect, or worry if you're going to get it all done. Just get something down because, as in the first step, action strengthens that decision making muscle.
- Third, block out specific time blocks you're going to work on things. If you have a million things to do, chunk it out into 15, 20 or 30 minute blocks and dash from one to the next. You'll be training yourself to focus during each of those blocks, and if you have at it, you'll get better at it fast.
Here's the good part - once you develop the habit of focusing "on purpose" on *something*, over and over again, without worrying if it's the "right thing", you'll start getting more discerning. You'll start making stronger decisions about prioritizing, and you'll decide you want to do the things that matter most rather than just doing 'stuff'.
... except at that point, you'll have a stronger focus, and it will be easier to shift gears and kick tail.
Keep Rocking -
- Dave Navarro
Norbert Mocsnik
2007-06-26 05:04:15 UTC
One should see the distinction between constructive and destructive procrastination. When you GTD, for example, you define a whole bunch of actions during your weekly review which serves as a list of tasks to consciously/consctructively procrastinate with during the week. Because you define these tasks partially based on the 6-level model of your life (your life, not your work), procrastinating with them still moves your goals and purpose forward. It doesn't mean that procrastinating all day long is fine but these tasks usually build the momentum required for the other work that actually has to be done but you don't feel like starting (or completing) it.
Doing nothing should always be avoided. Time is a precious resource. Use the present to prepare for future opportunities which didn't show up yet but they definitely will show up soon. Remember: "Success occurs when opportunity meets preparation." (Zig Ziglar)
Great Personal Development Reads and Listens I Found This Week - from Creating a Better Life
2007-06-30 07:31:47 UTC
[...] Looking for a way to beat procrastination? Check out this post from the trizoko biz journal: How to End Procrastination Filed under shame, guilt, self-esteem, procrastination, audio by Lyman Reed [...]
Anonymous
2007-07-07 23:31:38 UTC
i got through some of it, .........ill finish it later
Casey
2007-07-08 13:28:27 UTC
Oh my, I am looking for any way to put an end to my horrid procrastination! I'm afraid it's beyond fixing. When I wake in the morning and the hubby leaves for work I write my TO-DO-LIST with every intention of accomplishing everything on the list. The first thing on my list each day is GET UP so I always have one thing that I can cross off.
Now when the feeling comes to get busy and get things done...I immediately lay down on the sofa...close my eyes and rest until that mood to do something passes. THERE IS NO HELP FOR ME.....
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