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Chronic Procrastination: 5 Weird (But Effective) Ways You Can Conquer It - Barking Up The Wrong Tree
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“Positive” Procrastination
At the top of your to-do list, put a couple of daunting, if not impossible, tasks that are vaguely important-sounding (but really aren’t) and seem to have deadlines (but really don’t).
Then, farther down the list, include some doable tasks that really matter.
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Dashes
A dash is simply a short burst of focused activity during which you force yourself to do nothing but work on the procrastinated item for a very short period of time—perhaps as little as just one minute.
The first thing is to take one minute and just write down the steps you need to do to finish the task - just a rough draft, at first, and that’s it.
Now there is nothing else to think about, and there is no way to screw this task up. Everything is laid out and you can just start working on it.
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Commitment Devices
First, give your friend $100. If you get the task done by 5 PM, you get your $100 back. If it doesn’t, you lose the $100.
Or make it $200 that the friend doesn’t keep — they donate it to some weird organizations, in your name.
Get the picture? That’s a commitment device.
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Improve your mood
If you’re really going to be motivated, you need to feel something. Having a rational goal in mind or thinking you want something just isn’t enough.
What moves you? What inspires you? Try that.
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Procrastination knockout punch
- Manage your mood throughout the day. Do the little things that keep you positive. Get enough sleep. Eat regularly. Take breaks.
- Make your list of to-dos with the terrifying stuff at the top and the easier stuff at the bottom.
- Do a one minute dash and write out the steps needed to beat the first problem.
- Still too difficult? Use positive procrastination and do one of the things lower on this list, rather than #1.
- Establish your commitment device. Hand your friend that money.
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Mistake Of Every Productivity System
Productivity systems rarely take emotions into account. And feelings are a fundamental and unavoidable part of why humans do what they do.
We need to think to plan but we need to feel ...
Rile up those emotions
- Get Positive. Monitor the progress you’re making and celebrate it.
- Get Rewarded. Research shows that rewards are responsible for three-quarters of why you do things.
Get Peer Pressure. "When people join groups where change seems possible, the potential for that change to occur becomes more real."
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Key Ideas
“Keystone” Habits
The primary keystone habit is regular exercise. People who exercise habitually start changing other unrelated patterns in their lives, even unknowingly. They eat better, use their credit car...
Do the most important things first
Willpower is limited. It is highest early in the day but decreases as we make more decisions. Most self-control failures happen at night.
Do the most important things first. As the day goes on it will only get harder to face big challenges.
Don't Use Willpower
Research shows we don’t use much willpower when something is a habit.
Build new habits by manipulating your environment so as to make what you should do easy and what you shouldn’t do hard. Remove the cookies from eyesight and put your running shoes next to the bed.
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Key Ideas
Stop Reacting
Don’t check your email or anything else that is going to dictate your behavior.
If you start your day by checking and replying to emails, it means you'll just react as new things come ...
The Things That Matter Most
Most of us get 80% of results from 20% of the work we do. So focus on that 20%.
Don’t be vague. Specify what you need to get done - research shows that having concrete goals is correlated with huge increases in confidence and feelings of control.
Use Your “Magic Hours” Wisely
You have 2-2.5 hours of peak productivity every day. You may actually be 30% more effective at that time. For most of us, this happens in the morning.
Those are the hours when you should be working on your main goals. Why would you want to waste that on a conference call or a staff meeting?