CAN’T VS. DON’T - Deepstash
Beat Procrastination

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Beat Procrastination

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CAN’T VS. DON’T

CAN’T VS. DON’T

Telling yourself (or others) that you “can’t” do something impresses upon the mind that you would very much like to do the thing in question but you’re denying yourself of it.

The word can’t is damaging, however, the word don’t, according to Mann, is empowering. Consider the sentence; “I can’t drink alcohol” versus the statement “I don’t drink alcohol.” The word don’t implies that you make a conscious decision not to do something.

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MORE IDEAS ON THIS

”Productive people tend to stay productive. Or, as they say, nothing succeeds like success.”

DOMINIC MANN

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OUTSOURCING

Consider outsourcing menial tasks that are repetitive and boring to you.

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CAN YOU PROCRASTINATE PRODUCTIVELY?

CAN YOU PROCRASTINATE PRODUCTIVELY?

Instead of giving up on work altogether, shift your focus to easy, simple tasks that still need to be done but won’t take up much brain power. Whether it be returning a phone call, reading some emails or even just tidying your desk.

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INTELLIGENT PEOPLE PROCRASTINATE MORE

INTELLIGENT PEOPLE PROCRASTINATE MORE

The more intelligent you are, the more likely you are to find yourself procrastinating. If you’re someone with a high-intelligence, you’re able to see the repercussions of any task, you realise that it might be boring or difficult, therefore, you put it off for something that might be more stimul...

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MAKE A TASTY TO-DO LIST

MAKE A TASTY TO-DO LIST

Have a useful to-do list, where you only write down the very next actions. This way you can move through it quickly.

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TWO MINUTES

TWO MINUTES

Implement the 2-minute rule, if it takes less than 2 minutes to do, do it right away.

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AIRPLANE DAYS

AIRPLANE DAYS

Mann notes just how common it is for people to feel that they are extremely productive when on flights, particularly business flights. People question why this is, but to Mann, it’s clear. Absolutely no distractions. No wi-fi, no texts, no calls, no pesky meetings, no shared office morning teas. ...

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TIME BLOCKS

TIME BLOCKS

  1. Decide when you need to complete the task, consider when it’s due and how much time you’ll need to complete this.
  2. Block out the appropriate amount of time to work on the task, do this on a calendar, physical or online. Be generous with your time slot...

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MACRO GOALS & MICRO QUOTAS

Find a way to balance the satisfaction of getting things done and pursuing your biggest and most ambitious goals by setting ‘macro goals’ and ‘micro quotas'.

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MOMENTUM IS KEY

Momentum is important, once you get started working, it’s easier to continue. So just start!

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”To stop procrastinating, shift your focus from the overwhelming immensity of the entire forest to just a single tree."

DOMINIC MANN

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MANN’S (10+2)X5 METHOD

It involved setting out a 60-minute period and focusing on work.

First, set a timer on your computer or watch or phone for 10 minutes. For 10 minutes you can work on the given task, with no distractions.

When the 10 minutes is up, take a 2-minute brain break, then back to work.

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VISUALISATION

Visualize the steps necessary to reach the outcome.

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DEADLINES CAN BE POWERFUL

DEADLINES CAN BE POWERFUL

Use deadlines as a motivator, whether someone else sets them for you or you set them yourself, create a consequence for things that aren’t done.

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THE NEXT ACTION HABIT

Don’t consider a project as an entirety, just focus on the next small task involved in making some progress.

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MANN’S BUTT-IN-CHAIR METHOD

MANN’S BUTT-IN-CHAIR METHOD

All you need to do is commit to sitting down at your desk (butt-in-chair) for a certain amount of time each day. Ensure that you have no distractions, put your phone on silent, turn off email notifications and just work.

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"When Olympians use visualisation as a tool, they don’t visualise standing on the highest spot on the podium triumphantly holding aloft their gold medal. What they do instead is visualise the race, the process of winning gold, not the outcome."

DOMINIC MANN

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DISTRACTION TO-DO LISTs

How often do you find yourself in the middle of work when your suddenly overcome with the desire to do something else, something non-work related, something has distracted you and grabbed your attention.

Mann suggests rather than giving into that desire right then and there, write it down. ...

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STOP BEING A PERFECTIONIST

It’s easy to want everything to be perfect, all of the time, but in reality, nothing is perfect. You can learn new skills, develop, grow and thrive, but you’ll still never be perfect. And it’s time to accept that.

Doing nothing is the worst case scenario. It’s always better to be do...

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CURATED FROM

CURATED BY

aadityas

Thinker, procrastinator, and

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"Don’t" vs "Can’t"

By classifying specific behaviors as things you will never do again, you put certain actions into the realm of “I don’t” versus “I can’t.”

Saying “I don’t” rather than “I can’t” provides greater “psychological empowerment.”

"I can't" vs "I don't"

"I can't" vs "I don't"

Every time you tell yourself “I can’t”, you’re indicating that you’re forcing yourself to do something you don’t want to do.

Tell yourself "I don’t do that" instead. You're punishing yourself by saying “I can’t,” because that is a reminder of your limitations.

3. Can vs. Can’t

3. Can vs. Can’t

Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.

Sounds cliché, but it’s the hard truth. Believing that you can in fact achieve your dreams is the first step to making them come true.

The easiest way to shift your mind from can’t to ...

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