CAN WE GIVE UP PROCRASTINATION IN ONE MONTH?
HERE WE'LL IDENTIFY OUR MOST IMPORTANT TASK, MASTER GETTING STARTED, AND LEARN TO
REFOCUS WHEN PROCRASTINATION TRIES TO CREEP IN.
Like many people, I'm
skilled in the art of procrastination. The excuses I give myself range from,
"There's not enough time to finish" to "I really don't want to
mess this up." But overall, the hardest part about getting started is the
intimidation factor: I'm afraid of the scope of tackling the unknown.
Leo Babauta, the founder of the popular self-improvement site Zen Habits, proposes a simple
solution: start with small chunks and reconnect with why you're doing the work
in the first place.
With the help of
his Unprocrastination Sea Change program, this
month we'll work towards putting an end to putting things off. This challenge
will be the ultimate test in pushing past the uncomfortable and unfamiliar.
According to Babauta,
there are three key habit changes we need to make to put an end to
procrastination:
1. Picking a Most Important Task each morning.
2. Developing the habit of starting.
3. Learning to pause when you get the urge to
procrastinate.
To acquire these
habits, as well as heightened awareness, Babauta has broken the challenge up
into weekly tasks. Here's the plan:
WEEK 1: FOCUS ON YOUR MOST IMPORTANT
TASK (MIT)
Each morning, or even
the evening before, write down your most important task of the day. Before
answering email or checking messages, this is the first task you will work on.
Don't know what your most important task is? Ask yourself: of the tasks before
you, which will have the biggest impact on your life? If you have a few
contenders, it doesn't matter where you start—just pick one.
Next, report your task
to someone. It could be through social media, or to a person in your life that holds you accountable for
your actions. Report your most important task each day, and continue to do this
for the rest of the challenge.
Keep picking your
daily MIT, but now focus on starting. To do this, break
the task down into chunks and make the first one super easy to accomplish. If
you want to start running, for example, make your first task as easy as simply
lacing up your shoes and walking out the door. Forget about the 3 miles you
want to run. Once you get started, the rest will come. If you want to do more
than starting, and keep going, that’s fine, but not required. Report on your
progress each day.
WEEK 3: FOCUS ON THE PAUSE
"When we fail,
it’s because we act on urges without thinking, without realizing it,"
Babauta writes. "We have the urge to check Facebook or email, and we do
it."
After you start your
most important task for the day, when you feel the urge to procrastinate,
simply pause. Try not to act on the urge, pay attention to it, and learn as
much as you can about it. Keep doing this each time you feel an urge to
procrastinate. Pause and observe. Then report your findings to your
accountability group or person.
WEEK 4: CONTINUE PRACTICING THESE
HABITS AND DEVELOP HEIGHTENED AWARENESS
To continue forming
these new habits, keep repeating them and keep observing your procrastination
urges and causes this week. Observe your fears, irrational beliefs, and what
distracts you. Block these addictive distractions and continue to pause when
their pull is strong.
BY RACHEL
GILLETT
http://www.fastcompany.com/3043656/work-smart/can-we-give-up-procrastination-in-one-month
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