In my career as a financial advisor I did a lot of research on procrastination as it seemed to be one of the reasons people failed to get ahead. A common source of procrastination is the idea that we have to wait until we have a big block of time before starting on a task - any task. There are people use small amounts of time to get things done efficiently throughout a day. They tend to not procrastinate, but they are not waiting for large blocks of time.
List creation seems to be common place with these types of people. When you research procrastination you invariably come across David Allen system of GTD, �Getting Things Done.� He created a system to help increase personal productivity and organization.
Modern life is full of demands and interruptions. If you are waiting for a large block of time before you start something, you likely will never start it because the large block of time may never come.
Learning to use make good use of small blocks of time is a key to getting things done. Another is the idea that you have to wait until the �right� time. However for many of us the �right� time seems to just get further and further away.
I have created eight tips to getting started:
1) Baby Steps � Break your task down into small steps, do each small step individually.
2) Kitchen Timer � During writer’s block I write in 15 minute increments, then get up and move around. I find that if I limit the time I do not feel so overwhelmed with the amount of time given. I always have a Kitchen Cooking Timer when I am writing to make sure I stay on task.
3) Force or Pressure� Just do it. This usually means that I have waited until the last minute and have to get something done. I find that if I wait until the last minute to get something done I can actually work. There is something about pressure that moves me forward.
4) Relax � Yes relax. Spend a little time mediating and stop stressing about the deadline.
5) Music � Music can work wonders for concentration. If you do not have a band or group that allows you to concentrate, try anything by Mozart.
6) Bargain with yourself - I am fond of snacks, licorice or goldfish crackers when I am working. I often bargain with myself � I can have 1 piece of licorice or 10 goldfish crackers for each page I finish. This especially works when I am hungry.
7) Completion NOT perfection � Just get it complete. Do not worry about it being perfect. Perfection is the enemy of completion. You can always edit later.
8) Eliminate all distractions � turn off the TV or radio. Remove yourself from rooms that may cause you to be tempted to do something, e.g. video games, clean, etc.
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