Procrastination usually stems from a couple of things but the most important one is fear. Fear of doing the uncertain. Many tasks in our daily lives are just that - uncertain. I've been putting off writing this article for a while now, mostly because I wasn't sure of what I should write.
At a glance, writing seems easy but there's a lot of push back mentally. It is true for all things, that one must do. After wrestling for a few hours, I finally start tapping my fingers on the keyboard, trying to think what to say, getting distracted with something and trying again.
Let me tell you, I'm not in the right headspace. I had the viral flu last week and my body is still recovering. I don't feel like working and my mind is not there yet. It happens, to feel like working, I need to get into the groove but since I don't feel like it how do I get into it? The answer is a bit of force.
I'm usually not a fan of force but I do believe that it is sometimes necessary to get things done. And as for my case, I don't have anyone to oversee me. I have to do it myself.
The force is always internal, and usually occurs in bursts. I've been using this strategy for a couple of years. It's called the 5 minute rule. It's pretty popular, lot's of people have written about it and you might have used it in your life too at some point.
The idea is that you give yourself 5 minutes to do a thing you don't want to do. In those 5 minutes, you have to force yourself to do that thing. And at the end of 5 minutes, you can either continue doing it or you can just stop it.
Large tasks and big projects
I use this strategy a lot. It is a simple one, but very effective to get started. I've used this to get me to the gym, I've used this to start on a project. You name it.
Usually when working on a project over a long time, you tend to lose steam. It happens, and it's normal. It's difficult to get going. In my case, it happens often because that's how I am.
At the back of your head, you know you should get started on something but it becomes so difficult to start. The guilt piles up and you start feeling bad about yourself. This isn't good for any project, you need to stay objective but alas, we're merely human. So when this happens next time, set a timer for 5 minutes. Pick a task and just do it for 5 minutes. Literally.
And at the end of the 5 minutes, if you get into a flow state and forget that you set a timer - great. But instead if you feel the dread then you are free to stop the task. Forcing yourself to do something you don't want to do doesn't yield good results anyway.
How to pick a task
Starting the timer is easy but knowing what task to work for those 5 minutes can be a challenge. Especially if you've got a long list from multiple projects and notes. And then the analysis paralysis demon kicks in and you've got yourself another problem.
There are a couple of ways I use to decide on a task
- Go with the feels
- Think about a task that is bothering me
- Most of the time, I go with the feels. For me to actually do something, I need to be in the right headspace to start and do a task. If I'm not in the right feels, the chances of me abandoning becomes higher.
- Another thing I do is, if there's something that's been on my list for a while and it's been eating my inside, then I start with that.
Sometimes, it can be a combination of both - like right now. Writing this article has been on my list for more than a month and it was eating me but now I was also somewhat in the right headspace to get it done.
Improve the odds?
Improving the odds of success for a task is like trying to predict the future. It's uncertain, there's multiple factors at play here like mood, stress, motivation etc. So the question is, how can you make sure that at the end of those 5 minutes you actually continue your task?
The answer is
- make sure you're in the right feels
- do something that bothers you
Then pick and do that task.
The Effects of Compounding
I have to remind myself this very often, I think we all would be served well if we remember this. Compounding works. In the short term, you can't see it but over a large period, it is like a mountain that just goes up and never ends.
The 5 minutes you spend now on something might seem minuscule compared to all the hours you put in but they do add up. Not directly but indirectly and you won't even see it coming.
The End
Ultimately, this is a useful strategy to have in your arsenal. Remember, there's no one size fits all solution. Usually from experience, it is a bunch of them tied together. You can combine this strategy with another technique but always keep it simple. We tend to like it when things are a bit complicated but most of the time we don't need complicated solutions.
And one more thing, if you don't feel like doing a thing, don't beat yourself up. Projects and life are a marathon, there's time for rest and then there's time for play. It's always a balance.