I use an awesome app called Brain.fm - as a chronic procrastinator, it’s been a game change. It’s music specially made to get your brain in the zone - like lo-fi but backed by science.
Works every time - that “smallest step” you mentioned has, for me, just opening the app and selecting the “deep focus” or “creative work” channel.
This is wonderful advice - figuring out the right environment to help you do you best work is critical. And it sounds like the app has become a cue for you to focus.
Hi Charles! Catherine Price here, with a fun dorky fact: did you know that "procrastinate" is from the Latin "pro" + "cras," meaning "for tomorrow"? I've always loved that. Now back to what I'm supposed to be doing. . . .
Avoiding the work, I came to realize, was harder on me than the actual work. Procrastination led to negative self-talk, which begat self-doubt and eventually resentment of myself and the work. So now, I just start because putting it off is hard on the psyche.
I think the management of energy is also easy to ignore. When you're starting up something, you may choose to start it any time of the day. If you're lower on energy, it's easier to give up before you start.
For instance, I teach several courses. Some are harder than others. (e.g. article writing is a lot harder than cartooning). If a client doesn't get to the first step first thing in the day, there's a much bigger chance of not getting it done at all.
There are two parts to this energy problem. The first part is that if you approach that task when you have the most energy, you can get started. The first step, which is the most crucial of all, gets done. However, the second part is that NOT doing what you need to do drags you down all day. You think about it all the time, and it pulls down other activities you've planned to do as well.
We talk a lot about time management. But most of us have loads of time, which is why we have a subscription to Netflix. However, we lose energy all the time. And if we don't get started earlier, then the end of the day is rather frustrating.
P.S. This applies to Netflix too. You need to get started on saving the stuff you want to watch, long before you sit down to watch it.
I think the point about how NOT doing something can drag you down is fantastic. I totally agree: sometimes avoiding doing something is the most exhausting activity of all. (which is why I usually force myself to start - if nothing else, the relief is great.)
Most of the time it's interesting to note the flip side. The obvious is usually what we measure. Hence, let's take brushing teeth. The habit states that if we brush our teeth, we keep them clean. But there's also a quick follow up. If you don't, then your teeth don't stay the same. They decay. The opposite of doing something isn't doing nothing. It's usually a form of decay, loss of energy, loss of confidence, even.
My hack when I have a goal I really want to achieve but no plan yet is to deprive myself of what I was about to do (scroll my favorite websites, watch TV, etc.) until I do at least one small thing toward figuring out the plan. It's kind of a mashup of your steps 1, 2 and 3 but it works for me.
If I do have a plan but just procrastinating (usually about writing) then I do the same thing. I deprive myself of internet or whatever until I write for at least five minutes. Usually after five minutes I'm engaged in my writing project and go longer.
I totally agree: environment matters a lot. I sometimes use an app named Freedom - which puts certain sites out of reach - to prevent myself from casually browsing to websites I know will draw me in.
There's some great psychological research on procrastination that suggests that what we're often avoiding is not the task but the feeling that the task elicits - fear of failure, boredom, resentment, overwhelm. That's always resonated with me and helped me to acknowledge the feeling as just that, a feeling, and then push through.
Some great work too on the role that self compassion can play in helping us to unhook from the negative thought spiral that procrastination prompts. I've also found that very helpful.
As a stay-at-home, full time writer, I need someone to hold me accountable on the daily (other writer friends) and I really respond to signing up for something far ahead of time (like the half-marathon race). Fear is a great motivator for me :)
I use an awesome app called Brain.fm - as a chronic procrastinator, it’s been a game change. It’s music specially made to get your brain in the zone - like lo-fi but backed by science.
Works every time - that “smallest step” you mentioned has, for me, just opening the app and selecting the “deep focus” or “creative work” channel.
This is wonderful advice - figuring out the right environment to help you do you best work is critical. And it sounds like the app has become a cue for you to focus.
Very interesting as always Charli.. love reading this even when I knew that I am procrastinating something I should have been doing right now.. jaja
I know you'll get to it soon!
Hi Charles! Catherine Price here, with a fun dorky fact: did you know that "procrastinate" is from the Latin "pro" + "cras," meaning "for tomorrow"? I've always loved that. Now back to what I'm supposed to be doing. . . .
I love that!
Avoiding the work, I came to realize, was harder on me than the actual work. Procrastination led to negative self-talk, which begat self-doubt and eventually resentment of myself and the work. So now, I just start because putting it off is hard on the psyche.
I think once we have that realization, it opens up A LOT for us.
I think the management of energy is also easy to ignore. When you're starting up something, you may choose to start it any time of the day. If you're lower on energy, it's easier to give up before you start.
For instance, I teach several courses. Some are harder than others. (e.g. article writing is a lot harder than cartooning). If a client doesn't get to the first step first thing in the day, there's a much bigger chance of not getting it done at all.
There are two parts to this energy problem. The first part is that if you approach that task when you have the most energy, you can get started. The first step, which is the most crucial of all, gets done. However, the second part is that NOT doing what you need to do drags you down all day. You think about it all the time, and it pulls down other activities you've planned to do as well.
We talk a lot about time management. But most of us have loads of time, which is why we have a subscription to Netflix. However, we lose energy all the time. And if we don't get started earlier, then the end of the day is rather frustrating.
P.S. This applies to Netflix too. You need to get started on saving the stuff you want to watch, long before you sit down to watch it.
I think the point about how NOT doing something can drag you down is fantastic. I totally agree: sometimes avoiding doing something is the most exhausting activity of all. (which is why I usually force myself to start - if nothing else, the relief is great.)
Most of the time it's interesting to note the flip side. The obvious is usually what we measure. Hence, let's take brushing teeth. The habit states that if we brush our teeth, we keep them clean. But there's also a quick follow up. If you don't, then your teeth don't stay the same. They decay. The opposite of doing something isn't doing nothing. It's usually a form of decay, loss of energy, loss of confidence, even.
good point!
My hack when I have a goal I really want to achieve but no plan yet is to deprive myself of what I was about to do (scroll my favorite websites, watch TV, etc.) until I do at least one small thing toward figuring out the plan. It's kind of a mashup of your steps 1, 2 and 3 but it works for me.
If I do have a plan but just procrastinating (usually about writing) then I do the same thing. I deprive myself of internet or whatever until I write for at least five minutes. Usually after five minutes I'm engaged in my writing project and go longer.
I totally agree: environment matters a lot. I sometimes use an app named Freedom - which puts certain sites out of reach - to prevent myself from casually browsing to websites I know will draw me in.
At a point you start to realise that taking it easy on yourself or even giving yourself more time to do something can be termed as procrastinating
There's some great psychological research on procrastination that suggests that what we're often avoiding is not the task but the feeling that the task elicits - fear of failure, boredom, resentment, overwhelm. That's always resonated with me and helped me to acknowledge the feeling as just that, a feeling, and then push through.
Some great work too on the role that self compassion can play in helping us to unhook from the negative thought spiral that procrastination prompts. I've also found that very helpful.
As a stay-at-home, full time writer, I need someone to hold me accountable on the daily (other writer friends) and I really respond to signing up for something far ahead of time (like the half-marathon race). Fear is a great motivator for me :)
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