How To Beat Procrastination

You don't see any reward in action.
You don't see how you can get your task done on time so you do nothing.
It really might be too late to finish the task on time if you start now.
But that's a reason to go into action. Why?

There are two possible rewards:
1. Better late than never.
2. You are building the habit of being in action and that is one of the greatest rewards you can ever receive.

The success of the immediate product is a secondary issue. It is primarily a vehicle to build the action habit, an absolute requirement for a decent life.

One more time:
a. The procrastination habit is a killer.
b. You have to create a counter habit.
c. Use any task, pointless or not, to get into the habit of action.

Reference: Dave Bohl at Dumb Little Guy. His recommendations are quite different but the title meant a lot to me: Beating Procrastination is Easy – Once You Get Moving. Movement is the goal. Not a payoff from the project at hand.

Comments

[Barbara]

I find this to be absolutely true. It's not the project that is the goal, it is the stopping of the procrastination habit. Start with one little thing, then add another. It gets easier, and it makes everything so much better. Speaking as the (former) queen of procrastination, this works.