Beating procrastination

Page 111. Beating procrastination. Think about the items on your to do list that you’ve been avoiding for a while. Pictures of benefits, plan a short term reward, tie the first step to something you like, amplified the downside of an action and ask the five wise.

— from Decisions & Choices (Decision/Choice/Focus/Forethought/Consequences) · How to Have a Good Day by Caroline Webb

In the book

Often the engine of that paralysis is fear: a risk frightens us so much that we refuse to think about it or its consequences at all — which is the worst possible response. There are honest ways to break the freeze: picture the benefits vividly, plan yourself a small reward, deliberately amplify the downside of not acting, and ask why you are stalling five times until you hit the real reason. And be careful what you let yourself call an option, because quitting is a choice too — and it should never be plan A. — Decisions & Choices (Decision/Choice/Focus/Forethought/Consequences)

And when the work stalls, as it will, have your tools ready. Break procrastination's grip by picturing the benefits, promising a small reward, and amplifying the downside of not acting; it loosens, too, as your confidence rises, so draw on your past successes, recalling what you have already pulled off to spur the next thing. Do not be paralyzed by whether a thing will work, either — the wise are moved less by whether something will succeed than by whether it is a bet worth taking. […] Build a system and prioritize to one thing. Make the system serve the big-picture goal, and narrow your aims to the single most important. Then act — now. Nothing happens until you move; build it one day at a time; and break procrastination by amplifying the cost of not acting. Feed the right fuel. Lean on autonomy, mastery, and purpose; do what you genuinely enjoy; and check that the drive is honestly your own. — Goals, Action & Defining Success (Goal/Action/Success/Motivation)

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