Yes, even those people who work so hard they’re annoying… the ones who seem almost robotic in their ability to get stuff done, and who seem like they’d never even be tempted to waste their time like the rest of us “mere mortals”... I've found that even these people are consistently tempted to do the easy things first, and to put off the hard stuff.
I know of only one person who does not fit the above mold and friends have labelled him a dynamo and human tsunami. Nervous energy does not allow him to rest until everything on his plate on a particular day is cleaned up NOW. In his mid 50s he remains a bachelor -- not necessarily indicative of anything LOL.
Euphemistically speaking, most of we humans have to resist the urge to press “Control + T” then type “gmail.com” and then scroll through our inboxes…and scroll through our Facebook feeds… and watch entertaining videos on YouTube which do nothing to move forward our businesses and/or personal affairs. Simply put, distractions in general are our enemy!
I’ve come to believe that this is just how we naturally work. And so rather than continually failing to change this about myself, instead I am compelled to focus on creating external conditions which force me to get the essential things done.
Euphemistically speaking, most of we humans have to resist the urge to press “Control + T” then type “gmail.com” and then scroll through our inboxes…and scroll through our Facebook feeds… and watch entertaining videos on YouTube which do nothing to move forward our businesses and/or personal affairs. Simply put, distractions in general are our enemy!
I’ve come to believe that this is just how we naturally work. And so rather than continually failing to change this about myself, instead I am compelled to focus on creating external conditions which force me to get the essential things done.
I should state, however, I do not procrastinate when it comes to my writing. Developing an idea for a story always comes first and at the expense of everything else -- eating and sleeping included. I also sense that my procrastination becomes more of an issue the older and lazier I get. "Awe, I'll get to it tomorrow when the spirit moves me." sort of thing. And if tomorrow does not come, well then it will be too late anyway.
Apart from pre-occupation with story-telling, here is a personal, four-step process I call on for creating external conditions which negate my increasing tendency to put things off:
(1) Identify the most important task for today
(2) Break down the process of achieving that task into simple steps
(3) Set a deadline
(4) Announce, or own, the deadline
(1) Identify the most important task for today
(2) Break down the process of achieving that task into simple steps
(3) Set a deadline
(4) Announce, or own, the deadline
After identifying the critical task, then get to it my pal -- no matter how simple or how complex the challenge.
If you break it all down into small steps, it seems much less daunting… and much more achievable.
If you break it all down into small steps, it seems much less daunting… and much more achievable.
In a perfect world you should not have to go to this length to get things done. But who's talking about a perfect world?
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