The Topic
Let's talk about PROCRASTINATION. Knowing something that I want to complete is imminent but I still delay it until the last moment. This is not a healthy sign for doing things, especially important stuff that would affect my business or even some other tasks assigned to me. However, when I was facing a huge challenge ahead, I tend to procrastinate and try to face it later then face it immediately. This had been haunting me for some time, occasionally I am still affected by it. Therefore, I am constantly in the lookout to get this solved. How to totally get rid of this habit?
The Learning Points
You start to judge yourself because you procrastinate?
Yes, I do judge myself for procrastinating. This is a BIG NO and it is not a matter of I cannot do it, but it is the lack of the right method to execute. So the following points are for me to learn up the ways to get around it.
Get a second brain and start to move the information to it
This is what I am doing now with these following APPs:
- Notion (on my daily learning from reading, the goal is to build a library with this app)
- Google Calendar (record all the events that I had and will be having)
- Goodnotes (on my study that requires memorization, discussion, brainstorming and sketching)
- Notes (iOS) (random thoughts that I had)
- Excel & spreadsheet (finance)
According to the study, when I move most of my thoughts and plan to the second brain, it will become clearer and less burden for me. Frankly, I would agree to it and I consider myself not putting out enough of myself to the second brain. The current challenge is to create a habit where I will constantly make input to this second brain.
Categorized tasks into "flower" and "leaf"
"Flower" - tasks that require more than 30 minutes to complete like report writing, design marketing materials, writing speech, doing engagement on social media, video editing and so on.
"Leaf" - tasks that require less than 30 minutes to complete like replying customer message, replying customer messages, setting events, writing down fast note of the idea, and so on.
Only focus on 5 things in a day
Need to list all the things I need to do and find out the 5 things that I will be doing for the day. Let me try for the next day, which is Monday for me:
- Read and write a learning summary on Notion
- Comment and provide materials for Go Doodle website
- Promotion for Ernest Ng talk show on the morning
- Write up for Green + Space for the whole week
- Get Yan & Christine to assess drawings & produce reports
However, I am in doubt on what kind of 5 tasks should I choose? Some tasks may be very simple like the "leaf" tasks and some are "flowers". I guess I will try with the "flowers" first then go for the "leaf".
80% of the time tackling "flower" while 20% tacking the "leaf"
From this ration, it is obvious that I need to allocate most of my working time for the "flower" tasks. Imagining I have 10 hours allocated for work, then 8 hours should be used to do "flower" related works. This would require me to create blocks for my tasks and also record my usage of the blocks. Another challenge for me to take on.
10 minutes meditation before start working
I never really tried meditation, but I do listen to some mantra from Youtube. I think it helps to calm my mind from any thoughts, just blank it out and after that start doing the task that is most important.
Constantly check whether I am doing the most important thing
Set an alarm or a timer for my work. Every 30 minutes, there should be an alarm to trigger the questioning on whether I am doing the most important task. If not, I should immediately change back to the task that I should be doing.
Ensure working on a single task
This is one of the hardest as there are many distractions around me. Like phones, doggies, family members, that would easily distract me on doing something. Sometimes I need to be firm but it has to be with an agreement that I am currently focusing on something. So just focus for like one hour and then after that only proceed with doing other "leaf" tasks.
Use the fragmented time to think & use big blocks of time to work
This is one good way that I always used to do the thinking, especially during driving. However, it is important that I am aware of what is around me too. Once I have the things thought out, then I would quickly jot my thoughts on Notes app that I can later transfer to my work or proper documentation.
From a big impossible task, break it down into easy tasks
Usually when I am facing a big task like creating a marketing campaign for my business, then I would be stuck. In order for me to feel less stressed out and continue to work, then I need to break the big work down into small easy tasks. For example, I can break it down in such a way:
- Brainstorm with my team on what perspective or idea available for the campaign, put everything down on paper. This would become a marketing library as well.
- Research on a related marketing campaign that I am going to launch and study the process, put it down on paper for future references.
- Set design style and materials required for the campaign. Then, start delegating to freelancer or myself to work on it.
- Finally, get the campaign launched within the time frame.
Inspiration
I remembered last time I had written about procrastination but I am still being haunted by this habit. Perhaps I did not have a clear to-do list on how to get rid of that. So, what I am going to do is to print out the list and put it beside me all the time as a reminder. This would then become one of the lighthouses for me at the moment to create micro habits to form before I proceed to the next one.
Reference
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