Get your Life back on Track with 101 Free Success Tips » Procrastination

The 5 Minutes More Rule

admin — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 23:27:33 +0000

When you are about to abandon a task because you’ve had enough or feel you aren’t getting any where or are just bored then try applying the “5 minute Rule”. Say to yourself I will stick at it for just 5 minutes more and then I can give up or take a break.

At the worst you get 5 minutes work done and at the best you will have found a second wind, got focused and become productive.

Remember the other 5 minute rule that we often want to give up a task after 5 minutes, 5 minutes into writing an essay or starting a run that’s the danger time before we’ve warmed to the task before we see any progress, you can use the five-minute rule to help you through this discouraging phase.

Pomodoro Time-Management Method (Tomato Segements)

admin — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 22:03:26 +0000

1. use a kitchen timer (or see below) to track your time
2. work in iterations of 25 minutes with 5 minute breaks (one pomodoro)
3. every four pomodoros, take a 25-30 min break
4. once you start a pomodoro, you must finish it –CRITICAL–
5. plan out your day and what you want to accomplish
6. estimate how many pomodoros each task will take
7. minimize interruptions

I use Action Enforcer as a Timer instead as somehow I don’t respect a Mechanical Timer. It also keeps record of my Pomodoros. I have never failed to complete a task that I’ve setup as a timer in Action Enforcer . In fact I’ve noticed that my procrastinating inner-self tries to stop me using it at all!

Recognizing that you’re in the Zone

admin — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 20:08:21 +0000

It sure is easy to recognize when you aren’t in the zone, but how to recognize when you are?

1) You open a letter, deal with it and file it all in one go.

2) You complete one of the “hangers” on your to-do list

3) You need a document that’s stored in the loft, no problem you go off to get it.

4) You see a problem you fix it, your internal procrastinator doesn’t get a look in.

5) The more jobs you tick off the more energized you feel

6) Work doesn’t feel like work any more

Definition of in the flow

1. Clear goals (expectations and rules are discernible and goals are attainable and align appropriately with one’s skill set and abilities). Moreover, the challenge level and skill level should both be high.
2. Concentrating, a high degree of concentration on a limited field of attention (a person engaged in the activity will have the opportunity to focus and to delve deeply into it).
3. A loss of the feeling of self-consciousness, the merging of action and awareness.
4. Distorted sense of time, one’s subjective experience of time is altered.
5. Direct and immediate feedback (successes and failures in the course of the activity are apparent, so that behavior can be adjusted as needed).
6. Balance between ability level and challenge (the activity is neither too easy nor too difficult).
7. A sense of personal control over the situation or activity.
8. The activity is intrinsically rewarding, so there is an effortlessness of action.
9. A lack of awareness of bodily needs (to the extent that one can reach a point of great hunger or fatigue without realizing it)
10. People become absorbed in their activity, and focus of awareness is narrowed down to the activity itself, action awareness merging.

No-one cannot force himself or herself to enter flow or even predict when he or she is going to enter flow. It just happens. A flow state can be entered while performing any activity, although it is most likely to occur when one is wholeheartedly performing a task or activity for intrinsic purposes.

Catch22, I have to succeed at something to enter the zone, complete a difficult task, understand some inspirational, find a remarkable solution

Bootstrapping Your Way Out Of A Lethargic State

admin — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 23:16:25 +0000

When a writer has writer’s block the only solution, as strange as it seems, is to write. So he must start writing anything a letter to a friend or relation, a shopping list, just anything. As soon as he writes a good phrase or sentence his enthusiasm and self-confidence will rise almost without him realizing it.

When I’m in a low energy and lethargic state I know I have to get any thing done, organized or sorted out. I have to pick tasks which are easily achievable. As soon as I see a bit of my desk reappear I get my first boost of Serotonin . I can then venture to get something else done, get some phone calls out of the way, write a few brief letters, pay a few bills. I call this bootstrapping. Many of the jobs we are dreading turn out to be less difficult than we thought but getting them out of the way is a real pleasure. Of course ONE DAY I will start on my most important task and get a massive boost from knowing that I’ve finally mastered myself but that’s some time away!

Don’t Ignore Mental Reminders

admin — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:30:48 +0000

When your memory reminds you to need to phone someone or put a document in your briefcase for tomorrow, don’t just think “I must do that later” because unfortunately your subconscious tends to think it has done its job and may not bother to remind you a second time! I always imagine that if you don’t act immediately that your subconscious sulks and thinks well I did warn him but he didn’t seem to think it important. This virtually obliges us to deal with things immediately and then, if it is not convenient/possible to complete the task there and then you must all the same take an action, eg diary it, create a post-it note etc.
The Now Habit: A Strategic Program for Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt-Free Play

Frittering Time Away is Worse Than Procrastination!

admin — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 16:55:24 +0000

Procrastination is a terrible problem but one of the reasons we Procrastinate is because we don’t get our daily tasks and to-do lists completed rapidly enough, so we NEVER get to the Important but not Immediately Urgent Tasks.

This is usually due to Frittering our time away, how long we take to start doing serious work when we sit down at our desk, how usefully we use odd lumps of spare time waiting for a meeting etc. We would be horrified if all the time we frittered away could be added up. If you find yourself doing your best work doing free overtime when most have left then this is a sign you frittered your normal working hours away.

Conquer Frittering and you’ll find you’ve Conquered Procrastination at the same time. I’ve made a lot of progress since I’ve been using Action Enforcer this is the first Time Management Program which does it for me.

So remember : You Procrastinate because you Fritter your Core Working Time Away, Beat Frittering and You’ll Conquer Procrastination without even realizing it!

I honestly personally use and recommend Action Enforcer

A Tool to Beat Procrastination and Time Wasting

admin — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 10:27:12 +0000

A trusted colleague enthusiastically recommended a computer program
called Action Enforcer. It is a way of setting up a set of daily task
timers. I have even set a timer to write this post. I use it when
I have a tricky or tedious task to complete, others plan their
whole day even using it to program their breaks. Procrastinating
friends and colleagues have been boasting of suddenly being able to manage their time and get through their schedule, of feeling on top of things!

Also at the end of your day you can see where your time was spent.
. I set a timer for 30 minutes of paperwork, then 30 minutes of report writing etc. It is very simple to use; why it works so well is still a bit of a
mystery but I think it’s just your pride you don’t want the alarm
to ring before you’ve finished the task!

Any Way It’s the Best Tool I’ve Ever Found Learn more by clicking here

Frittering Your Life Away

admin — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 11:38:13 +0000

The successful make use of every little bit of their time, they get down to doing serious work quicker. If a 15 minute gap in their schedule appeared due to a cancellation they would automatically slot in another task, or take a power nap or a real break. What they wouldn’t do is fritter away the time with aimless browsing, reading emails. Become aware of how much time you are frittering, have a list of 5 minute tasks ready that you can focus on before the temptation to fritter overcomes you!

Personal Brainstorming for Creative Ideas

admin — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 14:48:43 +0000

Whenever you get ten minutes of so of waiting time consider holding a solo brainstorming session. You just need pencil and paper, start writing lists of things to do, ways of improving your efficiency, people you need to contact, anything really to get your creative juices flowing.

In the first minutes you may find yourself twiddling your thumbs but persist and once the ideas start flowing you will find yourself scribbling furiously. This works and I now look forward to holding these sessions!

So next time you are pausing for a Cappuccino in your favorite coffee shop get out pen and paper, turn up your optimism and say to yourself I have ten minutes to think of a brilliant idea which will transform my career, business or relationship and I am already excited about the wonderful ideas I am about to have.

Write them all down the big ideas, the little ideas, the ridiculous ideas keep going you are improving and developing your creative abilities.

Are you a Slow Starter?

admin — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 21:05:05 +0000

Near the top of my list of faults or the faults I’d like to eradicate is that I’m a dreadfully slow starter. I seem to wake up so lethargic, unmotivated. Although ideally we supposed to start with our day by doing the most important job but I just have to settle for doing any job I feel up to. Gradually and painfully I then start to build some momentum. Once again ideally I’d be focused on one thing but I seem to be better suited to multi-tasking. At some point in the day I suddenly notice that I’m flying along and I can start tackling those difficult job, but I’ve sometimes run out of time.

One success guru says that to get rid of “Writer’s Block” an author must start writing which may seem some what unhelpful, but in fact it is the only solution, the trick is of course is to write say a letter to a friend anything that doesn’t carry the burden of “I must/Have to do this”. When half-way through the letter the writer realises that he has written his first elegant or witty sentence his Serotin will start flowing and suddenly writing will become easier. I can also generate motivation by solving a difficult programming problem.