Procrastination resources compatible with GTD

[kewms]

Action produces motivation.

What pageta said.

No, reexamining your NAs is not necessarily a blanket solution to all procrastination problems, but it really can help in a lot of cases.

One of the classic tips for procrastinators is to set a timer and force yourself to work on the project for 15 minutes. You can do *anything* for fifteen minutes, the theory goes, and starting to make progress will motivate you to continue.

The problem I've always had is that on many projects fifteen minutes is barely enough time to sit down and review my notes, so the timer goes off before I've done enough work to get over the motivation hump. For me, the first step in beating procrastination is to break tasks down until they are so tiny that I can't think of an excuse not to do them. Sometimes that's a fifteen minute task, sometimes it's a five minute task. The idea is to make the reward -- for completing that one tiny task -- bigger than whatever risk is making me procrastinate in the first place.

Katherine

 

[andersons]

What pageta said.

No, reexamining your NAs is not necessarily a blanket solution to all procrastination problems, but it really can help in a lot of cases.

Of course. But this poster has already stated, more than once, that she is sure that her NAs are actionable, yet even when she has the time available, she does not want to do them.

One of the classic tips for procrastinators is to set a timer and force yourself to work on the project for 15 minutes. You can do *anything* for fifteen minutes, the theory goes, and starting to make progress will motivate you to continue.

I too have tried this classic tip, but it does not work well for me for my most resistant actions. I have worked for 15 minutes on something that will require maybe 6 hours to complete, and even after checking off that first tiny, tiny action I did not gain any motivation to do more. In fact, even the 15 minute task was so unpleasant that I avoided the next tasks even more! Action did not create more motivation.

I'm not saying these techniques (breaking down NAs further, getting started, working just 15 minutes, etc.) can't be helpful. Of course they can. But they are not universal cures for everyone's procrastination. It seems unlikely to me that this poster is going to benefit from breaking down her NAs further. She does not want to do them.

 

[pageta]

I'm not saying these techniques (breaking down NAs further, getting started, working just 15 minutes, etc.) can't be helpful. Of course they can. But they are not universal cures for everyone's procrastination. It seems unlikely to me that this poster is going to benefit from breaking down her NAs further. She does not want to do them.

So what cure are you offering?

 

[andersons]

I've been realizing how much I had resisted staying organized previously because making my tasks fully conscious is really scary - it makes putting them off a very different kind of choice than it was when I could shuffle a lot of what I ought to be doing to the back of my mind and have it making me vaguely anxious. Now it's in black and white, crystal clear in front of me, and while it's theoretically off my mind, that only holds true when I'm actually working. There are a lot of times when I look at all the NAs and feel how deeply I don't want to do them, and I choose to either put them off and do something entirely non-productive or to make a choice about what to do based solely on how much I like a task rather than on sound reasons for what it would be best to use my time for. Or I avoid reviewing my lists because they make me so anxious. Then my lists come pouring back into my mind and making me worry because I know I ought to be doing something from my lists. Essentially, GTD is making it impossible for me to not consciously recognize the poor choices I make when I don't use time that should be spent being productive actually working. . .

OK, I'm going to take a stab because I identify greatly with what you are describing.

You used the words "should" and "ought to" several times in describing your problem. The book The Now Habit, in my opinion, is great for people with this kind of problem.

You are (I assume) an adult now, living in a pretty free society: you can do whatever you want to do. Of course, you have to accept the consequences of what you do, but do whatever you want! Let me explain.

The thing that has helped me is to change my way of thinking about the actions I'm resisting. The word "should" is not allowed. In the morning, I start by asking myself "What do I want to do today?" And I assure myself that I do not have to do anything that I do not want to do. It's almost like starting out with the plan to play hooky all day. But then I will always start thinking, If I don't do X, I'm not going to like the eventual consequences. So I want to do X for that reason. Yes, it's like some sort of bizarre, pathetic reverse psychology, but for me, it works, and apparently it helps other perfectionistic, anxious, responsible, guilt-ridden procrastinator types too.

So in the morning, I make a list of everything I want to do today. For each thing, I write all the reasons I want to do that thing. Sometimes the reason is mostly to avoid some punishing consequence (for example, if I don't register by the deadline, I'll have to get lots of signatures and pay hefty late fees to register later). But when I feel that I am choosing to do what I want to do, and I know the reasons for doing it, I feel that I am in control rather than being controlled by a list of NAs. (By the way, I do not have to do this exercise every morning or about every action, just when procrastination threatens, whether in general or regarding certain actions.)

Here is an example of how this attitude change has really helped me not to procrastinate on a task. Every week, I create a plan that specifies details that are followed by a number of people in real time the following week. After I create the plan, 6 or 7 people have to do their own jobs to get ready to make it work the following week. It takes me 30-60 minutes to do this task. For a lot of reasons I do understand, plus probably more that I don't, I really hate doing this task! It would be best for the people who are waiting for the plan if I completed it Monday. Tuesday would be fine. Friday is absolutely the last day, but some weeks Wednesday or Thursday might be the last day. If I procrastinate till Friday, people rarely complain, but I have learned that my procrastination really makes life miserable for them. That knowledge has become my reason for wanting to complete the task by Tuesday at the latest. So on Monday or Tuesday I tell myself, I want to complete the plan by this afternoon so that the people I care about will not experience so much stress.

The other part of the anti-procrastination that has worked for me is insisting that I make time to do things I really enjoy. Not just big things like planning a trip or hike, but 'little' things like reading, surfing the internet, socializing, and participating in forums. Life is too short not to enjoy yourself. I was not really making any time for fun; my attitude was that work is much more important than play. By changing my attitude to see play as important, too, I have actually been more attracted to my work and have gotten more of it done. When I consciously make a choice to take time to play, I start to feel a sense of urgency about my work that does not occur when I'm doing the same activities but while procrastinating while I'm "supposed" to be working.

 

[Instigase]

Great thread folks!

I love the Andersons take on "should get done" versus "want to get done"! It is a much more enlightened way to "envisioning a wildly successful outcome" for a project.

Here are other nuggets that have strucka chord with me regarding this topic.
(BTW they are all Merlin Mann's essays...)

Patching your personal suck
(http://www.43folders.com/2005/01/patching_your_p.html)

Systems, ciphers, and the dirty little secret of self-improvement
(http://www.43folders.com/2005/02/systems_ciphers.html)

Mental dialogues, yak-shaving & the triumph of the “mini-review”
(http://www.43folders.com/2004/09/mental_dialogue.html#more)

and

Does this next action belong somewhere else?
(http://www.43folders.com/2004/09/does_this_8220n.html#more)

 

[pageta]

Yes, I also love andersons idea about WANTING to do something.

I'm fairly new to GTD and I'm also going through the "oh my goodness! I have so many things to do that I don't want to do" stage. I keep telling myself that there are more of them because I have neglected them by pushing them to the back of my mind for so long and that soon I will be caught up and not faced with so many things that I don't want to do. In some ways, it's nice to have them done.

In other ways, I find that a "bugging me" next action list with all of the things that I want to have done but dread actually doing also helps. They're not immediate next actions, but they're not someday maybe's either. I can walk by those things and not feel guilty because I know they're on my list and that I'm working on that list.

It also may be that she just hates certain aspects of her job and either needs to learn to accept them as part of the job or field she otherwise loves or decide to change jobs or careers. Sometimes when you face things that you have kind of ignored, there is a reason why you were ignoring them. Also, maybe there's an easier way to do those things that she will think of, such as a new computer program which automates a lot of busy work. Who knows.

I think writing out all of our NA's when you start GTD results in a lot of soul-searching and it isn't always pleasant to find what we find. However, by getting out those cobwebs and other unwanted items, the end result is that we are happier for having done it.

 

[Danny Hardesty]

In total agreement with the "nibble" technique. My workshop in the garage has been cluttered for a long time. So, each time I went out into the garage for another matter I made it a point to clean two things off my work bench.

In one day the work bench was clean!

Good luck!

Danny Hardesty

www.dannyhardesty.com

 

[KimD]

Some tips...

As a very experienced procrastinator I finally came up with a few things that get me through the worst of my "I really don't want to do this but I know I need to" resistance. (First make sure you DO really need to do it, and that it’s not just a SHOULD...)

I use lots of other tools, some great ones are listed earlier in this thread. But when none of them work, these will. The theme is to go with the feeling of resistance, rather than trying to overcome it. (Think martial arts…)

1. Say *out loud* - "I don’t want to do this I don't want to do this I don't want to do this" over and over and over. It always has the biggest effect when I do it in the whiniest voice possible.

Sometimes I'll then be able to stop whining and start the action, other times I need to whine out loud the entire time.

I sound like a 6 year old having a hissy fit, but it works.

Sometimes I need to change it to "I'm scared and I don't want to do this" or something similar - let your inner whiner take over and you'll know just what to say.

2. Partner with someone. There are many different ways this can work...

- Get someone to be there while you do it. Find someone that is procrastinating something of their own, get together and each of you work on your own action. I've done this meeting at Starbucks more times than I can count. (One pays bills, the other works on her resume)

- If the action isn't portable, (like cleaning out the garage) then finding someone to swap with still works. Example: First they help you clean out your garage, then you help them sort through their tax stuff..

-If there’s no one to ‘swap’ with, find someone to just sit there with you while you do it.

- Another way is to call someone on the phone and have them talk you through it, or, even just have them be on the phone with you (NOT talking), while you do the action.

- You can also use IM's for this. I find it much easier to do something I hate if the entire time I’m doing it I can be IM'ing someone about how much I hate it.
(Remember, I'm only using these tools if my normal 'positive' thinking hasn't worked!)

3. Finally, you can have someone do it for you! Years ago I lost a lawsuit and had to pay the judgment. It ticked me off so much I couldn’t even think of writing the check without being ill. Finally, I handed my checkbook to a friend, and had her write the check and mail it. A simple solution to something I agonized over for days.

Hopefully this helps! Whatever you do, be gentle with yourself - and reward yourself afterwards.

KimD

 

[andersons]

1. Say *out loud* - "I don’t want to do this I don't want to do this I don't want to do this" over and over and over. It always has the biggest effect when I do it in the whiniest voice possible.

How funny! I have actually done this! not as a purposeful strategy but just being a big whiner.
[laughing at self. . .] I'm going to make sure next time I whine, it's a strategy.

Cool tips, KimD. Except one of them made me shudder:

-If there’s no one to ‘swap’ with, find someone to just sit there with you while you do it.

That's what my spouse does! And guess who has to be the one sitting there? (whining "I don't want to do this I don't want to do this I don't want to do this. . .")

 

[dackle]

Are NAs themselves a way to avoid a larger problem?

Davinia, you mentioned that things at work were less than ideal. It could be that your mind wants to focus fully on solving the job "problem", but you are overriding this desire by attemting to fill your time with NAs because you doesn't want to face the possibly unpleasant consequence of leaving your job. This is comparable to a sleepless night. Your rational mind sends you off to bed at the usual time, but your subconscious continues to churn away at a problem, and in fact won't let you sleep because it wants you to wake up and deal with whatever is bothering you. Trying to force yourself to sleep is a form of procrastination -- I'm not going to deal with this right now because I "should" be sleeping. The same applies to NAs -- I'm not going to deal with work because I "should" be doing NAs. Doing NAs, no matter how important they are, are a form of procrastination when you have larger problems because what your mind really wants to do is focus its energies on these larger problems. It could be that once you are happy in a new job, your procrastination will disappear or diminish as well.

 

[CKH]

How funny! I have actually done this! not as a purposeful strategy but just being a big whiner.
[laughing at self. . .] I'm going to make sure next time I whine, it's a strategy.

Cool tips, KimD. Except one of them made me shudder:

If there's no one to 'swap' with, find someone to just sit there with you while you do it.

That's what my spouse does! And guess who has to be the one sitting there? (whining "I don't want to do this I don't want to do this I don't want to do this. . .")

Having someone else physically present, but doing "quiet" tasks (or perhaps simply attending to what you are doing) is known in the prof. organizing world as "body doubling." It's especially used when working with "chronically disorganized" people who have trouble focusing on a task unless the body double is there. It doesn't make anyone "shudder" :smile: but rather helps them get started, keep going, and get (things?) done.

If it works for you, terrific!

Cynthia

 

[andersons]

Having someone else physically present, but doing "quiet" tasks (or perhaps simply attending to what you are doing) is known in the prof. organizing world as "body doubling." It's especially used when working with "chronically disorganized" people who have trouble focusing on a task unless the body double is there. It doesn't make anyone "shudder" :smile: but rather helps them get started, keep going, and get (things?) done.

If it works for you, terrific!

Oh, it definitely helps my spouse if I am the "body double." It makes me shudder because I don't want to be a body double. It is painful and boring for me.

 

[westwind]

But can anyone here recommend any books or other resources on procrastination that tie in well with GTD? The ones I've looked at often suggest time management techniques that I know won't work well with GTD methods.

--Davinia

The Procrastinator's Handbook by Rita Emmett

This is a helpful book. The advantage here is that this book is available in both cassette and CD. So if you don't have time to read a book, you listen to it in your car during your commute or while running errands. Rita does a good job on the tape, probably because she often gives seminars. I bought both the tape and the book, so I could refer to the book if I heard something on the tape that I wanted to review. I also wrote my own outline using the book. This helps me master the content.

 

[Nikita]

Oh, it definitely helps my spouse if I am the "body double." It makes me shudder because I don't want to be a body double. It is painful and boring for me.

I hate being a body double too, though often it's because I need one myself and Person X is not someone I can have do that. I learned to bring things to read or notes to work on in their office, whatever I can get away with. Then I don't mind so much.

Working things through with someone, problem-solving their issue, isn't so bad either, if either they or the topic is interesting (I get too many requests for that). But the condition of my babysitting someone: I need to be able to do my own quiet work at the same time. Lest I kill them out of jealousy.