Procrastination is cunning thief. It robs you of your most precious resource – time. It’s like credit card debt, you enjoy it until the bill comes and then you’re sucked in and find it difficult to catch up. Well, most all of us fall victim to procrastination from time to time, but here is a simple, yet powerful practice you can employ to really change your life. It will help you in every facet of it and you’ll free up more time for yourself.
Once you get into motion, things are apt to flow more easily, but it is the “getting into motion” that is the challenging part, right? I like the “2-Minute Drill” to help me get started. Here’s how:
- If a task doesn’t take more than two minutes, do it NOW. Yes, do it this very second!
You may be surprised to realize just how many things you can do in just two minutes.
Creating a simple daily plan or to-do list, putting away the dishes, picking up the clothes, doing a quick exercise, replying to someone, etc. Many simple house chores fit into this category and you will likely be able to imagine a huge list that fits. The point is that once neglected these tiny little tasks build into an imposing mountain that becomes increasingly threatening to confront. If you catch yourself thinking “I’ll do it later,” fight that urge. Instead, reframe your strategy, as “It will only take two minutes so I will just do it now!”
Don’t worry or spend much time deciding which of these little tasks you should do first or second, but rather just get started. That is the more important thing.
Don’t think that your life will be changed by making your bed and brushing your teeth first thing? It will.
- If a task lasts longer than two minutes, break it down into steps. The bigger and more complicated it is, the smaller and easier steps you will want to break it into – yes, smaller more manageable increments.
With this step, you’ll want to take a moment to plan it into doable action steps. If the task takes more than two minutes, you should break it down into steps that hopefully take two minutes or less to accomplish. This is all about creating a new and improved habit – one that sets you into motion and fights procrastination. The old example of eating an elephant is far less imposing if you simply break it down into easy-to-eat bites.
The point behind this practice is to stop your internal chatter and get yourself “doing.” Once you begin, it will be easy to stay in action and accomplish much, and pretty soon you will have new confidence of accomplishment. Remember, 2-minutes and do it!
