One
of the most self-destructive patterns we can exhibit is
procrastination. Even though we know that getting those things done
that we tend to put off will make our lives easier or healthier or
bring us much joy, we still have a tendency to put them off because
we just dread doing them. The good news is that there are ways to
counteract these procrastinating habits and they are pretty easy to
incorporate into your daily life.
What Not To Do First
1. FIRST, CREATE SOMETHING THAT OUTLINES YOUR TASKS FOR THE DAY.
Do that task first. Make that your frog.
Take
that first step...I dare you. Sit down with a piece of paper and
write down your frogs. Make a list of all of the things you dread
doing that you either NEED to or want to accomplish, pick out the
worst one and have it for breakfast. You won't believe how empowered
and awesome you will feel each day after you digest that first frog.
Thank you for taking the time to stop and visit and please, if you like what you've read, leave a comment. If you have a blog or website of your own I would love to visit it. After your comment, make sure to post your link and I will stop by and leave a comment as well. Happy blogging.
I
recently came upon an article by The Art of Simple
(theartofsimple.net) which reminded me of an old saying by Mark Twain
that I not only try to live by, but which is very effective when
applied, “Eat
a live frog every morning, and nothing worse will happen to you the
rest of the day.”
This
article entitled, Start Your Day by Eating a Frog, lays it out pretty
well:
“My
husband is currently reading a classic business tome called Eat
That Frog.
The basic idea is that if
you do the worst thing on your plate first thing in the morning, the
rest of the day is a cake walk.
So if your least-favorite chore is the laundry, and it’s one of the
items on your to-do list today, then tackle it first. That way, you
can spend the rest of your day knowing you’ve done the most
irritating task.
Sure, there might be some more annoyances or tediousness – the
dishes, the cooking, the helping with the homework – but in knowing
you’ve accomplished the laundry, you’ve got fuel and motivation
to do the less painful items.
I’m
working on this in my own life right now. It’s an obvious concept,
but it’s rather new to me – so I’m experimenting as I write
this.
For
me, my frog right now it’s not a chore – it’s simply working
out.
I love the after-effects of working out, and I even love the
adrenaline rush and the glow of sweat once I get started. But that
one hump – the actual starting
it
– is something I simply dread. I’m not sure why.
So
I’m doing my best to tackle my frog-eating — the worst task of my
day — first thing in the morning. And
right now, it’s exercise.
What Not To Do First
It
stands to reason that if you should do your least-favorite task
first, that means you should avoid doing your most
favorite
task – or at least your easiest task – first. We’ve all had
those mornings where we start with great intentions of cleaning the
house, running errands, balancing our checkbooks, or menu planning –
but then we first check our email or see what Al Roker’s up to. Two
hours later, and your
enthusiasm is gone, along with valuable time you could have used
getting stuff done.
Somehow, this sets a tone for the rest of the day, and we approach
our tasks reluctantly, with a poor attitude, or simply with less
passion.
What
To Do Instead
1. FIRST, CREATE SOMETHING THAT OUTLINES YOUR TASKS FOR THE DAY.
You
can use the Daily
Docket,
or you can use the back of an old receipt. Whatever works for you,
just do something.
Fill out a detailed to-do list for your day.
2.
NARROW DOWN YOUR LIST TO TEN ITEMS.
You
shouldn’t reasonably expect to do more – though if you find
yourself having done ten things, you can simply add more items. By
starting with a ten-item checklist, you’re not as daunted, and you
feel more accomplished to get seven whole things crossed off in one
day. Seven out of ten is more impressive than seven out of 34.
3.
OUT OF THOSE TEN THINGS, PICK THREE MOST
IMPORTANT TASKS
(MITS).
These
are the things you really
need
to do today; those tasks of which accomplishing them means a
successful day. Write those separately up top.
4.
OUT OF THOSE THREE THINGS, PICK THE WORST ONE.
Do that task first. Make that your frog.
5.
OUT OF YOUR LIST OF TEN, PICK YOUR FAVORITE OR EASIEST ITEM.
For
me, it’s usually checking
my email (it’s
not my easiest, since I get tons of email, but it’s certainly a
task I usually enjoy). Whatever you do, make sure you don’t
do
that task first. In fact, if you’re daring, don’t do that task
until
you
get all three MITs done. Make
doing that task your reward.
So
I’m doing this as I go – and so far, it’s working. In fact, I’m
slowly starting to enjoy working out more. I’m not sure it’ll
ever be my favorite task, but perhaps I’ll eventually go back to
starting my day with the dishes.”
For
me, most days, my first and worst frog is getting out of bed. I love
comfort and my bed is one of the most comfortable places I know so
getting out of it each morning is not one of my favorite things to
do. If I could lay in it all day and eat and work on my computer,
believe me...I would. Each morning I think of a reward for getting
up and starting my day...sort of a bribe. I tell myself that if I
get up, there is some really great peppermint mocha creamer
downstairs that I just bought and fell in love with and which makes
my coffee taste sinfully delicious. That gets my eyes open. Then I
tell myself that I get a shot at a clean slate today and I can make
it any kind of day that I want it to be so that while I drink my
coffee I can decide how to set the tone for my day and work on the
computer a little before I go to work. That usually gets me out of
bed and headed for my coffee and then when I'm up, I'm on my way.
Working out is another one of my frogs. I finally found the one mode
of exercise that I like (and I have tried them all) and I make it
fun. I love to walk and I live in an area that is so beautiful and a
walk is like a trip through paradise, literally (if you live in an
area where it is difficult or unsafe to walk, go to a second hand
store and find a cheap treadmill). I put in my headphones, setting
life to music, and set out on my three-mile trek as I take in the
beauty and feel total and complete gratitude for my life and how I
have the power to make it what I want it to be.
Thank you for taking the time to stop and visit and please, if you like what you've read, leave a comment. If you have a blog or website of your own I would love to visit it. After your comment, make sure to post your link and I will stop by and leave a comment as well. Happy blogging.
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