You spend two hours watching videos with cats, even though the project is burning? Sounds familiar.
But don’t confuse procrastination with laziness – they are far from the same thing.
Procrastination is more like a battle between the limbic system, which craves instant gratification, and the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for planning.
The good news is that the brain can be outsmarted.
Start with the "two-minute rule." If a task seems overwhelming at first, tell yourself, "I'll only give it 120 seconds."
Getting started is harder than continuing. Chances are, once you get started, you'll get hooked and work longer than the proverbial two minutes.
Even if not, a couple of useful minutes are still better for achieving results than zero.
Some people find that having a “productivity anchor” helps. Create one, too. For example, you can wear a special headband or turn on a certain playlist only when you’re working.
Over time, the brain will associate these signals with the concentration mode, and it will be easier to switch.
The most dangerous enemy in existence is perfectionism. The fear of doing something “not perfectly” acts on a person like paralysis.
What can you do in this situation? Write the first draft intentionally badly. It is psychologically easier to correct an existing text than to create a masterpiece from scratch.
Expert advice: Break the task down into bite-sized steps. Instead of “write an article,” “open a document,” “type a title,” “write the first paragraph.”
