For a long while, getting started on anything took such a long time, if I started at all :P I read books, I tried tricks people swear by, nothing was working. I got so fed up at one point that I sat down and decided to deconstruct the whole process to see if could understand my way out of procrastination.
Here’s what I realised (and it might be very obvious but it wasn’t for me):
The way we tend to function is to see the negatives in order to avoid them. Which might be prudent in some cases but is counter productive with many others, like everyday tasks: we focus on all we don’t like about it or that might go wrong. No shit it doesn’t entice us to start
It means we have to use discipline to push ourselves to action instead of feeling pulled to act, the latter being far better. Plus all the time spent avoiding adds guilt and other negative feelings about ourselves, which makes it doubly daunting when we think about it. There’s all that baggage every time we consider doing something. And funny enough, once we start it’s usually never as bad as we made it out to be.
I thought, what if instead I took time to think about all the good things about it? For instance, how great I’ll feel once it’s done, the benefits it will bring to my life, what I do enjoy while I do it, etc.
So when I had something to do that I didn’t feel like doing, I spent a few minutes making a list of positive things about it. Sure, it takes time, but really not that much in the grand scheme of the Procrastination Universe.
What I noticed at first is it put me in a better mood and that I had some motivation to do whatever I had set my mind to. I didn’t dread it as much and the experience was more positive because of it. Overtime the dread was replaced with neutral to good feelings, making it far easier to start. Eventually, I felt more and more pull to do it. No discipline needed because there was nothing to push against! I actually felt like doing it.
On good days, I have no procrastination whatsoever and that feels wonderful. And on not so good days I can remember to make a list and add a line on it about all the good days I’ve had without procrastination :) Of course there are still days when I don’t remember to do it, but those are further and further apart
When I discovered SapienMed I added Ego Dissolution and Unstoppable Will while making a list, it helps! I’d imagine Outlook Retainer would as well. Any suggestions of fields that would work well with this?