7 and a half ways to focus when you need to
We all procrastinate at times, particularly some of the perfectionists I know. The tasks we face feel difficult, unclear, scary or tedious. In this article, I share seven and a half ways to stop procrastinating and get your focus back.
Procrastination is the act of delaying or postponing a task or set of tasks. It's usually self-defeating as it's an attempt to feel better in the short term that most often has us feeling worse.
There are lots of reasons why we procrastinate. We don't think we’ll enjoy doing them and we want to avoid making ourselves unhappy. We worry that we won’t do them well. We think we perform better under pressure, when we're really seeking the high of having overcome the odds. We're put off by the complexity of a task. We're distracted. We're fatigued.
Procrastination is a completely normal human experience - even the ancient Greek philosophers like Socrates and Aristotle developed a word to describe this type of behaviour. Akrasia is the state of acting against your better judgment, doing one thing even though you know you should do something else. You're not broken or weak or doomed to failure if you find yourself procrastinating.
It's also complex. There isn't a one-size-fits-all answer. So here are seven and a half ways to help you act with your better judgement.
1. Is This the Right Time?
Sometimes we procrastinate because our body is telling us now is not the time for action. We're hungry, anxious, lonely or tired. We're in a point of a cycle where our body is crying out for rest - we've overstayed our capacity for summer and action. This is one of those times NOT to push through but to take a nap or have some lunch or call a friend for a chat and come back to it later.
I love to use the acronym H.A.L.T. - am I Hungry? Anxious? Lonely? or Tired? Take a moment to close your eyes and check-in with yourself. Deal with these basic needs before trying to get back into doing mode.
2. Go Back to the Start
Sometimes, not being able to focus or move into action has nothing to do with procrastination. Often, it's a sign that we have skipped over the start of the cycle and have tried to force ourselves straight into full-on summer go mode.
Daydreaming gets a bad rap. Right from school, we're told to stop daydreaming and to focus. The problem is daydreaming is actually really important for creativity. Most of us don't give ourselves the opportunity to sit back and allow our minds to wander. And yet, it's in these moments of not trying that often the good idea pops up or that last piece of the puzzle clicks into place. So get away from the screen for 10, 20, 30 minutes. Move your body a little - maybe a walk, a little shake or a dance, lie down outside. Spend a bit of time in the spring phase - get clear on your ideas before moving into action.
3. Start Small
Procrastination is really about the build up of friction in trying to start something. So make it easier to start.
Make it as easy as possible to get started and trust that the momentum will carry you further once you're going. Find one small part of the task that you can get started on.
Different tasks need different ways of getting started - here are four ways into action.
4. Stop Optimising
Claiming that you need to “do more research” or “get all of your ducks in a row” is actually a way of avoiding what needs to be done. Maybe you've decided that you can't concentrate until the washing up is done, and the laundry, oh and now suddenly you've noticed that the living room really needs to be vacuumed.
We've all been there.
Start to discern the difference between what is needed and what is optimal.
An imperfect start can always be improved, but obsessing over a perfect plan won't get you anywhere and no plan ever survives first contact.
5. Change the Goal Posts
I came across a story about a prolific author. Anthony Trollope published 47 novels, 18 works of non-fiction, 12 short stories, 2 plays, and an assortment of articles and letters. Instead of measuring his progress based on the completion of chapters or books, Trollope measured his progress in 15-minute increments. He set a goal of 250 words every 15 minutes and he continued this pattern for three hours each day. This approach allowed him to enjoy feelings of satisfaction and accomplishment every 15 minutes while continuing to work on the large task of writing a book.
Small measures of progress feel satisfying to us and we want more. Don't forget to celebrate each milestone you hit.
6. Become Besties with Your Future Self
Human brains tend to value immediate rewards over future ones - something behavioural scientists like to call time inconsistency. Basically, when we set goals for ourselves, w're actually making plans for our Future self. When we think about our Future self, it's relatively easy for your brain to see the value in taking actions with long-term benefits. When it comes to taking action, we need to mobilise our Present self. And our Present Self really likes instant gratification, not long-term payoff. Cue Netflix over getting that report finished.
The trick here is to align your Present and Future interests. One way to do this is through what's known as temptation bundling or reward pairing - basically bundle a behaviour that is good for you in the long-run with a behaviour that feels good in the short-run.
Another way is to imagine your Future self as an actual person. I'll often say to myslf "Future Vix will be so grateful I did this for her". And then when I get to Future Vix, I'll show myself some gratitude: "Past Vix rocks - I'm so glad she did that for me". Building this relationship helps me take action that Present Me might not want to as I can feel some of the benefit my Future self will get.
7. Create Some Urgency
I often use the Eisenhower Matrix to help clients plan. It's a simple way of determining what's urgent and what's important, because we tend to conflate the two. Normally, I'm all about focusing on quadrant 2 - tasks that are important but not urgent as these are the things that we keep putting off in the face of something more pressing.
The concept always works when it comes to procrastination by creating a sense of urgency. Giving yourself a deadline, for example, or simply scheduling a task for a certain period of time can create that sense of timeliness. Plan something fun for later in the day so you have to do it now. If you're not great at sticking to your own deadlines, get some help - promise to send it to a friend when it's done, tell that friend you'll donate £50 to charity if you don't do it on time, or use an app like stickK where you can bet your own future success.
7.5 Celebrate Your Progress
This is only half a way because it might not necessarily help you get started on something you're putting off but I think it's a vital piece of the puzzle.
And that's taking pride in something when we do it. So often, I can be struggling with getting something done but, as soon as it's done, I'm immediately onto the next thing. I don't acknowledge that I just did something I was finding hard. I don't celebrate and I don't take time to learn. Nor do I give myself a break afterwards.
As much as we focus on the spring and summer of a cycle - the starting and the doing - we also need to make some time for the autumn and the winter. Next time you face the procrastination demons, celebrate your victory. Give yourself a gold star and a pat on the back. Time for tea and medals. This will do so much for your motivation next time and you deserve to feel good about doing something hard. And if you’re worried about slowing down taking the wind out of your sails, here are 10 ways to slow down without losing your momentum.
Still struggling to focus?
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