[quote]EmilyQ wrote:
[quote]IFlashBack wrote:
Something that helped me was taking baby steps.
For me, I’ve always taken comfort in knowing that really big challenges can be broken down into manageable bits. This applies to working out, really big math equations, getting across the country, social encounters, you name it.
Let’s take the tax thing for example. If I were you, I would spend literally 10 minutes out of the day getting the forms together. 10 minutes, that’s it. After those 10 minutes you can do whatever it is you do. But for those 10 minutes, work on your taxes.
Every day for 10 minutes, work on your taxes. Every single day.
If I had to guess, I would think that you, and now everyone around you, has labelled you a procrastinator, so when things get tough you fall back into that label because it’s what you know.
So when shit gets overwhelming, just break it down into manageable chunks, and work at it little by little, until it becomes a habit. [/quote]
I was thinking about exactly this as I ran this morning. It’s a good, practical tip.
OP, get a timer (kitchen timer or phone timer or whatever) and start setting it for whatever you think you can handle. I made a lot of progress this way several years ago. I’d do 15 minutes for household tasks (who knew it only takes about 10 minutes to wipe down the inside of a refrigerator, 15 to do a credible job on the bathroom?) and 30 for school work. The timer got me through graduate school, seriously.
What I noticed was that I very often kept going after the time went off. It wasn’t the task I minded, I just had trouble getting started and engaged. Part of that is my ADHD, which is undiagnosed (and doesn’t need to be, I have made accommodations for it and get by just fine).
Another thing I read and started doing is to keep telling myself “it’ll only take two seconds.” It’s really become a part of my make-up. This morning I was headed out for the gym, realized it’s trash day, thought “no, I’m already at the car, I’ll do it later,” then stopped myself by thinking “it’ll take two seconds and I won’t have to mess with it when I’m dressed and carrying stuff to the car for the beach.” I went back and got it. It took two seconds. And I felt ridiculously good about it.[/quote]
Yep. Breaking tasks/goals into the smallest possible unit of work is a powerful tool. I’m talking absurdly small units of work here. If you want to take up running but you hate running make a deal with yourself to just put on your running shoes and lace them up. That’s it. If you just sit there for a minute then take them off and put them back, in the closet, fine. Take them out and lace them up again tomorrow. Eventually you will actually go outside because it will simply become too ridiculous not to. If you just go outside and come back inside, fine. Take your shoes out, lace them up and go outside again the next day. Eventually you will actually run a few steps because it will simply become too ridiculous not to. And so on.
If your talking about paperwork, sit down at your desk and take out your pen. If you you just sit there for a minute then put your pen back in your desk, fine. Tomorrow sit down at your desk and take out your pen again. Eventually you will actually get a form out and put it in front of you because it will simply become too ridiculous not to. If you just sit there for a minute and then put the pen and the form away, fine. Sit down at your desk take out a pen and the form again the next day. Eventually you will actually fill in your name on the form because it will simply become too ridiculous not to. And so on.
It’s like a wedge. The smaller the thin edge of the wedge is and the more gradually it widens, the easier it is to get it started. Yet, if you just keep pounding away you can move mountains.
Like the egg time idea too.