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Take A Risk: The Odds Are Better Than You Think

Do It NowDoitnow02Take the risk, Forget the fall ,If its what you want ,Its worth it all '''' Take the risk, Forget the fall ,If its what you want ,Its worth it all '' <3Like '' Take the risk, Forget the fall ,If its what you want ,Its worth it all 

How to Stop Procrastinating With the “2–Minute Rule”4 Ways to Break the Procrastination Habit15 Ways To Stop Procrastinating Today

1. Give yourself a series of meaningful and challenging, but achievable goals. 2. 2. Make process or learning goals, ones that require you to acquire or refine

new skills or steps3. 3. Listen to motivational speakers, read influential biographies, and watch

inspirational movies4. 4. Use creative visualization to vividly imagine what you want to achieve 5. Try to make boring tasks more challenging 6. 6. Make sure tasks are connected to something you care about at least

though a chain7. 7. Tackle tasks when you feel alert and exhibit the most amount of energy

during the day8. 8. Pair a task in which you procrastinate with an interest or treat 9. 9. Whenever possible, focus on doing things you are passionate about 10. 10. Commit now or in advance to find ways to sail past those tasks that

cause you to procrastinate11. 11. Change your attitude from negative to positive 12. 12. Breaking up your goals into many smaller sub-goals 13. 13. Managing stress by slowing down and taking care of yourself 14. 15. Most importantly, stay positive!

20 Strategies to Overcome Procrastination 21 ways to crush your procrastination Just Do It: How to (Finally!) Stop Procrastinating

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Take A Risk: The Odds Are Better Than You Think

'Fortes fortuna adiuvat'As you look back on your career and life to date, where do you wished you’d been a little braver, trusted in yourself more, and been less cautious in the chances you took?Anything come to mind?  When speaking to people in their forties and beyond, many tell me that if they could do their career over again, they’d have taken more risks, settled less and spoken up more often. In short, they wished they’d been more courageous in the risks they’d taken.  Perhaps you relate.

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Is Caution Killing Your Career? 5 Risks You Can't Afford Not To Take Margie Warrell Contributor Self-Promotion Is Not Crucial (Unless You Want To Get Ahead!) Margie Warrell Contributor

The Parmenides Fallacy: Are You Ignoring the Cost of Inaction? Margie Warrell Contributor

Often we know what it is we want to do, but we still don’t do it. Why? Because, as I wrote in my latest book Stop Playing Safe ,    we are innately risk averse and afraid

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of putting our vulnerability on the line. The status quo, while not particularly fulfilling, can seem like an easier, softer, less scary, option.  Indeed, advances in brain imaging technology can now verify that we human beings are wired to be risk averse. In other words, we find it much easier to settle with the status quo, keep our mouths closed and our heads down rather than make a change, take a chance,  or speak up and engage in what I call a “courageous conversation.”When weighing up whether to take an action that could leave us vulnerable to failing or some other form or loss (of reputation, money, social standing, pride etc), we have an innate tendency to misjudge four core elements in assessing risk.1. We over-estimate the probability of something going wrong.  As Daniel Kahneman wrote inThinking,   Fast and Slow , when assessing risk, potential losses tend to loom larger than potential gains. That is, we tend to focus more on what might go wrong – what we might lose or sacrifice – than what might go right. Because what we focus on tends to magnify in our imaginations, it causes us to misjudge (and over-estimate) the likelihood of it occurring. Yet the reality is that the risk of something not working out is often not near as high as we estimate and the odds of it working out well, are often far better.2. We exaggerate the consequences of what might happen if it does go wrong. This is what I refer to as ‘catastrophizing.’  We come up with  dire and dramatic worst-case scenario images in our minds-eye. Rather than assume that we would act quickly to head off or mitigate a situation if things started going off track, we imagine everything spiralling shockingly out of control while we passively stand by, conjuring up images of ourselves destitute, shunned by our family, ostracized by  our peers and forever shamed by our failure.  Okay, maybe I go too far. Maybe you don’t catastrophize quite so dramatically. But the point is, we are neurologically wired to exaggerate how bad things could be if our plans didn’t work out, and we fail to appreciate our ability to intervene to ward off further impact.3. We under estimate our ability to handle the consequences of risk.  This goes hand in hand with the above, but is more focused on our capability over all.  And while I hate to say it, women are the biggest culprits when it comes to underestimating their abilities and buying into self-doubt. Too often we let our misgivings about whether we have what it takes to succeed get the better of us. The result is that we often avoid taking on new challenges (or proactively pursuing new opportunities) because we don’t trust sufficiently in our ability to rise to the challenges they involve.While speaking at a women’s leadership event at Ernst & Young last week, the Sydney office managing partner, Lynn Kraus shared with me how she had declined an offer to take on the senior leadership role several times before finally accepting. 

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Each time she had turned it down, it was because she didn’t think she had the ability to succeed in the position. Looking back now, with the benefit of having been in the role for several years, Lynn realized that she’d been gravely underestimating herself. Fortunately for her,  those who saw her potential didn’t give up on her easily. Still, how often do we fail to judge our own capacity for risks – like taking on a bigger role or pursuing a lofty goal – accurately?  In my experience, it’s far too often.4. We discount or deny the cost of inaction, and sticking with the status quo.  I wrote about this in a previous column titled The Parmenides Fallacy: Are You Ignoring the Cost of Inaction?   We tell ourselves “It’s not so bad” and delude ourselves with the hope that our circumstances will somehow just get better over time and things will just ‘sort themselves out.’   We come up with excuses for why sticking with the status quo is a feasible option; why playing safe and not putting ourselves at risk of failing or looking foolish is ‘sensible.”  In reality, things that aren’t working out well for us now only tend to get worse over time, not better, and issues remain unaddressed in our relationships and lives tend to grow larger, not smaller.These four different human tendencies working together help to explain why so many supposedly smart people find themselves living in such a restricted circle of their potential, feeling dissatisfied in their careers, stuck in their relationships, and living lives they would never have chosen, much less have aspired to.So how do we overcome our tendency to play safe and identify which risks are worth taking?  Start by asking yourself these three questions:

1. What would I do if I were being more courageous?  2. How will inaction cost me one year from now if I do nothing?3. Where is my fear of failure causing me to over-estimate the size of risk,

under-estimate myself and holding me back from taking risks that would serve me (my business etc)? Whatever answers come into your mind, take notice!  They are pointing you to a brighter future that you can only create when you commit to taking bolder, more decisive and courageous actions.  Will there be risks involved? Of course!  But remember that you are wired to both overestimate the size of them and to underestimate your ability to handle them.  The truth is, as Lao Tsu wrote two thousand years ago, “You are capable of more than you think.”If you’d like to watch a short video I made about the need to rethink risk, and to step boldly out of our comfort zone toward it, please click here.Fear regret more than failure – history has shown that we fail far more from timidity than we do from over daring.  Or to quote a little Latin: Fortes fortuna adiuvat.

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“Fortune favors the bold.”An intrepid Australian who spends a lot of time outside her comfort zone, Margie Warrell   draws on her background in business, psychology, and executive coaching to help people live and lead with greater courage.  The bestselling author of Stop Playing Safe (Wiley 2013), and Find Your Courage (McGraw-Hill 2009),  she is also  a keynote speaker and the mother of four noisy children.Quotes About Taking RisksQuotes tagged as "taking-risks" (showing 1-15 of 3,000)

“You can't outwit fate by standing on the sidelines placing little sidebets about the outcome of life. either you wade in and risk everything you have to play the game or you don't play at all. and if u don't play u can't win.”

“When you take risks you learn that there will be times when you succeed and there will be times when you fail, and both are equally important.” 

“In order to share one's true brilliance one initially has to risk looking like a fool: genius is like a wheel that spins so fast, it at first glance appears to be sitting still.” 

“People who don't take risks generally make about two big mistakes a year. People who do take risks generally make about two big mistakes a year.” 

“In order to fly you have to create space in the open air so that your wings can really spread out. It’s like a parachute. They only work from a high altitude. To fly you have to begin taking risks. If you don’t want to, maybe the best thing is just to give up, and keep walking forever.” 

“Love is always dangerous. To love is to hope you'll win it all while running the risk that you could lose it all. And sometimes it's also about accepting that there's a risk that you'll love more than you are loved.” 

“We are young, but We already know that in life's great game those who are most unhappy are those who haven't taken the risk to be happy. And I don't want to be one of those” 

“If ever you should have an epiphany – and I think you know what I’m talking about – latch onto it, no matter how small or large the epiphany, and try your best to make it happen. You might make a fool of yourself, but better to make a fool of

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yourself than to spend your life jealous of the fools.” 

“And to those who would choose the safety of inaction over the danger of taking a stand, I have this to say:You bloody cowards. May you have the world that you deserve.” 

“Change often brings unimagined opportunity...If there is no struggle, there is no progress. To live in a safe cocoon- I believe that is not truly living. It is stagnation.” 

It'll not kill you.” 

“If your friend really cared about you he wouldn't let you take such risks.” 

“She was resolved to take the risk of being happy.” 

“You need to accept your yesterday, so u can be happy on your today, risk and failures will always be there, and so is success.” 

Do It Now When going to college many years ago, I decided to challenge myself by setting a goal to see if I could graduate in only three semesters, taking the same classes that people would normally take over a four-year period. This article explains in detail all the time management techniques I used to successfully pull this off. In order to accomplish this goal, I determined I'd have to take 30-40 units per semester, when the average student took 12-15 units. It became immediately obvious that I'd have to manage my time extremely well if I wanted to pull this off. I began reading everything I could find on time management and putting what I learned into practice. I accomplished my goal by graduating with two Bachelor of Science degrees (computer science and mathematics) in just three semesters without attending summer school. I slept seven to eight hours a night, took care of my routine chores (shopping, cooking, etc), had a social life, and exercised for 30 minutes every morning. In my final semester, I even held a full time job (40 hours a week) as a game programmer and served as the Vice Chair of the local Association of Computing Machinery (ACM) chapter while taking 37 units of mostly senior-level computer science and math courses. My classmates would add up all the hours they expected each task to take and concluded that my weeks must

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have consisted of about 250 hours. I graduated with a 3.9 GPA and also received a special award given to the top computer science student each year. One of my professors later told me that they had an easy time selecting the award recipient once it became clear to them what I was doing. I wasn't considered a gifted child, and this was the first time I had ever done anything like this. I didn't have any personal mentors helping me, I didn't know of anyone who'd done anything like this before, and I can't recall a single person encouraging me to do it. In fact, most people were highly discouraging of the idea when I told them about it. This was simply something I decided to do for myself. If you want a better understanding of where I was at this time in my life and why I decided to attempt such a crazy thing, you might enjoy reading The Meaning of Life: Intro, which includes the full background story and more details about my motivation for doing this. It took a lot of convincing to get the computer science department chair to approve my extra units every semester, and my classmates often assumed I was either cheating or that I had a twin or that I was just mentally unstable (I get accused of that last one pretty much every week, so maybe there's some truth to it). Most of the time I kept quiet about what I was doing, but if someone asked me how many units I was taking, I didn't deny it. I was perhaps the only student at the university with a two-page class schedule, so it was easy to prove I was telling the truth if anyone pressed me, but rarely did I ever do so. I didn't tell you this story to impress you but rather to make you curious as to how I did it. I pulled this off by applying time management concepts that most people simply didn't know but that were readily available in books and audio programs at the time (1992-93). The time management habits I learned in college have served me very well in building my business, so I want to share them with you in the hopes that you'll find them equally valuable. They allowed me to shave years off my schooling while also giving me about $30,000 to start my business (all earned in my final semester as a game programmer, mostly from royalties). Without further ado, here's the best of what I've learned about mastering time management:

Clarity is key. The first step is to know exactly what you want. In a Tae Kwon Do studio where I used to train, there's a huge sign on the wall that says, "Your goal is to become a black belt." This helps remind each student why s/he is going through such difficult training. When you work for yourself, it's easy to spend a whole day at your desk and accomplish nothing of value. This almost always happens when you aren't really clear about what it is you're trying to do. In the moments when you

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regain your awareness, ask yourself, "What exactly is it that I'm trying to accomplish here?" You must know your destination with as much clarity as possible. Make your goals specific, and put them in writing. Your goals must be so clear that it would be possible for a stranger to look at your situation objectively and give you an absolute "yes" or "no" response as to whether you've accomplished each goal or not. If you cannot define your destination precisely, how will you know when you've arrived? The key period I've found useful for defining and working on specific goals is ninety days, or the length of one season. In that period of time, you can make dramatic and measurable changes if you set crystal clear goals. Take a moment to stop and write down a snapshot description of how you want your life to be ninety days from now. What will your monthly income be? How much will you weigh? Who will your friends be? Where will you be in your career? What will your relationship be like? What will your web site look like? Be specific. Absolute clarity will give you the edge that will keep you on course. Just as an airplane on autopilot must make constant corrections to stay on course, you must periodically retarget your goals. Reconnect with your clear, written goals by re-reading them every morning. Post them on your walls, especially your financial goals. Years ago (during the mid-90s), I went around my apartment putting up signs in every room that said "$5,000 / month." That was my monthly business income goal at the time. Because I knew exactly what I wanted, I achieved that goal within a few weeks. I continued setting specific income goals, even amidst occasional setbacks, and I found this process very effective. It wasn't just that it helped me focus on what I wanted -- perhaps even more important is that it made it easy for me to disregard those things that weren't on the path to my goal. For example, if you set a goal to earn $10,000/month, this can help you stop doing those things that will only earn you $5000/month. If you aren't yet at the point of clarity, then make that your first goal. It's a big waste of time to go through life being unclear about what you want. Most people wallow way too long in the state of "I don't know what to do." They wait for some external force to provide them with clarity, never realizing that clarity is self-created. The universe is waiting on you, not the other way around, and it's going to keep waiting until you finally make up your mind. Waiting for clarity is like being a sculptor staring at a piece of marble, waiting for the statue within to cast off the unneeded pieces. Do not wait for clarity to spontaneously materialize -- grab a chisel and get busy!

Be flexible.

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There's a key difference between knowing your destination and knowing the path you will take to get there. A typical commercial airplane is off course 90% of the time, yet it almost always arrives at its destination because it knows exactly where it's going and makes constant corrections along the way. You cannot know the exact path to your goal in advance. I believe that the real purpose of planning is simply so that you remain convinced that a possible path exists. We've all heard the statistic that 80% of new businesses fail in their first five years, but a far more interesting statistic is that nearly all of the businesses that succeeded did not do so in the original way they had intended. If you look at successful businesses that started with business plans, you will commonly find that their original plans failed miserably and that they only succeeded by trying something else. It is said that no business plan survives contact with the marketplace. I like to generalize this to say that no plan survives contact with the real world. Renowned author and business consultant Stephen Covey often uses the expression, "integrity in the moment of choice." What that means is that you should not follow your plans blindly without conscious awareness of your goals. For instance, let's say you're following your plans nicely -- so far so good -- and then an unforeseen opportunity arises. Do you stick to your original plan, thereby missing the opportunity, or do you stop and go after the opportunity, thereby throwing yourself off schedule? This is where you have to stop and reconnect with your goals to decide which is the better course. No plan should be followed blindly. As soon as you gain new knowledge that could invalidate the plan, you must exercise integrity in the moment of choice. Sometimes you can reach your goals faster by taking advantage of shortcuts that arise unexpectedly. Other times you should stick to your original plans and avoid minor distractions that would take you further from your goals. Be tight on your goals but flexible on your plans. I believe that having a clear goal is far more important than having a clear plan. In school I was very clear about my end goal -- graduate college in only three semesters -- but my plans were in a constant state of flux. Every day I would be informed of new assignments, projects, or tests, and I had to adapt to this ever-changing sea of activity. If I tried to make a long-term plan for each semester, it would have been rendered useless within 24 hours.

Use single handling. Instead of using some elaborate organizing system, I stuck with a very basic pen and paper to-do list. My only organizing tool was a notepad where I wrote down all my assignments and their deadlines. I didn't worry about doing any advance scheduling or prioritizing. I would simply scan the list to select the most pressing

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item which fit the time I had available. Then I'd complete it, and cross it off the list. If I had a 10-hour term paper to write, I would do the whole thing at once instead of breaking it into smaller tasks. I'd usually do large projects on weekends. I'd go to the library in the morning, do the necessary research, and then go back to my dorm room and continue working until the final text was rolling off my printer. If I needed to take a break, I would take a break. It didn't matter how big the project was supposed to be or how many weeks the professor allowed for it. Once I began an assignment, I would stay with it until it was 100% complete and ready to be turned in. This simple practice saved me a significant amount of time. First, it allowed me to concentrate deeply on each assignment and to work very efficiently while I worked. A lot of time is lost in task switching because you have to re-load the context for each new task. Single handling minimizes time lost in task switching. In fact, when possible I would batch up my assignments within a certain subject area and then do them all at once before switching subjects. So I'd do all my math homework in a row until it was all done. Then I'd do all my programming assignments. Then I'd do my general education homework. In this manner I would put my brain into math-mode, programming-mode, writing-mode, or art-mode and remain in that single mode for as long as possible. Secondly, I believe this habit helped me remain relaxed and unstressed because my mind wasn't cluttered with so many to-do items. It was always just one thing at a time. I could forget about anything that was outside the current context.

Failure is your friend. Most people seem to have an innate fear of failure, but failure is really your best friend. People who succeed also fail a great deal because they make a lot of attempts. The great baseball player Babe Ruth held the homerun record and the strikeout record at the same time. Those who have the most successes also have the most failures. There is nothing wrong or shameful in failing. The only regret lies in never making the attempt. So don't be afraid to experiment in your attempts to increase productivity. Sometimes the quickest way to find out if something will work is to jump right in and do it. You can always make adjustments along the way. It's the ready-fire-aim approach, and surprisingly, it works a lot better than the more common ready-aim-fire approach. The reason is that after you've "fired" once, you have some actual data with which to adjust your aim. Too many people get bogged down in planning and thinking and never get to the point of action. How many potentially great ideas have you passed up because you got stuck in the state of analysis paralysis (i.e. ready-aim-aim-aim-aim-aim...)?

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During college I tried a lot of crazy ideas that I thought might save me time. I continued reading time management material and applying what I learned, but I also devised some original ideas. Most of my own ideas were flops, but some of them worked. I was willing to fail again and again for the off chance I might stumble upon something that gave me an extra boost. Understand that failure is not the opposite of success. Failure is an essential part of success. Once you succeed, no one will remember your failures anyway. Microsoft wasn't Bill Gates' and Paul Allen's first business venture. Who remembers that their original Traf-o-Data business was a flop? The actor Jim Carey was booed off many a stage while a young comedian. We have electric light bulbs because Thomas Edison refused to give up even after 10,000 failed experiments. If the word "failure" is anathema to you, then reframe it: You either succeed, or you have a learning experience. Letting go of the fear of failure will serve you well. If you're excited about achieving a particular goal, but you're afraid you might not be able to pull it off, jump on it and do it anyway. Even if you fail in your attempt, you'll learn something valuable and can make a better attempt next time. If you look at people who are successful in business today, you will commonly see that many of them had a string of dismal failures before finally hitting on something that worked, myself included. And I think most of these people will agree that those early failure experiences were an essential contributing factor in their future successes. My advice to anyone starting a new business is to begin pumping out products or devising services and don't worry much about whether they'll be hits. They probably won't be. But you'll learn a lot more by doing than you ever will by thinking.

Do it now! 02W. Clement Stone, who built an insurance empire worth hundreds of millions dollars, would make all his employees recite the phrase, "Do it now!" again and again at the start of each workday. Whenever you feel the tendency towards laziness taking over and you remember something you should be doing, stop and say out loud, "Do it now! Do it now! Do it now!" I often set this text as my screen saver. There is a tremendous cost in putting things off because you will mentally revisit them again and again, which can add up to an enormous amount of wasted time. Thinking and planning are important, but action is far more important. You don't get paid for your thoughts and plans -- you only get paid for your results. When in doubt, act boldly, as if it were impossible to fail. In essence, it is.

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It is absolutely imperative that you develop the habit of making decisions as soon as possible. I use a 60-second rule for almost every decision I have to make, no matter how big or important. Once I have all the data to make a decision, I start a timer and give myself only 60 seconds to make a firm decision. I'll even flip a coin if I have to. When I was in college, I couldn't afford to waste time thinking about assignments or worrying about when to do them. I simply picked one and went to work on it. And today when I need to decide which article to write next, I just pick a topic and begin writing. I believe this is why I never experience writer's block. Writer's block means you're stuck in the state of thinking about what to write instead of actually writing. I don't waste time thinking about writing because I'm too busy writing. This is probably why I've been able to write hundreds of original articles very easily. Every article I write spawns ideas for at least two more, so my ideas list only increases over time. I cannot imagine ever running out of original content. Too often people delay making decisions when there is no advantage to be found in that delay. Usually delaying a decision will only have negative consequences, so even if you're faced with ambiguity, just bite the bullet and make a decision. If it turns out to be the wrong one, you'll know it soon enough. Many people probably spend more than 60 seconds just deciding what they'll eat for dinner. If I can't decide what to eat, I just grab an apple or a couple bananas and start eating, and sometimes I'm full of fruit before I figure out what I really would like to eat. So my brain knows that if it wants something other than fruit, it had better decide quickly. If you can speed up the pace of making decisions, you can spend the rest of your time on action. One study showed that the best managers in the world tend to have an extremely high tolerance for ambiguity. In other words, they are able to act boldly on partial and/or conflicting data. Many industries today have accelerated to such a rapid pace that by the time you have perfect data with which to make any decision, the opportunity is probably long gone. Where you have no data to fall back on, rely on your own personal experience and intuition. If a decision can be made right away, make the decision as soon as it comes up. If you can't make a decision right away, set aside a time where you will consider the options and make the decision. Pour the bulk of your time into action, not deciding. The state of indecision is a major time waster. Don't spend more than 60 seconds in that state if you can avoid it. Make a firm, immediate decision, and move from uncertainty to certainty to action. Let the world tell you when you're wrong, and you'll soon build enough experience to make accurate, intelligent decisions.

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tri·age (tr-äzh, träzh)n.1. A process for sorting injured people into groups based on their need for or likely benefit from immediate medical treatment. Triage is used in hospital emergency rooms, on battlefields, and at disaster sites when limited medical resources must be allocated.2. A system used to allocate a scarce commodity, such as food, only to those capable of deriving the greatest benefit from it.3. A process in which things are ranked in terms of importance or priority: "For millions of Americans, each week becomes a stressful triage between work and home that leaves them feeling guilty, exhausted and angry" (Jill Smolowe).tr.v. tri·aged, tri·ag·ing, tri·ag·esTo sort or allocate by triage: triaged the patients according to their symptoms.

triage [ˈtraɪɪdʒ]n1. (Medicine) the principle or practice of sorting casualties in battle or disaster or other patients into categories of priority for treatment2. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) the principle or practice of allocating limited resources, as of food or foreign aid, on a basis of expediency rather than according to moral principles or the needs of the recipients[C18 (in the sense: sorting (goods) according to quality): from French; see try, -age]

tri•age (triˈɑʒ)

n., adj., v. -aged, ag•ing. n.1. the process of sorting victims, as of a battle or disaster, to determine priority of medical treatment, with highest priority usu. given to those having the greatest likelihood of survival.2. the determination of priorities for action in an emergency.adj.3. of, pertaining to, or performing the task of triage: a triage officer.v.t.4. to act on or in by triage: to triage a crisis.

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Triage ruthlessly. Get rid of everything that wastes your time. Use the trash can liberally. Apply the rule, "When in doubt, throw it out." Cancel useless magazine subscriptions. If you have a magazine that is more than two months old and you still haven't read it, throw it away; it's probably not worth reading. Realize that nothing is free if it costs you time. Before you sign up for any new free service or subscription, ask how much it will cost you in terms of time. Every activity has an opportunity cost. Ask, "Is this activity worth what I am sacrificing for it?" In college I was downright brutal when it came to triage. I once told a professor that I decided not to do one of his assigned computer science projects because I felt it wasn't a good use of my time. The project required about 10-20 hours of tedious gruntwork that wasn't going to teach me anything I didn't already know. Also, this project was only worth 10% of my grade in that class, and since I was previously acing the class anyway, the only real negative consequence would be that I'd end up with an A- in the course instead of an A. I told the professor I felt that was a fair trade-off and that I would accept the A-. I didn't try to negotiate with him for special treatment. So my official grade in the class was an A-, but I personally gave myself an A+ for putting those 10-20 hours to much better use. Ask yourself this question: "Would I have ever gotten started with this project, relationship, career, etc. if I had to do it all over again, knowing what I now know?" If your answer is no, then get out as soon as possible. This is called zero-based thinking. I know a lot of people that have a limiting belief that says, "Always finish what you start." They spend years climbing ladders only to realize when they reach the top that the ladder was leaning against the wrong building. Remember that failure is your friend. So if a certain decision you've made in the past is no longer producing results that serve you, then be ruthless and dump it, so you can move onto something better. There is no honor in dedicating your life to the pursuit of a goal which no longer inspires you. This is another situation where you must practice integrity in the moment of choice. You must constantly re-assess your present situation to accurately decide what to do next. Whatever you've decided in the past is largely irrelevant if you would not renew that decision today.

Identify and recover wasted time. Instead of watching a one-hour TV show, tape it and watch it in 45 minutes by fast-forwarding through the commercials. Don't spend a half hour typing a lengthy email when you could accomplish the same thing with a 10-minute phone call. Batch your errands together and do them all at once. During the summer between my second and third semesters, I found an apartment across the street from campus that was slightly closer to the engineering building

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than my on-campus dorm room. So I moved out of the dorms and into that apartment, which saved me some walking/biking time every day. I was also moving from a two-bedroom dorm which I shared with two roommates into a smaller single-person studio apartment. This new apartment was much more efficient. For example, I could work on programming assignments while cooking dinner because my desk was only a few steps from the stove. Trying to cut out time-wasting habits is a common starting point for people who desire to become more efficient, but I think this is a mistake. Optimizing your personal habits should only come later. Clarity of purpose must come first. If you don't have clarity, then your attempts to install more efficient habits and to break inefficient habits will only fizzle. You won't have a strong enough reason to put your time to good use, so it will be easy to quit when things get tough. You need a big, attractive goal to stay motivated. The reason to shave 15 minutes off a task is that you're overflowing with motivation to put that 15 minutes to better use. For example, you might have a career you sort of like, but most likely it's not so compelling that you'll care enough about saving an extra 15 minutes here and there, even if your total savings might amount to a few hours each day. But if you've taken the time to develop a sense of purpose that reaches deep into your soul, you'll be automatically motivated to put your time to better use. If you get the highest level of your life in order (purpose, meaning, spiritual beliefs), the lower levels will tend to self-optimize (habits, practices, actions).

Apply the 80-20 rule. Also known as the Pareto Principle, the 80-20 rule states that 20% of a task's effort accounts for 80% of the value of that task. This also means that 80% of a task only yields 20% of the value of that task. In college I was ruthless in my application of this principle. Some weeks I ditched as many as 40% of my classes because sitting through a lecture was often not the most effective way for me to learn. And I already noted that I would simply refuse to do an assignment if I determined it was not worth my time. There was one math class that I only showed up to twice because I could learn from the text book much more quickly than from the lectures. I only showed up for the midterm and final. I would pop my head in at the beginning of each class to drop off my homework and then again at the end of each class to write down the next assignment. I actually got the highest grade in that class, but the teacher probably had no idea who I was. The other students were playing by the rules, not realizing they were free to make their own rules. Find out what parts of your life belong in the crucial 20%, and focus your efforts there. Be absolutely ruthless in refusing to spend time where it simply cannot give you optimal results. Invest your time where it has the potential to pay off big.

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Guard thy time. To work effectively you need uninterrupted blocks of time in which you can complete meaningful work. When you know for certain that you won't be interrupted, your productivity is much, much higher. When you sit down to work on a particularly intense task, dedicate blocks of time to the task during which you will not do anything else. I've found that a minimum of 90 minutes is ideal for a single block. You may need to negotiate with the other people in your life to create these uninterrupted blocks of time. If necessary, warn others in advance not to interrupt you for a certain period of time. Threaten them with acts of violence if you must. In school I would lock my bedroom door when I needed to work, so my roommates would know not to disturb me. While each individual bedroom in the two-bedroom dorm suites was designed for two people (four people per suite), I paid a bit extra to have a bedroom all to myself. This way I always had my own private room to work. When I had time to be social, I'd leave the door open, sometimes playing computer games with one of my roommates. If you happen to work in a high interruption environment that's negatively affecting your productivity, change that environment at all costs. Some people have told me that giving their boss a copy of this article helped convince him/her to take steps to reduce unnecessary interruptions. While for some people it's helpful to block off a specific period of time for a task, I find that I work best with long, open-ended stretches of uninterrupted time. I'll often allocate a starting time for a task but usually not a specific finishing time. Whenever possible I just allow myself to stick with a task as long as I can, until I eventually succumb to hunger or other bodily needs. I will frequently work 6+ hours straight on a project without taking a break. While frequent breaks are often recommended to increase productivity, I feel that suggestion may be an artifact of industrial age research on poorly motivated workers and not as applicable to high-motivation, purpose-driven creative work. I find it's best for me to maintain momentum until I can barely continue instead of chopping a task into smaller chunks where there's a risk of succumbing to distractions along the way. The state of flow, where you are totally absorbed in a task and lose all sense of time, takes about 15 minutes to enter. Every time you get interrupted, it can take you another 15 minutes to get back to that state. Once you enter the state of flow, guard it with your life. That is the state in which you will go through enormous amounts of work and experience total connection with the task. When I'm in this state, I have no sense of past or future. I simply feel like I'm one with my work.

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While sometimes I suffer from the problem of the task expanding to fill the allotted time (aka Parkinson's Law), I often find that it's worth the risk. For example, when I do optimization work on my web site, I'll frequently think of new optimization ideas while I work, and I'll usually go ahead and implement those new ideas immediately. I find it more efficient to act on those ideas at the moment of conception instead of scheduling them to be done at a later time.

Work all the time you work. During one of these sacred time blocks, do nothing but the activity that's right in front of you. Don't check email or online forums or do web surfing. If you have this temptation, then unplug your Internet connection while you work. Turn off your phone, or simply refuse to answer it. Go to the bathroom before you start, and make sure you won't get hungry for a while. Don't get out of your chair at all. Don't talk to anyone during this time. Decide what it is you should be doing, and then do nothing but that. If you happen to manage others, periodically ask them what their #1 task is, and make sure they're doing nothing but that. If you see someone answering email, then it should be the most important thing for that person to be doing at that particular time. If not, then relatively speaking, that person is just wasting time. If you need a break, then take a real break and do nothing else. Don't semi-work during a break if you feel you need rest and restoration. Checking email or web surfing is not a break. When you take a break, close your eyes and do some deep breathing, listen to relaxing music and zone out for a while, take a 20-minute nap, or eat some fresh fruit. Rest until you feel capable of doing productive work again. When you need rest, rest. When you should be working, work. Work with either 100% concentration, or don't work at all. It's perfectly fine to take as much down time as you want. Just don't allow your down time to creep into your work time.

Multitask. The amount of new knowledge in certain fields is increasing so rapidly that everything you know about your line of work is probably becoming obsolete. The only solution is to keep absorbing new knowledge as rapidly as possible. Many of the skills I use in my business today didn't even exist five years ago. The best way I know to keep up is to multitask whenever possible by reading and listening to audio programs. When watching TV, read a computer magazine during commercials. If you're a male, read while shaving. I use an electric shaver and read during the 2-3 minutes it takes me to shave each day. This allows me to get through about two extra articles a week -- that's 100 extra articles a year. This habit is really easy to start.

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Just grab a couple magazines, or print out some articles you wouldn't otherwise have time to read, and put them in your bathroom. Whenever you go out, carry at least one folded up article with you. If you ever have to wait in line, such as at the post office or the grocery store, pull out the article and read it. You will be amazed at how much extra knowledge you can absorb just by reading during other non-mental activities. Listen to educational audio programs whenever you can. When you drive your car, always be listening to an audio program. One of the best ways to save time is to learn directly from people who already have the skills you want to master. Audio programs often contain more practical material than what you would learn by taking classes at a university. Whereas people with degrees in marketing or business have been taught by college professors, you can learn about these subjects from millionaires and billionaires who've learned what works in the real world. Multitasking was perhaps the most important low-level skill that allowed me to go through college in three semesters. My average weekday involved about seven or eight hours of classes. But on Tuesdays during my final semester, I had classes back to back from 9am until 10pm. Because I was taking about a dozen classes each semester, I would have several tests and projects due just about every week. I had no time to study outside of class because most of that time was used for my job. So I simply had to learn everything the first time it came up. If a teacher wrote out something on the board, I would memorize it then and there; I couldn't afford to learn things later and risk falling behind. During my slower classes, I would do homework, work out algorithms for my programming job, or refine my schedule. You can probably find numerous opportunities for multitasking. Whenever you do something physical, such as driving, cooking, shopping, or walking, keep your mind going by listening to audio tapes or reading. The idea of multitasking may seem to contradict the previous piece of advice to work all the time you work. But whereas the previous tip refers to high intensity work where you must concentrate all your mental resources in order to do the best job you can, this tip addresses low intensity work where you have plenty of capacity to do other things at the same time, like standing in line, cooking dinner, flying on a plane, or walking from point A to point B. Multitasking shouldn't be used where it will significantly degrade your performance on a crucial task, but it should be intelligently used to take advantage of excess capacity. Take real breaks when you need them, but don't waste time in a state of partial effort. It's more efficient to cycle between working flat out and then resting completely. Multitasking allows you to take your productivity to a new level. You might think it would be draining, but many people find it has the opposite effect. For me it was

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tremendously energizing to be getting so much done. The harder you work, the greater your capacity for work, and the more restorative your rest will be.

Experiment. Everyone is different, so what works for you may well be different than what works for everyone else. You may work best in the morning or late at night. Take advantage of your own strengths, and find ways to compensate for your weaknesses. Experiment with listening to music while you work. I use the free WinAMP player, which can stream commercial-free radio directly to my computer all day long with a variety of channels to choose from. I find that classical and new age music, especially Mozart, is terrific for web development work. But for most routine tasks, listening to fast-paced techno/trance music helps me work a lot faster. I don't exactly know why, but I'm twice as productive when listening to really fast music as compared to listening to no music. On the other hand, music with vocals is detrimental to my productivity because it's too distracting. And when I really need to focus deeply, I'll listen to no music at all. Try a simple experiment for yourself, and see if certain forms of music can increase your productivity. For me the difference was dramatic. Whenever you come up with a wacky new idea for increasing your productivity, test it and see what effect it has. Don't dismiss any idea unless you've actually tried it. Partial successes are more common than complete failures, so each new experiment will help you refine your time management practices. Even the ongoing practice of conducting experiments will help condition you to be more productive.

Cultivate your enthusiasm. The word "enthusiasm" comes from the Greek entheos, which means literally, "the god within." I really like that definition. I doubt it's possible to master the art of time management if you aren't gushingly enthusiastic about what you're going to do with your time. Go after what really inspires you. Don't chase money. Chase your passion. If you aren't enthusiastic about your work, then you're wasting your life. Switch to something else. Consider a new career altogether. Don't beat yourself up if your current career has become stale. Remember that failure is your friend. Listen to that god within you, and switch to something that excites you once again. The worst waste of time is doing something that doesn't make you happy. Your work should serve your life, not the other way around. If you're like most people, you can get yourself motivated every once in a while, but then you get caught up and sink back down to a lower level of productivity, and you find it hard to continue with a project. How easy is it to start a new project

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when your motivation level is high? And how difficult is it to continue once your enthusiasm fades? Since most people are negative to one degree or another, you'll naturally lose your positive charge over time unless you actively cultivate your enthusiasm as a resource. I don't believe in pushing myself to do something I really don't want to do. If I'm not motivated, then getting myself to sit down and work productively is nearly impossible, and the work is almost painful. When you're highly motivated though, work feels like play. While in college I could not afford to let my enthusiasm fade, or I'd be dead. I quickly learned that I needed to make a conscious effort to reinforce my enthusiasm on a daily basis. I always had my Walkman cassette player with me (there were no portable MP3 players back then), and while walking from one class to the next, I would listen to time management and motivational tapes. I also listened to them while jogging every morning. I kept my motivation level high by reinforcing my enthusiasm almost hourly. Even though I was being told by others that I would surely fail, these tapes were the stronger influence because I never went more than a few hours without plugging back in. If your enthusiasm level is high, you can work so much more productively and even enjoy the normally tedious parts of your work. I've always found that whenever I want to take my business to a new level, I must take my thoughts to a new level first. When your thinking changes, then your actions will change, and your results will follow. Unless you're a naturally hyper person, your enthusiasm is going to need daily reinforcement. I recommend either listening to motivational tapes or reading inspiring books or articles for at least fifteen minutes every day. Whenever I've stopped doing this, I've found that self-doubt always returns, and my productivity drops off. It's truly amazing how constantly feeding your mind with positive material can maintain your enthusiasm indefinitely. And if you multitask, you can get this benefit without investing any extra time into it.

Eat and exercise for optimal energy. During the summer before my last semester in college (1993), I became a lacto-ovo vegetarian, and I noticed a decent boost in my energy and especially in my ability to concentrate. Four years later (1997) I became a complete vegan (no animal products at all), and this yielded an even bigger boost. For details on why I made this change, see the article Why Vegan? What you eat can have a profound effect on your productivity. Animal products take significantly more time and energy to digest than plant foods, and when your body must divert extra energy to digestion, it means you have less energy available for productive mental work. Effectively your work will seem harder while you're digesting meals containing animal products, and you'll be more inclined to

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succumb to distractions. So if you find yourself having a hard time focusing on mentally intense work after lunch, your diet may very well be the culprit. Even Benjamin Franklin credited eating lightly at lunch time as being a significant factor in his productivity. While his colleagues were sluggish and sleepy in the afternoon, he could continue to work productively the rest of the day. Regular exercise is also necessary to maintain high energy and mental clarity. In college I would go running for 30 minutes first thing every morning before breakfast. And of course I'd be listening to motivational and educational tapes at the same time. This daily renewal kept me in good physical condition and helped me maintain my ideal weight. Furthermore, my class schedule kept me zigzagging around campus each day to attend all my classes, and I'd usually have to carry a 20-30 pound backpack full of textbooks with me. So even though I spent most of my weekdays sitting in classrooms, I still got plenty of daily exercise. If you want to master time management, it makes sense to hone your best time management tool of all -- your physical body. Through diet and exercise you can build your capacity for sustained concentrated effort, so even the most difficult work will seem easier. If you currently find yourself overweight, take a trip to a local gym or a sporting goods store, and find a dumbbell (or two) that weighs as much as the excess fat you're carrying around. Pick it up and walk around with it for a while. Become aware that this is what you're carrying around with you every day. Imagine how much lighter and easier everything would be if you could permanently put that weight down. Carrying some extra weight for training purposes is one thing, but if that weight is in the form of body fat, then you're never able to put it down and enjoy the benefits of that training. Make a committed decision to shed those extra pounds, and enjoy the lifelong benefits of living in a more efficient physical vehicle.

Maintain balance. I don't think it's easy to sustain long-term productivity, health, and happiness if your life is totally unbalanced. To excel in one area, you can't let other areas lag behind and pull you down. While in college I made an effort to take off a full day each week to have a personal life. I exercised, went to parties, attended club meetings, played computer games and pool, and even had time to vacation in Las Vegas during my final semester. The high turnover rates at the end of "death march" projects are caused by a lack of balance. To focus exclusively on your primary work at the expense of every other area of your life will only hurt you in the long run. Maintain balance by paying attention to every area of your life. As you grow in your career, be sure that your personal life grows as well.

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Probably my biggest regret about going through college in three semesters is that I never had a girlfriend during this time. While I had plenty of good friends (both male and female), got involved in clubs, and enjoyed fun social activities every week, I didn't have enough time to pursue an intimate relationship on top of everything else. I remember one instance where a girl I knew was clearly interested in pursuing a relationship with me, and she started machinating to spend more time alone with me, but I couldn't take the bait because I just didn't have time for dating. I wouldn't have made a very good boyfriend at the time. If I had to do it all over again, I think my college experience would have been even better if I'd stretched it to four or five semesters and allowed myself time for a girlfriend. It would have been great to have someone else to share my life with, not to mention all the other benefits of intimacy. At least I had plenty of time for dating after graduating. Within a few months I had a steady girlfriend, and four years later we were married. She and I actually went to the same college at the same time, but we never happened to meet while we were there, although it turned out we had a few mutual acquaintances. I believe the main goal of time management is to give you the power to make your life as juicy as you want it to be. By getting clear about what you want and then developing a collection of habits that allow you to efficiently achieve your goals, you'll enjoy a much richer, more fulfilling life than you would otherwise. When I look back on my college days from more than a decade in the future, I feel a sense of gratitude for the whole experience. I set an enormous stretch goal and grew tremendously as a person in the pursuit of that goal. It was one of the best times of my life. If you wish to become more productive, then do so with the intention of improving the totality of your life from top to bottom. The reason to master time management is to take your good life and transform it into an exceptional one. Time management is not about self-sacrifice, self-denial, and doing more of what you dislike. It's about embracing more of what you already love.

How to Stop Procrastinating by Using the “2-Minute Rule”by James Clear —Recently, I’ve been following a simple rule that is helping me crush procrastination and making it easier for me to stick to good habits at the same time.I want to share it with you today so that you can try it out and see how it works in your life.The best part? It’s a simple strategy that couldn’t be easier to use.Here’s what you need to know…

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How to Stop Procrastinating With the “2–Minute Rule”I call this little strategy the “2–Minute Rule” and the goal is to make it easier for you to get started on the things you should be doing.Here’s the deal…Most of the tasks that you procrastinate on aren’t actually difficult to do — you have the talent and skills to accomplish them — you just avoid starting them for one reason or another.The 2–Minute Rule overcomes procrastination and laziness by making it so easy to start taking action that you can’t say no.There are two parts to the 2–Minute Rule…Part 1 — If it takes less than two minutes, then do it now.Part I comes from David Allen’s bestselling book, Getting Things Done.It’s surprising how many things we put off that we could get done in two minutes or less. For example, washing your dishes immediately after your meal, tossing the laundry in the washing machine, taking out the garbage, cleaning up clutter, sending that email, and so on.If a task takes less than two minutes to complete, then follow the rule and do it right now.Part 2 — When you start a new habit, it should take less than two minutes to do.Can all of your goals be accomplished in less than two minutes? Obviously not.But, every goal can be started in 2 minutes or less. And that’s the purpose behind this little rule.It might sound like this strategy is too basic for your grand life goals, but I beg to differ. It works for any goal because of one simple reason: the physics of real life.The Physics of Real LifeAs Sir Isaac Newton taught us a long time ago, objects at rest tend to stay at rest and objects in motion tend to stay in motion. This is just as true for humans as it is for falling apples.The 2–Minute Rule works for big goals as well as small goals because of the inertia of life. Once you start doing something, it’s easier to continue doing it. I love the 2–Minute Rule because it embraces the idea that all sorts of good things happen once you get started.Want to become a better writer? Just write one sentence (2–Minute Rule), and you’ll often find yourself writing for an hour.Want to eat healthier? Just eat one piece of fruit (2–Minute Rule), and you’ll often find yourself inspired to make a healthy salad as well.

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Want to make reading a habit? Just read the first page of a new book (2–Minute Rule), and before you know it, the first three chapters have flown by.Want to run three times a week? Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, just get your running shoes on and get out the door (2–Minute Rule), and you’ll end up putting mileage on your legs instead of popcorn in your stomach.The 2–Minute Rule isn’t about the results you achieve, but rather about the process of actually doing the work. The focus is on taking action and letting things flow from there.The most important part of any new habit is getting started — not just the first time, but each time. It’s not about performance, it’s about consistently taking action. This is especially true in the beginning because there will be plenty of time to improve your performance later on.For more ideas on making it easier to get started and about the importance of focusing on the process and not the result, read this article and this one.Try It NowI can’t guarantee whether or not the 2–Minute Rule will work for you. But, I can guarantee that it will never work if you never try it.The problem with most articles you read, podcasts you listen to, or videos you watch is that you consume the information but never put it into practice.I want this article to be different. I want you to actually use this information, right now.What’s something you can do that will take you less than two minutes? Do it right now.56 Responses to How to Stop Procrastinating by Using the “2-Minute Rule”

1. Andrew Szeto says:James this is awesome. An excellent addition/step up from Leo Babauta’s “make the habit so easy you can’t say no”.A great Twitter quote I once saw was “the difference between a master and a novice is repetition” which has encouraged me more and more to continue implementing habits.REPLY

o James Clear says:Andrew — yep, you’re spot on with this. Habits are the road to mastery for any task. And I’m glad you mentioned Leo, his ideas for habit formation are top notch.Thanks for reading!REPLY

o Brenda Rogers says:

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That’s so weird Andrew, I’ve literally just read that passage from Leo myself, brilliant stuff. I’ve been incorporating many different methods for procrastinating lately and I’ve seen great progress lately.Zach Browman also has a great method called “Blissful Productivity” – It’s about changing your mindset so that annoying tasks actually feel natural and effortless. He has a presentation at: http://www.TheFocusTrick.com to anyone interested.I’m also going to try out the 2 minute rule from this article. Such a simple idea but I can see how it would work really well. Props to the author who wrote this.REPLY

2. Brandon Stevens  says:I use “when you think it, do it” to help me get projects started. I can’t wait to incorporate the 2-minuite drill into the system I already have going!Thanks James.REPLY

o James Clear says:Brandon — that’s awesome. I love your initiative. Looking forward to hearing about your progress!REPLY

3. Garry Stafford  says:As usual, James, I love the small steps concept so much. The well-learned ability to see so many things as being too difficult/overwhelming/time-consuming–mountain-out-of-a-molehill stuff–that it’s become a wonderful means of creating excuses. Excuses that, when it comes right down to it, save me from the fear of what might be attached to that which I need/want to do.It just occurred to me though that I’ve used this in teaching guitar. I tell my students to just pick it up for 5 minutes (not “You MUST do an hour long practice session each day!” When I took piano lessons years ago that’s what my teacher told me. Did I do it? HA!)Does that 5 minutes (I’ll use 2 minutes!) turn into something more? Almost always! Are we concerned about results? No. Too much concern often leads to unrealistic and unmet expectations. The results will naturally follow if we surrender those expectations … that feed those excuses.REPLY

o James Clear says:“Surrender the expectations that feed those excuses.” I like that piece a lot, Garry. Thanks for sharing.Good luck working with your guitar students. I’m sure they are benefiting from your wisdom and experience.Thanks for reading!

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REPLY4. David Harvey  says:

This coincides nicely with BJ Fogg’s ‘Tiny Habits’ which I just participated in last week and am continuing. It’s really the starting that is always the trouble I find.REPLY

o James Clear says:David — so true. Starting is the hard part. And the Tiny Habits system is great. I’m glad you enjoyed using it.As always, thanks for reading! I’ll do my best to keep good ideas coming your way.REPLY

5. John Matthew IV says:I am a great procrastinator.I was going to do something about this problem tomorrow.But this has inspired me to do a few two-minute projects.Thank you.REPLY

o James Clear says:John — that’s great! Just start with small steps. Getting started is often the hardest part.And if you need a push, just let me know. I’m happy to help however I can.REPLY

6. Ben Friedrich says:Did my two minute project. Wrote up my new morning routine so that I have a reminder to follow it each day.REPLY

o James Clear says:Awesome! Keep that momentum going, Ben. You’re headed in a great direction.REPLY

7. Kevin Victor says:Wow, this is amazing and perfect!!!REPLY

o James Clear says:Thanks Kevin! It has helped me, so I’m glad you’re finding it useful too.REPLY

8. Janet says:I appreciate your tips. You are like the mother I wish I had.REPLY

o James Clear says:

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Ha — I’m not sure how I feel about suddenly becoming female, but I’m happy to provide some “motherly guidance” every now and then.Thanks for reading, Janet. Keep up the great work on your end. And I’ll do my best to send good ideas your way!REPLY

9. Eric  says:Great article James! I just prepped 3 healthy snacks for later!REPLY

o James Clear says:I love it! That’s a perfect example of something you can get done in two minutes. Great work, Eric. And thanks for reading!REPLY

10. Jim Krenz  says:I’m taking two minutes to say that it is worth giving credit for the 2-Minute Rule. It is from David Allen, and it is a key part of his GTD (Getting Things Done) system.REPLY

o James Clear says:Jim — whoa! Thanks for sharing. I actually haven’t read any of David Allen’s books, but obviously I’ve heard of them. I just did a search for “David Allen two minute rule” and there was a flood of results. My apologies for not knowing about this before publishing.From what I can tell, his approach is exactly the same as “Part I” that I mentioned above… but he doesn’t mention “Part II” about habit formation and sticking to new behaviors.That said, I added a reference to the end of the article citing his work and giving credit. Thanks for pointing it out and sharing! I appreciate it!REPLY

Jim Krenz  says:Thanks James!REPLY

11. Enock says:Great post. Thanks James for sharing.REPLY

o James Clear says:You’re welcome! I’m glad you found it useful. REPLY

12. Peter Holmes says:

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OK James………….your so right, some times we all need a nudge to get us started, thank you… got to go, got several 120 second things to do.REPLY

o James Clear says:Sounds good, Peter. Getting started in small ways often allows you to accomplish big things. I’m looking forward to hearing about your progress!REPLY

13. Lisa says:My two minute task: get involved by leaving a comment. Thanks James for sharing this idea. It doesn’t matter where ideas start as long as they get spead. The two minute rule has already made me 10 times more productive in one day. Cheers.REPLY

o James Clear says:Lisa — thanks for saying hello! It’s great to have you in our little community and I’m glad you decided to take a few minutes to leave a comment. Your thoughts are always welcome here. REPLY

14. Mike  says:Great rule–trying it as soon as I finish typing this. Breaking large tasks down to manageable bits works wonders.REPLY

o James Clear says:Yep! It’s a simple trick that works wonders. (I always think the best approaches are simple.)Glad you enjoyed it, Mike!REPLY

15. Patrick  says:Great article. I really appreciate learning new ways to be more efficient and focused on getting things accomplished.REPLY

o James Clear says:Awesome. I’m glad I could provide something useful, Patrick. Thanks for reading!REPLY

16. Emmanuel Fonte  says:Great simple advice! Thanks, on my way to apply it right now!REPLY

o James Clear says:Thanks Emmanuel! I hope the 2-Minute Rule worked well for you.

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As always, thanks for taking the time to read and share your thoughts. I appreciate it!REPLY

17. Ninad says:What a load of crap!REPLY

o James Clear says:What a helpful comment!Haha — seriously though, I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy the article, Ninad. Do you feel that the information is incorrect? Or that it’s too hard to implement?What could I do to deliver more useful information to you?REPLY

o Jon  says:Sounds like someone is having a very bad hair day.REPLY

18. Erica says:I usually procrastinate my eating after reading. I’m taking a bite now. Thank You.REPLY

o James Clear says:Boom! Look at that. 2-Minute Rule working right away. Thanks for reading, Erica! It’s great to have you in our little community.REPLY

19. Leah  says:So… I googled procrastination, because I was putting stuff off. 2 minutes later I came across your page.It took me 2 minutes to read. 2 minutes more to write a comment.So now, I’ve been set back by the equivalent of 3 tasks – I’m so far behind now! Cheers for that REPLY

20. Mohamad  says:This is a good idea. Thanks James.REPLY

21. Maajid Maqbool says:Well said…REPLY

22. Rajni Gohil says:I think willpower helps you do the things. Do or die attitude helps procrastination. Also involving friends or neighbor will avoid laziness and keep going.Relating any task to God will give motivation to stay.

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Thanks for helpful articles.REPLY

23. Deborah Harris  says:Great article. We were born with knowing no boundries. We couldn’t walk, we kept up the repitition of standing up and learning to walk. We learnt speech, knowledge, emotion but we got taught to be scared. The knack is to believe in what you want regardless of what other people tell you. It’s usually the apathetic that try and drag you down through jealousy. Keep your head to the sun and the shadows will fall behind! We just released our first album, we’ve had live sessions and radio play in the UK and USA, supported some big cult bands and now it’s time to raise the pole once more. We’ll never give up…and if nothing else….we’re happy!REPLY

24. Winston Anderson  says:I have a project that am going to start now. Yes you are right, I have been putting it off.REPLY

25. Denis says:Great article! This might be the one strategy that could work for me – I will try it. (right after posting this comment!)REPLY

26. Sinem says:“The Power of Habit” and “This Year I Will..” are also great books!REPLY

27. Bob Hollinbeck says:I like that you credit others for good ideas then give us ways to put theory into practice. BobREPLY

28. Samuel Jeffery  says:I love the two minute rule. I think if this was applied throughout the day productivity would shoot through the roof!REPLY

29. Rabina  says:I have a exam next week on Monday… I am going to start with the two minute rule to break my cycle of avoidance-stress-fear! I will let you know how I get on. REPLY

30. Ilya says:I procrastinated to read this article.REPLY

o James Clear says:

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Great — now you can use the next 2 minutes to get started on something!REPLY

31. Alana Bush says:Very, very good. Have read this before. The “2-minute rule” helps us to overcome waiting for the feel-like-it emotion to kick in. Have recommended this to others. Positive payoff is that after a time just doing it the feel-like-it emotion does start to kick in out of the habit/s formed with overcoming procrastinating using the 2-minute rule. Kudos.REPLY

32. Jeffrey James  says:The great thing about the 2 minute rule is that it helps create the habit of doing things now instead of later. And once you start doing things that take 2 minutes or less, you’ll be more likely to do something that takes 3 minutes. Or 5 minutes. Pretty soon, procrastination will be a thing of the past.REPLY

33. Lilli says:Love it! Its different to other tip you read! Thanks!REPLY

34. Andrew Spence  says:Hi James, this is a great article. Sometimes the most simple steps are the most powerful. I’ve used this myself and had some great success with it. I actually wrote an article recently that is in a similar vein but for people who are trying to build a business and are having difficulties due to procrastination. I will include it as an additional resource here. Keep up the great work!REPLY

4 Ways to Break the Procrastination HabitProcrastination is a bad habit that many of us have developed over time – whether it be video games, the Internet or reading, basically any task that you perform that delays you from completing other, possibly more important tasks. Researchers have found that procrastination leads to depression, insomnia and an entire host of other issues that can even be life threatening!I am guilty of procrastination myself, so these are four tips that I am using to break the cycle of procrastination and move toward a better life overall.

1. Stop lying to yourself! Don’t try to tell yourself, “I’ll do it later.” Do it NOW! When you tell yourself lies, you then make up more lies to cover the original set of lies and it just snowballs.

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2. Set realistic goals and work toward them. One of my goals this week is to format my music collection into a easy-to-navigate file system. I’ve set the goal,  now I can work toward it.

3. Give yourself rewards for a job well done. If you complete a task by your self-imposed deadline, reward yourself! It doesn’t have to be something expensive or even a tangible item – give yourself 5 extra minutes online, or have a piece of your favorite candy!

4. Stick to your deadlines! One of my most favorite cheats is to change the deadline repeatedly, so I can continue to procrastinate. It sounds like fun in the beginning, but I have chores and things-to-do that I’ve put off for months that way.Do you have any tips for beating procrastination? Let’s hear it in the comments!

15 Things You Can Start Doing Today To Stop ProcrastinatingWritten by OMER KHAN LEAVE A COMMENT

Are you sick of consistently stopping in your tracks with anxiety, frustration, irritation, dread, and resentment?  Tired of not living up to your full potential and reaching your dreams?  Then, break through the resistance and learn how to stop procrastinating right away.  You can gain control over procrastination by building optimism to increase your expectancy of success, making specific tasks more pleasant and rewarding, and decreasing your impulsiveness.  The techniques below can help teach you how to stop procrastinating today.

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15 Ways To Stop Procrastinating Today1. Give yourself a series of meaningful and challenging, but achievable goals.When you achieve one goal after another, you naturally gain confidence in your ability to succeed.  So set yourself up for success by doing things you know you can succeed with, over and over.  Then, pay attention to each of your successes and this will help keep your confidence high!2. Make process or learning goals, ones that require you to acquire or refine new skills or stepsThis will replace product or outcome ones that emphasize winning or obtaining the highest score.  Rafting, camping, rock-climbing, and wilderness classes are excellent ways to increase your own expectancy for success.  Cooking, karate, taking your favorite hobby to the next level, and volunteering can also help you learn how to stop procrastinating over time.3. Listen to motivational speakers, read influential biographies, and watch inspirational moviesThis will teach you how to stop procrastinating by boosting your optimism.  Visit multiple community groups in your area that foster positivity and then join your favorite one.  Optimism is contagious!4. Use creative visualization to vividly imagine what you want to achieveYou can then mentally contrast that thought with where you are actually at now.  For example, if you think about a new car you want, visualize your old car and your paycheck.  You can then jumpstart planning and effort after seeing your current situation as an obstacle that needs overcome in order to achieve your dreams.5. Try to make boring tasks more challengingYou can adjust their difficulty level to match your current skill level.  This will help increase your self-motivation and in turn teach you how to stop procrastinating over such activities.6. Make sure tasks are connected to something you care about at least though a chainFor example, read the book, pass the test, make the grade, land the job you want, and obtain a fulfilling career.  Breaking the chain could leave you feeling meaningless about a necessary task and it is imperative to inject value into each of them to teach yourself how to stop procrastinating.7. Tackle tasks when you feel alert and exhibit the most amount of energy during the dayExercising regularly, sleeping plenty, and drinking a lot of water can help keep up your physical energy.  De-cluttering your life to reduce exhaustion on your brain

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processes and listening to music to elevate your mood will help keep up your cognitive energy.8. Pair a task in which you procrastinate with an interest or treatThis will enable you to reward yourself with completion.  Exercise with someone whose company you enjoy.  Treat yourself to a frozen yogurt or specialty coffee when working on your taxes or other activities you do not like.  You could also take a break to watch a favorite TV show or soak in a soothing spa bath.9. Whenever possible, focus on doing things you are passionate aboutTrying to make a career out of something you love will help you learn how to stop procrastinating with tasks at the workplace.10. Commit now or in advance to find ways to sail past those tasks that cause you to procrastinateYou know what things cause you to procrastinate and deal with known and upcoming impulsiveness.  You can close off tempting alternatives to productivity by unplugging your TV or router when you have work to finish.11. Change your attitude from negative to positiveComplete the dreaded deed first and improving your mood.  With the disliked task out of the way, you give your self-esteem a boost and teach yourself how to stop procrastination.  For example, if you work in sales and dislike cold calling, make sure to do this part of your job first thing in the morning so the rest of your day is worry-free.12. Breaking up your goals into many smaller sub-goalsThis will also help you learn how to stop procrastinating.  Daily goals and immediate deadlines can aid in breaking through the starting threshold and ensure achievement.  First start with 5-minute tasks and then gradually work yourself up to those throughout the day that take much longer.13. Managing stress by slowing down and taking care of yourselfThis will help keep you from feeling overwhelmed and procrastinating even more.  Humans are naturally creatures of habit so it helps to maintain a routine.  For example, prioritize nutrition and try to exercise and go to sleep at the same time every day.  You can also take half an hour every day to relax and recharge.14. Break down tasks into small parts and your overall plans into achievable stepsLearning sections one at a time in a piece of music rather than trying to memorize the whole song is a great example of how these smaller successes tend to build on each other.15. Most importantly, stay positive!If you do not think you can succeed, you will have little motivation to do a necessary task.  However, keep your guard up against too much optimism by planning for the worst and hoping for the best.

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Keep in mind, small changes in all these areas will make a big difference in your life.  It is extremely important you do not over-regulate yourself, try to be perfect, or completely eliminate procrastination.  Your strong will power will help prevent you from sliding back into those familiar and unhealthy patterns.  Staying realistic and finding a nice balance in your life will help you remain happy while also finding success.  So, do not make your life more stressful and postpone the inevitable by waiting until the last minute to complete your tasks.

20 Strategies to Overcome Procrastination 1. Worst-first approach The harder and more unpleasant a task is, the better it is to do it immediately and get it out of the way. This is particularly true of big pieces of assessment which can seem overwhelming and require more time.

2. Remember-forgetting technique Whenever you remember forgetting to do something that you’ve been putting off, do it (at least some of it) immediately. 3. Bits and pieces approach Do anything in connection with the task you want to accomplish. Start with something relatively easy (e.g. deciding on an essay topic). Gradually do more and more until the task itself doesn’t seem so impossible to do. This is a good way to start on tasks which are large and overwhelming or a bit stressful. Often getting started is the hardest thing to do.

4. Break it down If your task seems too big or overwhelming, break it down into a series of smaller, more achievable, tasks or steps that you have to take in order to complete the task. For example, for a big essay, the small steps might be:

Step 1 - Decide on a topic Step 2 - Find 10 relevant articles Step 3 - Read and summarise each article Step 4 - Plan the structure of your essay Step 5 - Write the introduction Step 6 - Write 200 words of the main body’ Step 7 - Review what you’ve done and check you’re on the right track Step 8 - Write another 200 words and so on*. Concentrate on taking the first step, then the next until you complete the full journey. Sometimes you might need a lot of steps, other times, only a few. (* This is just an example. Please contact a learning adviser for more specific advice on breaking down assessment tasks.) 5. Five minute plan

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Sit down and work on something for just five minutes. At the end of five minutes, move onto something else if you want, or set yourself another five minutes on the original task. Chances are you’ll already be involved enough to keep going. Getting started is often the hardest step to take. 6. Positives and negatives Make a list of all the good things that will happen when you stop procrastinating and the not so good things that are associated with continuing to procrastinate. Think about these each time you find yourself procrastinating. 7. Reward yourself Set up a system where you use pleasurable activities (even small ones) as a means of rewarding yourself when you’ve done the work you planned to do, rather than using those pleasurable activities as a way of avoiding that work. For example, make sitting down and watching your favourite TV show a reward for doing an hour of work on that assignment, rather than the thing that delays your start on the work. 8. Ask for help If you get stuck for any reason, ask someone for help (e.g. a friend, class mate, tutor or lecturer) rather than abandoning the task all together. If you can’t access who you need straight away, make a definite plan as to when you will speak to them and try tackling another aspect of the task that you don’t need help with. 9. Pick your times Schedule the task or activity you’ve been putting off at a time when you are most alert, rested and energised, and therefore more likely to do it - and put it in your diary. Planning to tackle a difficult assignment when you are tired is not likely to result in you actually doing it. 10. Develop good habits generally Procrastinating can become a pattern of

behaviour. Try to break that pattern by making a conscious effort to deal with things immediately rather than putting them off. 11. Establish priorities There is always going to be a lot of competing demands for your time. Think about what they are, set some priorities and stick to them! 12. Manage your time Use semester and weekly planners and diaries to organise your time. Set specific dates and times to begin, and continue, your work. ‘Later’ is a really hard time to pin down! 13. Change your environment

Make whatever changes you need to increase the likelihood that you will get your work done. If you can’t study at home, find a place where you can.

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14. Minimise potential distractions It is easier to focus on the task at hand if there is less likelihood of distraction, so try and take yourself away from the things most likely to distract you. For example, trying to study right next to your computer is probably not going to be successful if surfing the Internet is one of the primary ways that you procrastinate. Likewise, studying with your friend is not going to work if you are likely to spend most of the time talking rather than working.

15. Visible reminders Put up notes or signs in prominent places (e.g. fridge, mirror, phone, computer) to remind you that there is something that needs to be done. 16. Self monitoring Keep a record of when you are avoiding tasks - what were the excuses you used? What were the thoughts and feelings you were experiencing at the time? What did you do instead of the task you had planned to do? Look for patterns. Once you know what your procrastination ‘looks like’ you will be in a much better position to do something about it. 17. Talk yourself into it How you think about things plays a big part in how you feel about them and your subsequent behaviour in relation to them. When you procrastinate, you are probably talking yourself out of doing something (“It’s too boring”…” It’s too hard”… “I’ve got plenty of time”…). Instead, try talking yourself into doing it (“I’ll feel better once it’s done”… “If I start now I won’t be so stressed later”… “This topic might be quite interesting”…). 18. Set some goals Think about what you want to achieve in the short, medium and long term. Write them down. Map out how the task that you are avoiding fits into achieving those goals. If you can see that the task has some useful purpose it may help you to get started. And remember, all assignments, exams and study periods have an important role to play if one of your goals is “pass my units” or “get my degree”! 19. Know your thinking traps The catastrophe scale. Try to think realistically about the task that you are avoiding. How bad is it really? If you had to list it on a scale of 1 to 100, where 100 is the worst thing in the world that you can think of having to do and 1 is the best, where would it go? This may help give you some perspective about the task you are putting off. Most of the time people tend to blow the unpleasantness of having to do a certain task way out of proportion. What are you avoiding?

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Many people procrastinate because they have unhelpful thoughts that what they lack confidence in their abilities or are preoccupied with thinking that whatever they produce has to be 100% “right” or “perfect”. Then of course, procrastinating means you risk running out of time anyway, and lose the opportunity to do as well as you can. Accept the task as a learning experience; that you will make mistakes. Then reflect on what procrastinating is costing you in terms of your time, energy, effort and even money. What else could you be doing if you weren’t procrastinating?! 20. Be persistent, but patient Breaking a bad habit can be difficult and can take some time. Don’t expect to go from champion procrastinator to model student overnight. Find the strategies that seem to work best for you and practice them. Notice and reward small improvements in your procrastinating behaviour. Unfortunately there is no easy, quick fix for procrastination - it takes time and effort and no one else can fix it for you.

21 ways to crush your procrastination By Craig Jarrowtimemanagementninja.comProcrastination is a bad habit.You can train yourself toovercome it. Sometimes you just needa good start to get yourself going inthe right direction. I want to give yousome tips and tactics to overcome yourprocrastination.Rituals and habits are good when dealing withprocrastination. They tell your mind and body thatyou are ready to work. They can instantly turn on yourcreativity and energy. Each person’s procrastination isdifferent. You need to determine which methods workfor you.Here are 21 ways that I use to crush my procrastination:

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1. Just Start… NOW .Stop over-thinking. Stop waiting. Just do it now.Sometimes you need to jump right into the task even ifyou think you aren’t ready. A bumpy start is better thanno start.2. Turn Everything Off—Eliminateall distractions.Turn off your email app. Your phone ringer. Closeyour door to interruptions.3. Se t a Timer.Set a timer for a short duration, whether it is 30, 20,or even 10 minutes. Dedicate yourself to working forthat period. You’ll find that by the time the timer goesoff that you have built momentum to keep you going.4. Ge t Some Exercise.Want to kick procrastination? Hit the gym (or therunning trail). A workout will get your blood pumpingand energy flowing.5. Read Something.No, not anything. Read something related to the taskyou need to accomplish. Whether it is some backgroundinfo or supporting documents, once you get interestedin the task at hand, you will be more motivated to jumpinto it.6. Review Your Last Win.Sometimes we procrastinatebecause we are nervous or lackingconfidence. If this is the case, thinkback to one of your recent winsto give you encouragement andremember what it feels like to win.7. Take a Walk.Sometimes you just need a quickbreak to snap you out of your funk.Get outside for a few and get active.The fresh air does the body good, too.8. Take a Shower.If it’s been a long day and you areexhausted, taking a quick shower can

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revive you. Not only will you feelclean, but you will have a renewedenergy level. When you don’t havetime for a shower, simply changingyour clothes is a good start.9. Te ll Someone About the Task.Describing the work to be done to someone else canhelp get you excited about getting it done. It can alsobe a great source of accountability. Just make sure youtransition from the talking to the doing.10. Se t a Hard Deadline.A task without a deadline seems to go on forever. Seta hard deadline and stick to it. Having a time limit and afinish line will help you complete the work on your terms.gettingorganizedmagazine.com Summer 2013 | GettingOrganized 2311. Break a Piece Off.If you are procrastinating because the task in front of you is large, thenbreak off a smaller piece. If you are writing a book or report, break off onechapter to write. If it is a clean-up job, then select one sub-area to clean first.12. Take A Nap.Wait, isn’t this counterproductive? To the contrary, a quick rest can resetyour energy levels. Many leaders are famous for their daily naps.13. Ge t He lp.When you can’t get the task done by yourself, get help! Know when tocall in reinforcements from your friends and colleagues. Not every task isbest done alone.14. Turn Off the TV .Watching TV, endlessly surfing the Internet, playing video games. Allof these are good in moderation, but no one was successful sitting on thecouch. Turn off the TV and do something productive.15. Put on Some Music.Music can be a great motivator.It can instantly improve your moodand turn up your energy level. Keepyour favorite inspirational music atthe ready.16. Caffeine .Sometimes you need an energyboost. Whether your choice is coffee

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or Red Bull, a little caffeine can go along way to getting you going (andgoing and going and going…).17. Reframe the Task.A good way to get a task unstuckis to “reframe” it. In other words,look at it from a different angle.Instead of procrastinating on“cleaning out the car.” Think of it as“preparing the car” so that you cantake your significant other out on adate this weekend.18. Examine theConsequen ces.One way to motivate yourself isconsider the negative consequencesif you do not act. What will happenif you don’t get this job done?19. Ge t Up Early.The early bird does get the worm.Getting an early start can put youahead of the game and your peers.20. Se t a Reward.Set yourself a reward appropriateto the level of the task. It can besomething small or even somethingbig for an important task.21. Ge t Emotional.I’m not talking about having a breakdown here. But, get passionate.Your energy levels will quickly elevate and your resolve to act will increase.

Just Do It: How to (Finally!) Stop ProcrastinatingI can think of a thousand things I'd rather do than sit in front of a spreadsheet (scrubbing bathtub tile

grout with an elderly toothbrush instantly comes to mind). 

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And I'm not alone-whether it's a lunch with a particularly prickly client or counseling a well-liked

colleague about poor performance, most of us are guilty of back-burnering our tedious or stressful

on-the-job duties at some point. While you may argue vigorously that an extra hour of Instagram

doesn't hurt a single soul, experts in the fields of productivity and procrastination beg to differ. 

"Procrastination takes up real estate in the mind. Even if you're not working on a project, you're still

energetically thinking about it. Your mind becomes cluttered and there is no room for the things that

make you successful in business-like innovation, creativity, and intuition," says Christine Hassler, life

coach, entrepreneur, and author of20 Something Manifesto. Whether you predictably put off the

monthly expense report or fall into a chronic category where just about everything can be done

mañana, don't worry-there's hope. We have a few tried and true solutions to help when your

motivation is playing a mean game of hide and seek. 

make repetition a daily ritual

"Journalists don't ever phone me and say, 'You know, we're writing an article to help people really commit to tooth brushing,'" says Hassler, "because this is a habit we've all had since we were little kids. Every morning we wake up and brush our teeth. We don't procrastinate." With that in mind, Hassler suggests scheduling your procrastination-prone tasks at the same time daily, which will

create habit-forming behavior. "Set aside an hour a day for tasks you've been putting off. A productive time is between 10 and 11 AM-you're awake, your breakfast has kicked in, and you're not hungry for lunch. If you can commit to this for 40 days in a row-hopefully it will become [routine], like brushing your teeth." 

look past the quick fix of instant gratification

Let's face it: When mundane or tension-causing to-dos are spilling out of your inbox, procrastinationcan provide an illusion of control (and an instant shot of happy when you can't find it elsewhere in your workday). "There is a sense of freedom and rebellion in procrastination," says Hassler. "We shop online and talk with friends-we do something that makes us feel better in the moment." Instead, Hassler suggests a long-term solution-trade surreptitious tweets and texts to outside acquaintances for work-related activities that put a measure of (guilt-free) joy back in your day. "Maybe you start a company newsletter or a recycling campaign," she suggests. "Whatever it is, if you're doing something gratifying on some level, doing the things that are not gratifying don't feel as draining." 

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ask yourself a few hard questions

When Hassler sees a life-coaching client, she asks three questions: Where are you now? Where do you need to go? and What is in the way? She says this question set can also be applied to procrastination-prone tasks-but cautions against skipping ahead too quickly. "A lot of people jump right into 'Where do you need to go?' versus really looking at the obstacles and dealing with them directly." 

To start at the beginning, Hassler suggests a three-step approach: 

Step 1: Identify what is in the way. In other words, face the obstacle, i.e., "Expense reports are boring and I'd rather talk to my cubicle mate about ordering pizza or Pad Thai." 

Step 2: Identify what support is needed to remove the obstacle. If clicking away on an expense report is not your cup of tea-what can you do to add interest? Hassler says to shoot for simple fixes like color coding the spreadsheet, giving yourself a nice reward after finishing, or downloading the latest Bieber track and tackling the task with headphones on. (I won't tell anyone, I promise). 

Step 3: Choose one obstacle-removing action for starters. Some roadblocks can be removed with one sweeping gesture, while others require a little elbow grease. The goal of setting out with a just-one-step-at-a-time mantra is to feel you're being gently pulled toward a not-so-fun task (instead of being forcefully pushed). 

employ the buddy system

Christine Li, PhD, a clinical psychologist who specializes in procrastination, warns that delaying deadlines can affect more than just your work-it can also undermine your self-esteem. "When we create a distance between ourselves and what has to be completed, we open up a space for anxious questions like, 'What if it's my best work and they don't like it?' and 'What if I don't really understand what I'm supposed to be doing?' or 'What if the client calls me back and yells at me?'" Lisays spending time in this "what-if" space is dangerous, as it can move us out of the present and even further away getting the deed done. Although, she does emphasize that the escape route might not be that difficult-you could start by airing out your dirty to-do list with a co-worker or friend. "Clients tell me all the time-they will hear right away that [their co-worker or friend] is going through the exact same thing and that immediately unlocks a part of the stress. You realize you're in a community, and that can be very helpful." 

know when to say "when" with negative self-talk

While Li reports telephone calls and difficult client interactions as procrastination "Top 10s"-she also adds tasks that require new skills or duties that you feel insecure about. "It's the idea of, 'Can I really pull this off?'-there is a feeling that it's not within them despite having a wide range of skills, talents, and potential," Li explains. "I wish I didn't have to say this about women in their 20s and 30s-but I do

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see them having a bit of difficulty with identifying themselves as being capable, confident and talented in the context of other people." 

If this sounds like your reason for procrastination, Li says that there's no shame in getting a bit of professional help. "Therapy is a great resource-it might just be a couple of visits. Sometimes a private meeting is required to really unload and unpack the real nature of your internal dialogue," Li suggests. "We say things to ourselves without realizing the severity of the tone-and sometimes it's really helpful to get another person's opinion. I encourage anyone struggling with procrastination to develop a sense of kindness toward themselves."