So, I came across these 4 Tips For Dealing With Procrastination @ Challies Dot Com. Funny, I’ve never thought of myself as one of those slugs who can’t seem to get around to getting around to begin to start to get rolling on accomplishing some work. But, since retiring from two careers at roughly the same time in order to begin doing all those things I’ve always wanted to do… well, it’s been a bit more of a challenge to get going than I’d like to admit.
I’m happy to report that I’m finding myself on task and in the zone far more than I was a year ago and I have Tim to thank for this. This one is a gem and worth the read, all by itself:
The first is to do the hardest thing on your list first. As I said earlier, we can masquerade as efficient people by doing many things, but still neglect the most important things. At the end of the day, it is far more important that I prepare my sermon than complete those 11 other small tasks. But it is easier and can feel far more fulfilling to go after the list and start crossing them off. After all, there is a feeling of accomplishment that comes when I can say at 11 AM that I have already accomplished 11 out of 12 things. But what I have actually done is used my best, most focused, and most productive hours of the day to avoid the task that takes the most focus and creative energy. So I always try to force myself to do the hardest thing first. I need to use the best of my day to do the single most important thing. It is a hard discipline, but a very important one.
On the same subject, but in a more humorous vein, I found this article to be extremely well thought out and illustrated — I’m talking about the author’s anecdotes and thoughts about what takes place in the procrastinator’s brain, as well as the child-like drawings he provides as illutrations. The interplay between the rational decision maker and his foil, that nefarious character, the instant gratification monkey, is truth! Do not pass up Why Procrastinators Procrastinate — the title is deceivingly simple, but it’s a boatload of thoughtful observation and advice.
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