I have dozens of good ideas each week — at times, each day. But only a small percentage of them ever come fruition. Why? Well, I’m busy (I mean, Facebook needs to be updated and laundry needs to be done). But another main barrier is procrastination. When I have the time to embark on the idea, I find something else to do.
That’s why I found this blog particularly helpful. Lifehacker lists 10 good tips for increasing motivation and killing procrastination. One that I found especially helpful was No. 7: Make Your To-Do List Doable:
The demands that our jobs put on us is usually more than enough. The way many of us over-stuff and micro-manage our to-do lists makes it worse. Gina gave us the big picture of making a doable to-do list, but her advice on saving your workday contains a fast-food take-away: cross one item that’s not worth doing off your list, right now. Whether it’s unimportant busywork, old ideas that don’t work, or something you can delegate to better hands, your list will speak more clearly to you and you’ll feel a lot better.
I’ve had to ease up on myself a little. My mental to-do list has often contained enough to fill a year of Saturdays, which seems to paralyze me from doing anything. But that’s no excuse for wasted hours that could be spent productively. Which is your favorite tip? Do you have your own strategies for gaining motivation and busting procrastination?
HT: Challies