The hardest part of a thousand-mile journey is the first step. This principle remains true with any task you take on; especially one that you have no motivation to do. So, instead of procrastinating, make a deal with yourself to do it for just 5 minutes. In those 5 minutes, cut out all distractions, put your head down and work hard. If when those 5 minutes are up, you don't feel like continuing with the task; allow yourself the out and stop.
The reasoning behind this relies on the aforementioned principle that starting is the most difficult part of any task. However, once you start, you often find the process enjoyable and want to continue. This is because your brain becomes extremely worked up about simple tasks and so you will most likely spend more time thinking about it than actually getting it done. This concept is touched upon by Brian Tracy in Eat that Frog: “The hardest part of any important task is getting started on it in the first place. Once you actually begin work on a valuable task, you seem to be naturally motivated to continue.” The reasoning for the out after 5 minutes is that it makes the task seem less daunting to start and thus gives you the chance to see if you enjoy it or not.
This principle applies to just about every aspect of your life. For example, if you are thinking about going for a run; get your workout clothes on, go outside and start running. After 5 minutes if you are not enjoying it and feel like stopping, then turn around and walk home. However, in all likelihood you will not stop as you will realize that it is more enjoyable than you thought it would be before taking the first step.
Importantly, you need to be using this same approach in business. Often work tasks feel daunting or seem like they are going to be unenjoyable; we end up procrastinating and being consumed by the thought of unenjoyability, but this is when using the 5-minute rule is most important, as with the running example, you will most of the time realize the task isn't as bad as you had previously thought, and you will continue long after the 5 minutes end. The idea of “unenjoyable” work-related tasks are much more daunting than they are difficult but the longer we leave them the harder they become. So, if you are still thinking about it, go start that proposal or that presentation that you have been deferring for weeks, allowing yourself an out after 5 minutes.
Wanting to do something and actually doing it are two completely different concepts and is often where the differentiation between success and failure lies. Often, we as humans stop at just wanting to do something because starting it is the hardest part about doing it. Give yourself the option of an out after 5 minutes and take your first step of a thousand-mile journey into success.
This is an approach that works well for me to get tasks done. Just getting started is more than half the battle won!
Interesting view shared - I tend to start with the small tasks and work my way up to the larger ones that then leaves me with lesser energy and this seems to be not the best approach - will try and amend my strategies and see what effect it has on my work load