Next Action: Overcome Procrastination

At times I find myself putting off non-urgent, large projects. One of the main causes is that I don't have a bite-sized first step to take so I keep circling the wagons trying to find a way in. Over time, I've found a great way to start working on an intimidating project is simply to tell myself I'm going to organize what I've got.

This usually means getting out all the paper I've collected on the topic, forms I need to fill in, reading materials, etc. I then sort through it to find what needs action and what is purely reference. Invariably, the mountain I was facing a few minutes before is now reduced to three or four surmountable foothills. I then feel like I've circumscribed the problem and sometimes stop there for the day. However, in other cases little two-minute jobs have jumped out at me while I was sorting through papers and I've handled them as I go.

Within a relatively short time I find the project is not as impossible as I was making it out to be and I'm much more likely to jump into it the next time it's appropriate.

Personal Productivity, Time Management, Effectiveness, GTD, Getting Things Done