Do Just One Thing On Your List Without Fail Every Day - Productivity "Mind Hacks"

in #life7 years ago (edited)


Introduction



Anything that helps in getting things done is fantastic.

Like many people I am an endless procrastinator if given the chance, so I am always on the lookout for new ways to help myself get things done.

I thought it would be useful to do some posts to share some of these tips.

I think most of us suffer from limited time and finite mental energy so anything that helps us to be more productive is valuable.

This is something that has been working very well for me:


Do One Thing on the List Every Day Without Fail


I keep a notepad with me at all times - nothing revolutionary or new there - I use it to record my "to do list" and I'm sure a lot of people do the same.

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Make a deal with yourself to do one thing on the list.

Here is the simple thing I have changed to make it more effective though:

I have made a deal with myself that I will make sure I do one thing (the easiest thing on the list) every day and I will not worry if I do nothing else.

This takes very little time or effort and here is the surprising thing: -

When I have overcome the hurdle of doing that one little thing, it actually makes doing some of the other tasks on the list seem much easier.

Often, I can then run through the rest of the list much more easily - sometimes I even complete the entire list on the same day.


Why Does this Work?


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We create mental barriers which can seem at times insurmountable.

In my opinion it works because we create mental barriers that can exaggerate the work (and hence pain) involved in completing even minor tasks.

These barriers are unrealistic yet very powerful.

They are created because we are prone to various errors of thought which affect our perceptions of a situation.

These affect our behaviour and create procrastination which makes the situation appear worse.

The longer the list gets the harder it is to tackle it and we just keep putting it off because it seems more and more difficult to do!

This is one of the foundations of cognitive behaviourial theory in psychology (read more here).

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Reality testing can shatter the barriers and make us feel empowered.

When we commit to doing a single task without fail we force ourselves to test the reality of the task versus our skewed perception.

This breaks the illusory barriers in our way and can also help to shatter the barriers that stand in the way of the other tasks in the list.

In addition there is also an internal reward (pleasure) that comes from completing a task.

This can help to negate some of the pain of initiating the other tasks on the list which also makes them easier to do.

Another side benefit is that it seems to remove a lot of the cognitive effort that comes from thinking about whether we should or shouldn't do a particular task.

I think quite often we are not even conscious of the cognitive effort that wastes and removing it can paradoxically grant us greater mental energy.

Anyway I hope you found this little tip useful.

Let me know what you think. Have you used this method yourself?


References


  1. Morin, Amy. 2017. “10 Thinking Errors That Will Crush Your Mental Strength.” Psychology Today. Accessed July 3. https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/what-mentally-strong-people-dont-do/201501/10-thinking-errors-will-crush-your-mental-strength.

Thank you for reading


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I do the same thing. I keep a desktop to do list ordered from least to most intimidating (and a separate file for Steemit articles to write). If you do at least one thing a day, you create a rewarding mental feedback loop.

Great help and advice. Boy, do I suffer from procrastination. And we do create so much "mental roadblocks" that hinder us from performing tasks we know needs to be done. Your tips will be helpful and yes, I will do one thing in the list for sure.

Cool - hopefully it will help.

Hey @thecryptofiend!

I believe in the "training of the mind" through repetition. Even the most arduous of tasks can become accepted facets of our daily life employing such strategies. It's all about disciplining the mind.

I can totally relate to your post with my blog. I'd do anything else "but" want to sit in front of the screen and chug out the next chapter of my book. Especially if I'm at a part that involves a lot of exposition or plot narrative.

But, if you're aware of the problem, then you can come up with the solution. Hence:

When we commit to doing a single task without fail we force ourselves to test the reality of the task versus our skewed perception.

So true! Your outlook on productivity is just a state of mind. Control and hone that truism and your halfway to completing your objective.

Excellent post, sir! Thank you! :)

Thanks mate!

Great post; thank you for sharing! I think it is so easy to get sidetracked in our age of technology. I like to meditate and keep a gratitude journal and I haven't even been doing that anymore. I get overwhelmed if the to do list is long also. I like this idea of focusing on one thing. Thank you!

You're welcome!

Great tips. I have a simillar mindset and I always seem to be productive if I just focus on doing at least one thing.

this is an excellent tip, @ thecryptofiend, and simple as most effective techniques are.

I have a friend who's stuck and over-whelmed - unable to do the simplest tasks. I've tried encouragement and sympathizing and was at my wit's end until I saw your post. It's direct and brilliant - very doable, and I've sent the link to this person and am hopeful It'll make a big difference. Thank you!

I think it is common to feel that way - particularly if you are depressed as well.

yes, exactly. Thanks :)

Great advice will work on it

I never thought of you as a procrastinator but thanks a lot for the tips!

We all are to some degree!

"Anything that helps in getting things done is fantastic. " When You get the results, that feelings can't be compared to anything in the world , at that time you are at the top of the world.

It's always good to be disciplined. Procrastination has always been a problem for me but i'm working on it.
.. Taken note of your tips. Thanks.

You're welcome.

This is something I'm absolutely horrible at. I've been a horrible procrastinator my whole life. I'm not bad at managing money, but I'm terrible at managing time. I'm the kind of person who, if there really were 5 more hours in the day, I'd fill them up with needless crap and wish there were 5 more.

You're not alone. I suspect it gets worse once you have kids and a family - there just aren't enough hours in the day.

Oh it does. And that's when time management is the most important.