Atharv’s Chronicle 12-05-24 Two Rules to Beat Procrastination

Hey Friends,

I love finding little tricks and mindset changes to boost my productivity and make my life happier and more intentional.

We usually procrastinate because of the following reasons
– Either the tasks are small and annoying OR
– The Tasks are large and intimidating.

Recently, I learnt two techniques that are particularly helpful in overcoming each of these task types

– The two minute rule and
– The 10 minute rule

The Two Minute Rule
The Two Minutes Rule is a concept put forward by Productivity Guru David Allen in his book, Getting Things Done.
The simple yet main idea is that, if we have a pending task that can be completed in less than two minutes then we should do it right away. No hesitation, No Planning, No Delay. If it’ll take longer than two minutes we should write it down on a paper to come back to it and we can complete it when we have more time.
It’s as simple as that.

This simple strategy of time management eliminates unnecessary procrastination over small tasks and reduces the distractions and declutters our brain and eventually helps us concentrate on the bigger picture.

The 10-Minute Rule
Of Course, there are many tasks that we can’t just complete in two minutes. Planning, Designing and Building a Website can’t be completed in two minute segments. Studying for a major exam isn’t something you can do in two minutes either, Preparing a detailed financial report or Creating a presentation at work is difficult to create in 2 minutes. You get the idea.

However, if we find ourselves procrastinating over these larger, more intimidating tasks, the other technique we can use to get started is the 10-minute rule.

The 10-minute rule is straightforward and simple. When I find myself procrastinating from something I have to do, I tell myself that I’m just going to do it for 10 minutes. No more, no less. Just 10 minutes.

But the power behind this technique is the idea of momentum.Once I get started and complete the initial 10 minutes, I usually don’t want to stop, especially when I’m making progress. Momentum starts to build, and one task naturally leads to another. Of course, you might feel bored after 10 minutes, but most of us dislike leaving tasks unfinished. So, 10 minutes often turns into 20, then 30, and before you know it, you’re making significant progress.

We’re just tricking our brain into getting started because we think we won’t be doing it for long.
Fundamentally, overcoming procrastination is about maintaining discipline, generating momentum and ensuring that the tasks that you need to do on any given day are achievable and manageable.

Despite the above advice, I still struggle with procrastination, as we all do. It’s a common flaw, but what’s important is recognizing it, managing it, and developing strategies to minimize it. We can start working on this today – or maybe tomorrow.😜

Hope you enjoy reading this. 

Thank you.
See you in the next one!