5 Ways To Finish That Task

Ah yes, that pleasant feeling of accomplishment. Knowing you have done it. Finished. Completed. But wait, you're not there yet! What do you do when you find yourself stalling on a daunting task that is going nowhere?

1. Zoom out Take a moment to dive out of the deep waters you're lurking in and remember where it is that you're headed, and why. Simply putting the current task into the context of a bigger picture will improve your motivation.

2. Zoom in Any task can be made easier by cutting it up into bite-sized chunks and taking it one, small step at a time. Figure out what your concrete next action is and do it. You will find that once you start doing, momentum will come and make it easier to keep going.

3. Consult When I drive, I never ever ask for directions. Frankly, it's about the stupidest thing I do. We tend to get consumed by our own ability to solve problems and end up going round in circles. A fresh pair of eyes, with different thought patterns and ideas, can get you out of those dead ends and right back on the main road.

4. Unplug Close your email, log off from your IM and shut down your phone. External distractions are God's gift to procrastination. If you want higher output, you need to control your input.

5. Know when to stop Remember the Pareto Principle and stop when you reach the 80% mark. The last 20% are usually a time trap. Don't be a perfectionist: set reasonable goals and stop when you reach them.

Comments

[Aldo]

Awesome! Absolutely real and helpful.

[julie]

Alex Mandossian said "Sloppy success is better than perfect mediocrity" and I think that summarizes your post nicely (esp. #5). Good post. I gave it a thumbs up.