Found a simple trick to stop procrastinating on tough tasks

I always struggled with starting big projects at work, you know the ones that take hours. Last month I tried setting a timer for just 5 minutes to begin one small part of the report, like opening the file and writing the first sentence. After those 5 minutes, I kept going for nearly an hour because the hard part was just getting started. Has anyone else tried something like a 5 minute rule to break through that wall?

3 comments

3 Comments

rubyschmidt4d ago

...and then what did you do after that first hour? Did you force yourself to stop or did you just keep rolling with it until you hit a natural stopping point? I've tried the 5 minute thing before but my problem is I get into a flow and then I just keep going, sometimes for way too long and I end up burning out on the task completely. How do you handle that balance between pushing through the start and not overworking yourself in one sitting?

finleyw992d ago

The timer trick works because it takes willpower out of the equation. I set mine for 45 minutes exactly so I get a solid block without going overboard. Nothing wrong with stopping mid flow if it means you come back tomorrow fresh.

park.abby4d ago

Exactly, @rubyschmidt - you're not quite right about the "force yourself to stop" part. I actually set a timer for the whole session, not just the start, so when it goes off I have to step away no matter how good the flow feels. That way I still get the momentum but I don't crash hard later from overdoing it.