Beat Procrastination With Strict Limits on Distractions
This is part of my How to Stop Procrastinating series.
Hey, friends!
Momentum is the antidote to procrastination. But some distractions make momentum impossible.
For example, I used to get distracted by YouTube during work hours. Have a thorny problem? Need to have an uncomfortable conversation? Just watch one quick video. But one led to five. Or ten.
Here's the underlying problem: My little brain LOVES funny videos and video essays. It feasts on stimulation, and my willpower (to do my day job) can't compete.
So I made a rule for myself: No YouTube before 3 PM. (I even printed out a "100 days of No YouTube before 3 PM" chart to track this.)
Now, this is not a magic bullet; I still seek out distractions. But with YouTube out of the picture, I'm more likely to take a deep breath and just get started on difficult tasks. And if I can get started, I'll build momentum.
Abstaining from YouTube until the afternoon leveled the playing field (well, made it less uneven). It gave my willpower a fighting chance.
Take action: Which distractions disrupt you during work hours? Which ones overstimulate your mind and overpower your resolve to tackle hard things?
Which distractions need strict limits?
Read more on How to Stop Procrastinating.
Thanks to Brynn Stewart and Diane Callahan for reading drafts of this!