Lesson five - get past the starting threshold
A potent yet often overlooked strategy for overcoming procrastination involves altering the task itself. Although it might seem counterintuitive, this approach is one of the most effective ways to conquer procrastination. In fact, it should be your initial tactic when you find it challenging to start. Learning to modify tasks in a way that consistently enables you to cross the starting threshold is a vital productivity skill. Fortunately, it's relatively straightforward to master.
Everyone's experience with procrastination varies slightly. However, there are some common patterns or "features" of tasks that make us more prone to delay. One such feature is the ambiguity of the task.
Sometimes we set goals without clearly defining the specific actions required. For example, we might say things like, "I need to lose weight," or "I need to finish my English essay." In both cases, it's unclear what exactly we need to do. This ambiguity creates discomfort in our brains. The uncertainty about what precisely we need to do triggers an uncomfortable feeling we try to evade.
Specific tasks are less overwhelming. When a task is both clear and compact, we can easily visualize what success looks like. Such clarity is motivating!
Here are a few examples of how we can define tasks more clearly. "Lose weight" could be redefined as "Walk home from work rather than drive on Monday." "Finish my English essay" could become "Open the document and write a five-bullet point overview of my essay."
These revised tasks take something large and nebulous and transform it into a manageable first step. Mastering this process is a significant step towards greater productivity.
The second feature of tasks that leads to procrastination is the size of the task. Chronic procrastinators often have grand plans. However, the 'grandness' of those plans usually overwhelms us and prevents us from taking action.
One strategy for overcoming this state is to keep reducing the size of your goal until you're able to break through the "getting started threshold." You can break tasks down into ridiculously small steps! For example, writing an essay can be reduced to opening the document and writing one sentence.
Crossing that "starting threshold" often naturally leads to larger blocks of progress. Just be careful not to put pressure on yourself to make too much progress beyond your initial goal. If you set your initial goal as two minutes of work but won't be satisfied until you have done an hour, your brain will perceive it as a large task and avoid doing the two minutes. To counteract this, remind yourself that you can always stop after at least two minutes. Once you have done two minutes of work, celebrate your accomplishment! Literally say out loud, "Well done - you crossed the starting threshold!" Then, decide if you'd like to continue.
However, the advice of breaking down tasks comes with a big warning! Planning can become a form of procrastination. Many procrastinators are actually fantastic planners. The problem is that the act of planning can become a way to put off getting started.
Beware of this trap! If you tend to overplan, only define the first one or two steps. You don't need to outline every step in the process. Your goal is just to get started.
At this point, you might be thinking, "I know all of this! I've heard this advice a thousand times." If that's the case, you've demonstrated the difference between knowledge and habits! What's far more important than knowing this advice is developing the habit of using it.
Unit five of Doer is designed to help you create the habit of setting goals that are less likely to result in procrastination. Your daily procrastination reflections in unit five prompt you to modify the features of tasks to help you get past the starting threshold.
If you're not using the Doer app, write down these two questions at the top of your to-do list every day:
"Is this task specific - do I know exactly what steps I need to take?"
"Is this task small enough that I can easily cross the 'starting threshold'?"
If you struggle with procrastination, make sure to modify your tasks so that the answer to both of those questions is yes!
Key ideas:
Unclear, vague tasks induce discomfort, leading to avoidance. Make tasks less ambiguous; specify them clearly.
Large tasks can be overwhelming and inhibit action. Break tasks into smaller components to overcome the "getting started" threshold.
Procrastinators often overplan as a way of avoiding the task. Define only the first few steps to prevent falling into this pitfall.
Establish a habit of using these strategies by including these two questions at the top of your to-do list:
"Is this task specific enough - do I know the exact steps I need to take?"
"Is this task small enough for me to easily cross the 'starting threshold'?"
This article is an adaptation of the fifth audio lesson of Doer: the science-based guide to overcoming procrastination. For good! Discover the root cause of your procrastination and start mastering the skill of accomplishing important tasks by downloading "Doer" today!
