I loved the eight questions. I’m finding more and more how our behaviors are a manifestation of things in our past. This was worth the read, and very introspective.

The second part of the advice is: “If you have to eat three frogs today, eat the biggest one first.”

On the top of my weekly planner page is the reminder in red ink: “Frogs First” so I consciously look for the frog and do it. (yes, I’d soon ‘forget’ and they would multiply)

When I see your procrastination article, I know I’ll be tempted to read it before I eat my frog, but I’ll try to maintain my discipline and use your article as a reward. (That’s the second tip. Always reward yourself for eating the frog!)

After I eat my frog and get my reward, I pick three things, and only three things, that must be done today and that will most advance progress on my work or someone else’s and I do those.

Then I’m free to pick off my ToDo list all the fun tasks as I desire.

Thank you for asking!

My quickest tip:
• Set up your environment for no interruptions: turn off email notifications, put your smartphone/blackberry where you can’t see it/hear it, close your door
• Choose a task that you’ve delayed starting
• Set a timer for 10 minutes
• Start the task, telling yourself you only have to focus on it for 10 minutes
• At the end of 10 minutes, decide if you want to keep working on it or not
• If you decide to keep going, set the timer for another 10 minutes or just dig in!

I read every VitalSmarts/Crucial Skills newsletter because they’re relevant, warmly written and valuable. Keep ‘em coming!

Case A. If a task can be broken down into small pieces: a. plan one piece for each day (1-3 hrs) b. attack it at the first possible moment in the day c. then give yourself permission to not worry about the next piece until tomorrow

Case B. If the task doesn’t lend itself to making small pieces a. plan an 45 min-1 hr where you agree with yourself, and others not to be interrupted by anything b. attack it at the first possible moment in the day c. then give yourself permission to not worry about the next time block until tomorrow

In both cases, track your progress, either by checking off tasks in Case A, or keeping a series of your iterations in Case B (for example, when I was editing a paper, I kept a dated series of drafts so I could see how my writing was improving and changing each time)

I find this works because it keeps the task from being overwhelming on a daily basis so your willpower can hold out during difficult tasks, so you don’t feel like your failing every day. Then when you finish each daily chunk you feel accomplished, and it builds an emotional reservoir to help you get through the next part.

1. Rather than feel overwhelmed by the entire task at hand, schedule time do a little bit on the task each day. Eventually the task will get done.
2. Schedule slots of time into your schedule similar to a meeting time (I use Microsoft Outlook). Then make sure that time is dedicated only to the task. The Task list in Outlook can also work, but I found it less user-friendly.
3. Take out distractions in order to focus on a task you have been delaying. Turn off email notifications, unplug the phone, close the door, put in earphones, whatever it takes.
4. Schedule the most unwanted tasks first thing in the morning. By the afternoon, you are out of energy and more likely to procrastinate.
5. Reward yourself. Dedicate an hour to a difficult task and then reward yourself by going to get a Starbucks coffee, or by having a chat with a co-worker as a break.
6. Put post-it notes in bright colors within your eye range. I’ll usually add exclamation points or stars with the task written in bold letters. Seeing the post-it note again and again while working will prompt you to finally tackle the task. Colorful (red) folders within your line of sight also help.