I have a confession to make. I’m a hopeless procrastinator. Like a drug addict, I’ve vowed to kick it for years. And I’ve made repeated attempts to get my shit together, only to inevitably backslide — again. So today, I’d like to teach you how to stop procrastinating for one minute.
I actually have another confession. I hate to dust the house. Hate. It. So I just don’t. As a consequence, the place always smells dusty.
I haven’t done it in so long, the entire house is covered with a thin layer of dust. I will have to dust or vacuum nearly every object in my entire house. Books, plants, lamps, furniture…all of it. A monumental task.
Needless to say, I’ve been putting it off. 😉
When I do finally get around to dusting the house, it will happen one discreet action at a time at a time. One wipe of the dusting rag. One swipe of the Swiffer. One push of the vacuum cleaner.
Perhaps you’re struggling with a task in your life that’s like me and my dusty house. Something that, when it crosses your mind, you already feel defeated by.
Why Bother to Learn How to Stop Procrastinating for One Minute?
So, what’s the use of only stopping procrastinating on accomplishing that task for one minute?! You have SO MUCH to do! What difference will one minute make?
James Clear says something very interesting in his article about How to Stop Procrastinating by Using the “2-Minute Rule”.
“The idea is to make your habits as easy as possible to start. Anyone can meditate for one minute, read one page, or put one item of clothing away. And, as we have just discussed, this is a powerful strategy because once you’ve started doing the right thing, it is much easier to continue doing it.”
James Clear
Being productive is really all about beginning. It’s not about how much you do. It’s about showing up.
Remember, everything happens one discreet action at a time. One swipe. One keystroke. One word written. One item put away. One phone call made. One email sent.
You get the idea?
It’s not about what you accomplish in the one minute, it’s about getting in the habit of showing up. Showing up, even if it’s only for one minute, often leads to showing up for much longer.
Setting good habits for one minute will likely lead to significantly longer periods of productivity.
Remember what Clear said: “…once you’ve started doing the right thing, it is much easier to continue doing it.“
Won’t you feel better once you’ve worked on whatever it is you’ve been avoiding? Even if it’s only for one minute, won’t you feel better?
At least you did something.
