On a bright, sunny Monday morning when the first deliverable for a new project was coming due, two procrastinators sat down at their desk to begin working. They were a lot alike, these two procrastinators.
Both had organized all their information in a note taking app. Both had a task manager and a weekly review process. They had developed what is known as a Second Brain, a knowledge management system for productivity and creativity.
But there was a difference. One kept checking social media or news sites for most of the day, procrastinating the task at hand. The other also felt the desire to procrastinate, but completed a full draft in the first hours of Monday morning.
What Made the Difference?
Whenever an emotion of overwhelm or anxiousness or boredom came up, the unsuccessful procrastinator would respond by distracting himself with social media.
This procrastinator, who wished to be productive, would say to himself each morning:
"Don't check social media."
"Don't check social media."
Your brain doesn’t process the word ‘don’t’, so telling yourself not to check social media only causes you to check it more.
What the successful Second Brainer did differently was define what she would do instead. When feeling those emotions, having an alternative script to run gives your brain a path toward creativity.
We'll explore more techniques like these to transform your workflows and achieve creative flow during the upcoming course I created with two other productivity experts. . . Second Brain Superpowers.
Until then download this Procrastination Plan Action Guide and sign up for updates for the course.