The Subtle Art of Starting!

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Table of Contents

• Must Read Article💡

• Parker’s Breakdown: Starting 🔑

• The Study 📖

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Must Read Article💡

5 Ways to Stop Procrastinating

We have all been there. You are dreading to start something, and you find yourself doing anything but the task that needs to be done.

Procrastination is a killer of productivity, and ultimately, goals.

In this article by Boisestate.edu, they go over a couple of tips to prevent that procrastination from creeping in. Here are a couple of the main points. 👇👇

• Reduce the Number of Decisions You Need to Make Throughout the Day

• Finish Your Day Before It Starts

• The Nothing Alternative

• The Next Action Habit—focus on something doable

• Adjust Your Environment

Parker’s Breakdown: Starting 🔑

The subtle art of starting has been lost in our busy worlds. Procrastination has taken over most of our lives and has prevented us from reaching our goals!

Why is it so hard to just start a task that you want to complete?

The detrimental effects of procrastination extend far beyond missed deadlines and unfinished tasks. It takes a toll on our physical and mental health, contributing to increased stress levels, anxiety, and even depression. The longer we allow procrastination to reign over our lives, the further we drift from our goals and dreams. It's a vicious cycle that traps us in a perpetual state of inertia, preventing us from reaching our full potential.

Procrastination is a thief of time, robbing us of opportunities and leaving us feeling overwhelmed and unfulfilled. But fear not, for there is hope in mastering the art of starting.

Here are a couple tips I use to start my tasks and move forward to my goals:

1. Write the big 3 - Start your day by jotting down the three most important tasks you need to accomplish. Keep this list visible on your desk as a constant reminder of your priorities, helping you stay focused and on track throughout the day.

2. Don’t think, just start - Cut through the morning haze of indecision and dive straight into your tasks as soon as you wake up. Skip the elaborate rituals like cold plunges and mediations and instead harness the momentum of the early hours to tackle your big 3 head-on. Decrease the time from when you wake up to when you start working. The millionaire you want to be like, got to be a millionaire, not by doing a 3 hour morning routine, but by actually doing the work.

3. Pair items - Make dreaded tasks more bearable by pairing them with activities you enjoy. For example, I love coffee and music, so I drink coffee and listen to music while I work to make it more enjoyable. Another example, if you hate doing cardio, pair it with watching a show to make it enjoyable. Find ways to infuse pleasure into your work routine, making it easier to stay motivated and engaged.

4. Put skin in the game - Create accountability by involving others or using incentives to keep yourself on track. Whether it's committing to a workout with a gym partner or using apps like Stickk. Stickk is an app where if you don’t do the task you said you would, it sends your money to a charity, and you can make it a charity you disagree with/hate, so that it motivates you to do the task because you are losing money and helping a charity you disagree with if you do not start and complete the task.

5. Use your eyes to your advantage - Leverage visual cues to guide your actions and minimize distractions. Place key items like your laptop or gym clothes in prominent locations to prompt productivity, while hiding potential distractions like your phone or TV remote out of sight to help maintain focus and avoid temptation.

The Study 📖 

Procrastination Among University Students: Differentiating Severe Cases in Need of Support From Less Severe Cases

This study aimed to differentiate severe cases of procrastination from less severe cases among university students, and explored the physical and psychological issues associated with procrastination. This study reveals the negative effects that procrastination can have on our lives and shows why we need to work to remove procrastination from our lives.

The researchers recruited 732 students from universities in Sweden to complete an anonymous online survey assessing procrastination levels, impulsivity, perfectionism, anxiety, depression, stress, and quality of life. They used two measures to identify severe procrastinators - the Pure Procrastination Scale (PPS) and the diagnostic criteria for pathological delay (PDC).

Here’s what the study found:

• Students classified as severe procrastinators reported significantly higher levels of anxiety, depression, stress, and lower quality of life compared to less severe procrastinators.

• Severe procrastinators experienced greater negative impacts on life domains like work/studies, physical activity, sleep, and greater susceptibility to temptation.

• 96-97% of severe procrastinators considered procrastination a problem and 35-38% had considered seeking help, compared to 42-48% and 5-7% respectively among less severe procrastinators.

• Qualitative analysis revealed physical issues like tension, pain, sleep problems, and psychological issues like stress, anxiety, low mood, self-criticism, and low self-esteem associated with procrastination.

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