TOP TIPS for staying productive and beating procrastination

Ali Abdaal is a doctor, creator, youtuber, reader, writer and everything in-between. He is an EXPERT on productivity and procrastination and how we can get better at both. It was an absolute pleasure to sit down with him on my podcast for over THREE HOURS to discuss it all, in depth. Ali's insights on these very complex subject areas are invaluable and it helped me to note down my learnings and reflections from our conversation here. I learnt a lot from Ali, and I know you will too.

HOW TO STOP PROCRASTINATING:

Procrastination is a problem with getting started.

I genuinely believe once you start to understand and break down what procrastination is and why you're 3 hours deep into a youtube hole about kittens the task at hand is so much more achievable.

If something is at rest it will continue to stay at rest. If something is moving it will continue to move without needing an external force.?

The main goal is to reduce the friction between you and starting your task - and there are two areas of friction to consider: external environment and internal discomfort.

If your task is to learn the guitar, get the instrument out of the cupboard and into eye line. You're more likely to pick it up if you can see it. If you want to cycle to work instead of getting the train, get your bike out and ready the night before. It's these small external, environmental, contextual factors that will inevitably reduce the friction when you need to start. These are factors totally within your control.

Once you've removed and rid of friction where possible - you now need to make the task manageable. People always ask me how to start a business, my answer is always to not to try to start a business in one go, because it won't happen. Instead, spend today coming up with a name, tomorrow find someone to build you a website. The next day look at setting up an email database. Then look at creating a logo. One small step after another each day. It's all about perception.

Overthinking and the procrastination it creates stem from trying to make perfect decisions in a world where perfect decisions only exist in hindsight. For me it's about focussing on each day, rather than one final, huge, intimidating, perfect goal. It's nonsense.

ALI'S HACK: Set a timer for 2 minutes. Tell yourself you only have to do the task for those 2 minutes. 95% of the time you’ll carry on because you’ve overcoming the hardest part: gaining enough momentum to start moving.

Define your task, make it actionable, set a timer for 2 minutes. Give it a go and let me know how it goes.?

HOW TO BE PRODUCTIVE:

Time blocking has become an absolute game changer for me personally.?

On the weekends I create time-sensitive, task-specific activities to action. What I mean by that is not ‘on Saturday clean the house’ because that would never get done. I mean, ‘from 10am-11am tidy the kitchen’.?

But the key to productivity goes beyond reframing your timetable. It's about reframing the task in hand entirely.

Focus on making it fun. Make it intrinsically enjoyable so you do it for it’s own sake not because you have to.?

Ali spoke about being inspired by Seth Rogan's idea of reframing your mindset from 'I have to do this' to ‘I get to do this’. Seeing the task in hand as a privilege and an opportunity rather than a chore.

This transitional thinking is what I call a gratitude shift and it’s hands down one of the most important skills I have learnt. It comes with self-awareness and also self-reflection - the ability to take a step back for a moment and realise that past you only ever wanted what present you has currently got... and we're moaning about it and putting our tasks off?

Take a step back. Press reset. Realise you are already so much further along than you realise. Reframe the task in hand to one you are grateful to be doing, feel privileged by the opportunity - and get stuck in.

And in terms of encouraging productivity in your teams and companies - well, it's all about freedom of thought and space to create.

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