Stop procrastination: write down the next 3 doable steps.
Channel: George Kao
Date: 2017-08-28

Here is a simple process that helps me get unstuck, and stop procrastinating:

At the beginning of a work hour, I write down the project I'm wanting to make progress on, and the 3 simple steps to take. 

The key is to write it down. We try to keep too much in our heads, and our brains are not built for remembering things. Instead of trying to hold ideas in our heads, write it down, so that we can liberate the energy for creativity.

Here's my simple template:

By the end of this hour, I'm going to:

[Doable Project]

The simple next steps are:

[Step 1]

[Step 2]

[Step 3]

Then I take action on Step 1.

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Example:

By the end of the hour, I'm going to:

Publish this new blog post.

The simple next steps are:

1. Outline what must be said in the blog post.
2. Start writing whatever comes to mind.
3. Go back and edit what I've written.

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Another example:

By the end of the hour, I'm going to:

Send marketing materials for a webinar to a promotional partner.

The simple next steps are:

1. Review the email she sent me.
2. Write down the pathway that a participant would take to sign up.
3. Imagine the participant's experience, and what would she need to see?

[As you can see here, there are more steps before I can accomplish this project, but I just write down the first 3 steps and get going.]

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What about you? I invite you to try this exercise now. If you'd like, comment below this video, so that others can be encouraged by your example, and that you'd have some accountability :)

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As I finish the three steps, I feel a sense of accomplishment, and am likely to be in flow by now, which makes it easier to keep taking steps forward. 

If needed, I will write another 3 simple steps. Again, the key for me is to write it down.

If I want more clarity and motivation, I'll write down how many minutes each step will take. 

Putting a time limit on an action tends to make us more awake, and productive. 

It's also a good experiment, so that we can learn, over time, how long things actually take us.

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To read my best articles about Joyful Productivity, go to:
https://www.georgekao.com/joyful-productivity.html?utm_source=YouTube&utm_campaign=NewVideo&utm_term=WriteDownSteps&utm_content=SocialEndLink