The Now Habit: A Strategic Program for Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt-Free Play

Procrastination is often seen as a character defect, but it is actually an attempt to cope with the fear of having one's worth held up for judgment.

To eliminate procrastination, it's important to be aware of the root causes behind it first. These include the fear of failure, the fear of being imperfect, and the fear of impossible expectations. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to address these fears and be more productive.

Since procrastination stems from various fears, such as the fear of failure and the fear of imperfection, the first step we must take to overcome it is to create a sense of safety for ourselves. This means creating a safe environment where mistakes are not seen as catastrophic, and you can fully focus on a task without letting your fears get in the way.

There are several ways to do this: identifying the events that trigger procrastination, recording the amount of time spent on your priority projects, and keeping a procrastination log. Additionally, you must also be aware of your inner dialogue. Replacing negative talk with more positive one will help you be more productive when completing a task.

By implementing these strategies, you'll be on your way to creating your own safety. This will ultimately free you from the cycle of procrastination and make you more productive.

Neil Fiore, the book's author, once met Betty, an administrator at a big insurance company who used to hate doing the annual report. Every time she had to do it, her energy and cheerfulness would disappear and be replaced by a look of depression and exhaustion.

To help change her attitude, Fiore suggested replacing Betty's approach to the task, particularly her language towards it. Rather than saying, "I have to do this" or "I should do this," he suggested using the language of choice and commitment, such as "I choose to do this" or "I decide to do this."

The statements we tell ourselves about a certain task can greatly influence how we feel about it, which influences how we approach it. Pressure messages, for example, can indicate that the task is unpleasant, making us want to avoid it. These messages may cause anxiety and a negative attitude toward work.

Aside from reprogramming our self-statements, we should also learn how to say no to tasks that are not aligned with our goals. This ensures we can attend to the more important ones without overburdening ourselves.

Guilt-free play is essential for achieving quality work and minimizing procrastination. It is based on the paradox that to do productive, high-quality work on important projects, we must make time for recreation and relaxation. In other words, we must strike a balance between work and play.

While this may sound counterproductive, play is actually as important as work. It is crucial in both our personal development and in helping us increase the quality of our performance and work.

In terms of motivation, it's important to recognize that the traditional method—one that is based on the promise of future rewards for hard work—is no longer effective. Instead, we should incorporate a better approach: the "pull method." This method of motivation recognizes that immediate and tangible rewards hold greater power in motivating people to continually face difficult, overwhelming tasks.

By making work periods shorter and rewards more frequent and tangible, individuals and managers can increase motivation and satisfaction in the workplace. This, in turn, leads to a higher productivity level and quality performance.

Working on a complex or boring project is difficult. You may even become unmotivated to begin it.

To solve this, it's best to use three-dimensional thinking and the reverse calendar in dealing with your tasks. Start by listing the tasks involved in one big project and create a timeline for it, moving backward from completion to today. Doing this will make it easier for you to work on that important project without becoming discouraged.

The Unschedule System is a time-management technique that helps individuals increase their productivity and reduce stress. It involves creating a flexible schedule that prioritizes self-care, leisure activities, and unstructured time, in addition to work and other responsibilities. This approach helps individuals maintain a healthy work-life balance and avoid burnout.

The 30-minute work concept is part of the Unschedule System, which involves working in focused, uninterrupted 30-minute intervals with short breaks in between. This method helps individuals stay focused, avoid procrastination, and accomplish more in less time.

Working in the flow state can have significant benefits for your productivity and creativity. This state is characterized by intense concentration, time expansion, ease in problem-solving, and a sense of joy in new ideas. Research has shown that when we are fully immersed in a challenging task, our mind functions at its highest level.

One simple way to enter the flow state is to take a few moments to shift into a creative, non-critical mindset before starting work on a project. This can help you bypass the fear and struggle that often lead to procrastination. You should also try to focus more on the process of creating rather than just the end result.

For example, Harvard students are often taken to a section of the library where they can see the rough drafts of famous authors. This exercise helps young writers understand that even geniuses don't create masterpieces with a single stroke of inspiration. Instead, they often start with a random collection of ideas and build upon them until they arrive at their final product.

Additionally, incorporating deep relaxation techniques into your routine can also enhance your ability to enter the flow state. Olympic athletes, for example, use mental imagery to increase their neuromuscular training, which in turn improves their performance.

By getting into the flow state, you reduce your tendency to procrastinate. It also helps in increasing your creativity and productivity and in accelerating progress towards your goals.

Mental imagery can help you reach peak performance. There are two common forms of it that may help you prepare and perform at your best: mental rehearsal and preprogramming.

Mental rehearsal refers to the practice of visualizing and mentally rehearsing a task or performance as if it were actually taking place in order to prepare for the real event. The aim is to improve the outcome by mentally rehearsing the steps, movements, or actions needed to complete the project.

Preprogramming, on the other hand, involves creating a mental script or plan before performing a task. The individual visualizes the steps and process of the task and programs their mind for the desired outcome. The goal is to increase efficiency and effectiveness by having a clear mental plan in place.

The story of Martha, a successful businesswoman, is an example of how mental imagery can be used to tackle a difficult task. Martha was facing a messy project that was overwhelming her and preventing her from making progress. However, with the help of her coach, she was able to use mental imagery to overcome this challenge.

By closing her eyes and imagining a brick wall blocking her path, Martha was able to create a mental barrier that protected her from the stress and chaos of the project. This visualization gave her the clarity and focus she needed to approach the project with ease and confidence.

Procrastination has far-reaching consequences, affecting not only individuals but also companies. In fact, reports indicate that procrastination results in billions of dollars in lost productivity and the additional cost of training new employees. Fortunately, there are several strategies managers can implement to combat this issue.

One such strategy is to allow employees to exercise their power and control over work projects and give them choices in how they carry out orders. Remember that commitment to a task is more effective in sparking creativity and motivation than compliance, as it creates a sense of ownership and personal responsibility for the quality of the work. This also reduces their tendency to procrastinate.

Another important strategy is to give praise and constructive feedback to motivate employees and avoid procrastination. This approach enables employees to improve and feel empowered by their work.