5 simple ways to stop procrastinating and live your life to the fullest
- The Salami Theory
One thing is certain, we’re all going to die one day. The good news is that we don’t know when. So we might as well make the most of it, and manage our lives in an optimal way. Otherwise, you’ll feel a lot of regret the day before your big day… You’ll think, sh*t, if I’d known…. Now you’ll know.
An article in the Guardian reveals the top 5 regrets of people at the end of life. They all start with “I Wish I Had”… nothing worse than having regrets. Regrets sucks. Most of these are due to procrastination. Motion sucks. Action is better.
As Tim Denning once wrote: “Motion Is Simply Procrastination. Action Is Real Progress”.
Stop masturbating, take action.
1. My salami theory.
Set an attainable goal. And high enough to have the satisfaction, once achieved, of having done so.
Set a date. Example: you decide to lose 30 kilos in a year. Let’s be crazy. Unattainable without my salami theory. Slice and dice your deadline. In other words, set milestones for yourself, one month to lose 2, then two, etc. And remember the adage:
A journey of many thousands of miles, begins with a single step.
Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
Having the thousand miles in mind, will discourage you, while achieving smaller goals, like doing 5 or 10 a day will motivate you to do more.
2. Challenge yourself.
Challenge someone you know. And bet him or her something you care enough about to force you to do everything you can to reach your goal. Example: I’ll bet you a dinner at a three-star restaurant that I make a site in 15 days. Something that will cost you. He will not fail to remind you of the goal you have set. He has nothing to lose, and believe me, he will do anything to win. And so will you.
3. Get organized the night before.
Make a list of your tasks for the next day and stick to it. Example: Write an article in Medium. Read 3. Create a website, call 10 clients. Do one good deed. Read 3 chapters of a book. Drink two liters of water. Etc…
4. Check at night that you have reached them. Give yourself a pledge if you haven’t, like getting up an hour before to do it. Punish yourself, but don’t be a masochist and enjoy it.
5. Stop masturbating.
- Reading articles,
- Doing research,
- Listening to podcasts
- Surfing Facebook
- Searching for different types of meditation.
Instead,
- write an article,
- do 50 pushups,
- create a podcast,
- and meditate for 10 minutes,
whatever you want, but CREATE. Stop jerking off. Don’t wait until you realize life is short to start. START NOW.
Life is a gift. Your time is precious. Use it by taking action. Nothing is worse than wasting it.
