Part 1: Causes of Procrastination
Part 2: How to beat Procrastination
I think the advice is solid, but I would tweek the following passage:
As sad as it might be, sometimes 30 minutes can be too daunting of a block. Maybe that was just me when I was depressed, but depressed people need the help the most. So, 30 minutes is a good block when you're rolling, but when completely starting, cut the task down into as small a piece as it takes to get self-compliance.No one “builds a house.” They lay one brick again and again and again and the end result is a house. Procrastinators are great visionaries—they love to fantasize about the beautiful mansion they will one day have built—but what they need to be are gritty construction workers, who methodically lay one brick after the other, day after day, without giving up, until a house is built.Nearly every big undertaking can be boiled down to a core unit of progress—its brick. A 45-minute gym visit is the brick of getting in great shape. A 30-minute practice session is the brick of becoming a great guitarist.
The piece sorta misses an important point: it is possible to make the task such a small piece that it doesn't even feel bad at all to do. And then, most of the time, you can associate something you like with that small piece, getting you through the crucial first step in an enjoyable fashion. After that, momentum often will carry you through.
Still, overall, I think it was a great post. If you are having problems with procrastination, you should do 5 sit ups and then read the post, and then do another small productive task, and then work on planning to follow its advice.
