How to manage distractability and stay on tasks in the present?

One day I was sitting with my friend co-founder talking about procrastination. 

We were working on our start-up marketing campaign. 

He told me: “It is difficult for someone to spot his weaknesses. Right? “

“Yes? “, I said.

He continued: “you are a strategic and master planner, right?” 

“Yes”

“Hmm. You think about how to get 100 customers before getting one single customer”. 

I shot up. He was right. 

He continued, ” I want to help you find your number 1 client and then ten clients”.

“I also want to make sure you serve them thoroughly before you think about scaling”.

I became nervous. He was still right. I wanted to “go faster than the music”.

Lesson : Chronic procrastinators are big daydreamers, always dreaming of greatness but never do anything on the present

Are you making the same mistake?

We are naturally drawn to significant achievements, instead of focusing  on the first steps. That leads to 3 key consequences:

• We want to “go faster than the music”
• We get overwhelmed by future shining opportunities
• We are likely to procrastinate

How can you stay focus on executing what is required in the present without being distracted  by the bigger picture?

Solution: Visualization

When you are thinking about doing something you know you should do and you don’t like it, instead of shifting your mind to something else, do this

Step 1 Picture yourself being on the place where you are supposed to be working on that,  gathering all the material necessary, reflecting on what the first step could be, start executing

Step 2: Imagine how it becomes hard, and it hurts/ feel boring

Step 3: Picture yourself succeeding., experiencing the joy of having accomplishing the task.

Example:

If your short  term direction is to get your first Customer, then imagine yourself going through the execution of the first steps.

If the first step is to do a phone call, picture yourself picking up the phone, launching the call, getting rejected, and then succeed.

HEUDOU TCHIHIKOU Aubin

A Master chronic procrastinator who chose to execute on its dreams because of frustration and self-criticism.