Procrastination - Mind Viruses

Just as viruses and spyware can sit on your computer and without you knowing it, use up valuable resources that could be used for real tasks, slowing down your computer or rendering it useless, mind viruses can sit on your brain and use up your resources that could otherwise be used for getting stuff done.

I had an IT friend who often told me that his relationship problems were using up too many CPU cycles in his brain.

You might have heard someone say they just can't get anything done, because they "have too much on their mind".

Maybe you have bills to pay, you are worried about your health, your partner is nagging you, etc. So instead of getting those important tasks done that will propel you to your goals, you end up organising your desk, then relaxing and having a coffee and cake 'because you deserve it', and before you know it, it's too late to start any real work, so you kick back in front of the TV with a stubbie, recuperating for the productive day tomorrow.

Perhaps you've heard that we can only hold 7 +/- 2 chunks of information in our conscious mind at anyone time? That's why you have to turn off the radio when you park your car, there's just too much going on for you to be able to concentrate, so you remove one of the distractions (hey, there's an idea). This is why it's hard to get stuff done when you are worried, or your brain is overloaded.

 BUT THERE IS A DEVILISHLY SIMPLE SOLUTION!

You could just wait for your mind to clear, it will eventually, but how has that strategy been working out for you? If you are like most people, not well.

OR, here it is... you WRITE IT DOWN!

Technically, what's going on inside your brain is an 'open loop', "I've gotta pay that bill, I must pay that bill, if I don't pay the bill the power is going to get shut off, my partner is going to give me hell about it if i don't do it" etc. etc. Writing it down effectively closes the loop, giving you one more chunk of brain power to use for getting important stuff done. You have freed up your mental RAM.

Here's how I do it. I start every day with my 'Success Six', a list of the six most important things I have to do that day. When I have a thought or idea, I write it down on the list, below my 'success six' list (I'll do another blog on that another time, I just added it to my 'blog ideas' list so I can close that loop and carry on with this). If I get through my list of six most important things to do that day, I can get on with the next things on the list, or add it to tomorrows 'success six' list.

Told you it was simple. Success is not hard. It is a series of small habits that build up to an avalanche of success.

More on procrastination to come... eventually!

To your success,
Trevor Long