Friday, February 8, 2008

I’ve just added a new entry to “Daniboy’s Good Business Weekly.” Its title is “Be More Productive: Take A Break.”

How does that work?

Well, y’see, it’s all about the pressure we put ourselves under to get started. When you’re beginning something that looks as if it might turn out to be a bit tricky, be it writing a monthly finance report, weeding the garden or training for a marathon, it’s always easy to give in to temptation. To find excuses not to start. To rationalise not starting by telling yourself that all the preparations need to be perfect before you’ll think about beginning.

So in an effort to not do it — to procrastinate, in other words — you make yourself incredibly busy with other stuff that’s much more important. You wash the dishers. Iron some shirts. Surf the Internet mindlessly. Cook really tricky and time-consuming meals.

So here’s an idea: make a schedule of your week to come and put in all the absolutely basic things you’re going to do. As basic as sleeping, eating and travelling, you get me? And don’t forget to give yourself the odd half-hour of playtime, either. That’s the point. But don’t schedule the Big Thing you have looming over you.

Read all abaht it in this week’s Good Business... erm… Weekly.