Stop deciding "later". Write one if-then sentence.
A short exercise. Free. No sign up to try it.
When you tell yourself "I will do it later", you leave one more decision for later. That decision is where many tasks get stuck. An if-then sentence makes the decision now: it ties one small action to one time and one place.
The exercise
- Pick one task you keep putting off. Make the first piece small enough to start in 10 minutes.
- Pick a cue: a time and a place you will be at anyway. Example: 09:00, at your desk.
- Write the sentence: If (cue), I will (action) for 10 minutes.
- When the cue comes, start. Ten minutes is enough. You may stop after that.
If it is 09:00 and I sit at my desk, I will open the proposal and work for ten minutes.
Why it may work
A vague plan needs a fresh decision every time. An if-then plan hands that decision to the cue: when the time and place arrive, you already know what to do. It is not a trick and it does not work for every task or every person, so treat it as an experiment.
Evidence A
Check in
Did you start when the cue came? Yes, no and partly all tell you something.
If no: was the cue too vague, or the action too big? Change one of them and try again.
Without looking back: what are the 3 parts of the sentence? (cue, action, how long)
Use it again: for any task you keep delaying, one sentence at a time.
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