Hacking procrastination

I love Jason Fox's suggestion for making the most of our tendency to procrastinate. He suggests that we set up the area around our workspace with two or three other activities we want to get done. Then, when we find ourself wanting to be distracted from the main thing we are doing, we can distract ourselves with the second most important task, or the third most.

I think in general procrastination can be an escape from staying in a moment of uncertainty or difficulty on an important piece of work, and therefore is something to notice and then lean into.

However, for those times when we actually can't help but be distracted and procrastinate, Jason's idea is a great way to ensure we are distracted in an effective way.

I have given this a go by leaving a soccer ball lying around where I work. Juggling a soccer ball is always something I have wanted to do, and whenever I need a break I start practising my juggling.

This has the added benefit of getting me off my seat, getting my body moving, and because of the nature of juggling a soccer ball, it actually improves my ability to think creatively.