Reflection 78 – Getting Things Done!

How many times did you get excited to start doing sports (gym) and paid a subscription fee only to quit after a couple of times (or worse, before even starting ? Or how many times did you decide to begin the diet everyone else was talking about only to end up gaining some additional weight because you never did it? Or how many times were you determined to make use of your time more efficiently until you found out that you were scrolling on your phone for only four hours? Probably, we are all guilty of this one way or another. This might be due to several reasons. First, we all love procrastination; delaying important stuff to later. Isn’t it much nicer to simply sit on the couch relaxed instead of having to put much time and effort into training. Or isn’t it just fulfilling to eat whatever you want with no restrictions. Instead of focusing and reading a book that will squeeze your mind for a couple of hours, wouldn’t it be more calming to scroll aimlessly on your phone. The answer for all of this is a mix of yes and no!
Left alone, our minds and bodies would love to conserve energy by doing as little as possible. Unless you have self-discipline and can force yourself to get work done, you won‘t do much. Why don’t people procrastinate going to their work every day? Simply, because they can‘t afford to. But for anything that has a loose or a late deadline, we will do all what it takes to push it to the last second. We also usually lack self-discipline especially since nowadays there are LOTS of distractions. A student begins doing his/her homework while mistakenly having their phone beside them. About 42 seconds into their work, the phone beeps relentlessly. Their best friend is bored and wants to chat. After some more seconds, their Instagram buddies are posting all sorts of (useless) burgers, juices, and gym pictures. Before they know it, a couple of hours have passed, and they haven’t even started their homework. Already, they feel brain fatigue and decide to rest. This is just one example of thousands of others that people face every day. The question then becomes: what shall we do? I think I have a magical solution for you. Just kidding . No magic! But here is what I try to do, and I believe has been very beneficial.
I became interested in psychology during my PhD and even more so afterwards. So, I have been reading a lot trying to understand where we fall short, and how we can improve. First, you need to understand that our brains are filled with billions of neurons that are firing signals constantly, and thereby consuming energy. Every decision we take during our day (and by the way we take thousands every day) eat up some energy we have whether it is how much shampoo we should put on our hair or deciding on a cutting-edge technology for our work. The wise amongst us should not spend so much time on mundane things (dressing, eating, etc.), and rather save that energy for more important stuff. After all, having a daily routine, it turned out, is not that bad! Second, you need to acquire a strict self-discipline attitude. When I used to work on my research back in the good old days, I would have my phone on airplane mode and not around me until I was done with a certain task. Having your phone off but still having it visible somewhere will probably entice you to check your phone on and off, making you probably do nothing in the end. Man up! Simply remove it from your eyesight. The last tip is the one I found extremely useful. It makes a HUGE difference in your (daily) productivity if you constantly set targets for yourself. I found daily targets to be extremely helpful. This is something you should do in the morning. On a piece of paper (or if you prefer on your phone), write down
maybe four or five things you want to get done on that day. Of course, you get to choose how many things you want to do. Be reasonable and realistic in your numbers. Don’t overdo yourself, but begin with a small number, and once you’re able to achieve that for a period of time, then you can increase it a bit. Once you have accomplished one task, strike it out on your paper (or phone). This act of striking out, as simple as it is, boosts your morale and increases your self achievement. What I currently do nowadays is an excel sheet containing the different things I want to do from reading, writing, listening, etc. I try as much as I can not to waste my time in useless stuff until at least I am done with what I had planned for the day. It works out just fine .