3 Keys Thursday: 3 Keys to Chipping Away at that Big Project Due Tomorrow

Photo: Dodgerton Skillhause via Morguefile

Today, I had a project to complete. Trouble was, I couldn't muster any enthusiasm to complete it, nor could I find a way in. This is unusual in that this project was in an area I typically enjoy, but it had gotten pushed aside for so long that I was now down to the wire. Let's just say that adding a deadline did not make this project any easier to approach.

By the end of the day, I'd completed the project -- all but the finishing touches -- and I was good with that. Here are the three keys I followed to make that happen.

Stop procrastinating. Usually, it's silly to even say this. Telling a procrastinator to stop procrastinating is somewhat akin to telling a smoker to stop smoking. It's just not that easy. But, since procrastination doesn't come with physical symptoms, a deadline is often the cold, hard reality that puts a stop to this bad habit.

Find a way in. Though it might be counterintuitive to take small steps, sometimes that can be the best avenue. If you can dig in and develop some flow, that's great. If not, break it down into ten minute intervals (what I did), or chop it up into chunks, taking breaks after each one. Eventually, momentum begins to build and progress happens.

Listen to yourself. What do you need to get this done? A nap? A break? Some variety? With my ten minute plan, I alternated between the task at hand and my to-do list. While I wasn't making any progress on the project by checking things off my to-do list, I was creating a sense of accomplishment that fed the momentum to get things done. Accomplishing small things and checking them off my list somehow managed to make even the project seem less overwhelming.

Could I have just buckled down and barreled through? Maybe. To be honest, that was the plan. But, when I tried to do that, I found myself fidgeting and panicking, so I ended up getting a lot more done by simply changing courses. Ten minutes at a time?

That I could do.