From “To Do” to “Will Do”: Using the Case Method to Defeat Procrastination | Hacker News Reader

From “To Do” to “Will Do”: Using the Case Method to Defeat Procrastination

calnewport.com

57 pointsda5e11 comments

It sounds like "find the story of someone who personifies what you want to accomplish, figure out how they accomplished what they did, then base your process on their approach" is just one more roadblock to progress you can use to divert yourself and continue procrastinating. It's another "I simply MUST do this before I do the thing I want to do."

It makes sense in my brain (evolutionary procrastination, etc), but it would certainly keep me from getting things done.

My problem is usually "what to do" or "how to do." Psyching yourself out won't help if you're not sure what needs doing or if you don't think that the available actions will actually contribute to the goal.

The solution to this is to write down the three most important things you need to get done the next day the night before. C.f. also The Power Of Less.

I always found "The Now Habits" redefining what you have to do to what you choose to do very helpful.

Also useful for keeping up with the current trends in nun fashion! Thanks for the reminder to renew my subscription.

Go back to reddit mr punthread

tldr: Find a role model and emulate.

Though the reasons he recommends emulating a role model aren't that obvious. It's a hack to beat procrastination by making you more confident in your plan. Since the same plan was used successfully by someone else, you're more likely to stick with it. It seems like the quality of the plan isn't what matters, but that it actually worked at least once. A plan you've come up with on your own is unproven, so is more susceptible to procrastination.

Yeah, sure, another method of curing procrastination. Making the situation even worse in fact.

Erez Lieberman who inspired Cal Newport latest 'stop procrastination' method is a hero.

I have a less convoluted way of beating procrastination: just do it!

Because if it's important enough to you you'll make it happen. If you don't, you don't, and perhaps it was not meant to be because there's something you lack. Excuses can be endless and fractal if you dissect them enough. Just make it happen. And once you do, you may find it satisfying enough in comparison that you'll be more likely to take initiative again in the future, creating a virtuous circle. But in short:

Just do it!

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