May 15, 2013 at 17:34Eleventh Commandment: Do Not Put Off
Today I got a call from the library and asked to return the book. I was not surprised, because I remembered that the deadline had recently expired and I already wanted to go and submit the book to the library. What was my surprise when I found out that the book owed more than a year!
Of course, everything is obvious: I deceived myself by constantly putting it off until tomorrow so often that the thought “we should return the book” came out on the daily routine. Then I thought: how many things do I put aside and what does this threaten?
And here is what I discovered:
First of all, it is important to understand how harmful it is to put off even the most insignificant matters for “later”. I will give an example of the parable:
In short: the longer the problem hangs in the background, the greater the discomfort it causes. And in fact, surely everyone had moments when everything was annoying. When a trifle after a trifle, everything falls out together and spoils our mood. Each trifle individually is harmless, but together they cause irritation and even anger.
After the call, I decided to look for a “couple” of even the most minor problems, which I put aside for later. And the first problem I discovered instantly: there is not a single pen or pencil near my workplace. This is the first problem I have encountered. Only when I found the pen did I write down several problems that hung day by day, and I did nothing with them:
And there were countless such problems. Each of them meant nothing to me: well, I close the window at startup, well, I go to another room to throw out the trash. But all together turns life into an annoying deception: tomorrow (later, in the evening) I will do everything!
Naturally, all problems cannot be solved in one fell swoop. Get out, clean the table, fix the door, all things cannot be done in one sitting. But if you do not do them now, where is the guarantee that I will not put them off for a long “later”? It was impossible to allow the mood for a great purge to disappear. Therefore, I immediately took a sheet of paper and began to write down everything, even the smallest, little things.
I recommend writing down promises, goals, making notes on real paper. This is completely different from writing to any Google Docs or to Evernote. It’s much easier to press the delete button than to burn or discard a book. Try to write everything down on paper. According to Robert Cialdini (author of the book “Psychology of Influence”), when a person writes down his thoughts, he subconsciously undertakes to fulfill them. He tries to be consistent, to do what he expects from himself. This is a very important step for our brain: by recording information, we become responsible for it. Try to always write notes on paper.
Having received an impressive list, I immediately identified problems that can be fixed in a matter of seconds. I removed unlocker, utorrent from startup. I introduced exclusion programs in punto-switcher (it pissed me off when the layout changed during sublime text 2 while writing code). I prepared my briefcase and clothes the next day.
Even after these minor changes, “breathing has become easier.” I feel that now it is much easier for me to perform routine, daily tasks. Now I am solving more complex problems that also annoy me, but which I was not going to fix.
Improving performance is worth the time. Why should we spoil our mood, reduce the thoroughness of work because of small things that can be fixed, say, in one day?
Not so long ago here, on a hub, there was an article in which it was said that programmers return to business for a very long time if they are distracted. Little things distract no worse than people. When you go annoyed to another room to throw out garbage, getting back to work is not so easy, it takes time, which we always have little. (by the way, the trash on the table is not a solution to the problem, but putting it aside, do not be fooled)
Try to note everything that at least once irritates you. What you do every day, although you can get rid of it much faster. Find such things, write them down and exterminate them on the list, like a hit man.
Report errors in the text in private messages. Quick fix, thanks.
And yes - do not add this article to your favorites. Well don’t put off already, start right now!
Of course, everything is obvious: I deceived myself by constantly putting it off until tomorrow so often that the thought “we should return the book” came out on the daily routine. Then I thought: how many things do I put aside and what does this threaten?
And here is what I discovered:
First of all, it is important to understand how harmful it is to put off even the most insignificant matters for “later”. I will give an example of the parable:
Modern parable
The professor began his lesson by picking up a glass of water in his hand. He picked it up so that everyone could see it, and asked the students:
“What do you think, how much does this glass weigh?”
They whispered animatedly in the audience.
- About 200 grams! No, 300 grams, perhaps! Or maybe all 500! - the answers began to be heard.
“I really won’t know for sure until I weigh it.” But now this is not necessary. My question is this: what happens if I keep my glass like this for several minutes?
- Nothing!
“Indeed, nothing bad will happen,” the professor answered. “What will happen if I hold this glass in my outstretched hand, for example, about two hours?”
- Your hand will begin to hurt.
- What if all day?
- Your arm is numb, you will have severe muscle upset and paralysis. You may even have to go to the hospital, ”said one student.
- Do you think the weight of the glass will change from the fact that I will keep it all day?
- Not! - the students replied perplexedly.
- And what needs to be done to fix all this?
- Just put the glass on the table! - one student said cheerfully.
- Exactly! - the professor has joyfully answered. - So it is with all life difficulties. Think about a problem for a few minutes and it will be next to you. Think about her for a few hours, and she will start sucking you. If you think all day, she will paralyze you.
“What do you think, how much does this glass weigh?”
They whispered animatedly in the audience.
- About 200 grams! No, 300 grams, perhaps! Or maybe all 500! - the answers began to be heard.
“I really won’t know for sure until I weigh it.” But now this is not necessary. My question is this: what happens if I keep my glass like this for several minutes?
- Nothing!
“Indeed, nothing bad will happen,” the professor answered. “What will happen if I hold this glass in my outstretched hand, for example, about two hours?”
- Your hand will begin to hurt.
- What if all day?
- Your arm is numb, you will have severe muscle upset and paralysis. You may even have to go to the hospital, ”said one student.
- Do you think the weight of the glass will change from the fact that I will keep it all day?
- Not! - the students replied perplexedly.
- And what needs to be done to fix all this?
- Just put the glass on the table! - one student said cheerfully.
- Exactly! - the professor has joyfully answered. - So it is with all life difficulties. Think about a problem for a few minutes and it will be next to you. Think about her for a few hours, and she will start sucking you. If you think all day, she will paralyze you.
In short: the longer the problem hangs in the background, the greater the discomfort it causes. And in fact, surely everyone had moments when everything was annoying. When a trifle after a trifle, everything falls out together and spoils our mood. Each trifle individually is harmless, but together they cause irritation and even anger.
Who seeks will always find
After the call, I decided to look for a “couple” of even the most minor problems, which I put aside for later. And the first problem I discovered instantly: there is not a single pen or pencil near my workplace. This is the first problem I have encountered. Only when I found the pen did I write down several problems that hung day by day, and I did nothing with them:
- There is no pen near the workplace.
- There is no bin near the workplace.
- When windows starts, I have several programs that I don’t need.
- Java update. I start a session at the computer by disabling this window.
- I still have not cleaned the desktop, I have not created shortcuts in the launch, and I'm looking for programs through the search.
- The book treacherously continued to lie on the shelf.
- I did not clean the drawer.
And there were countless such problems. Each of them meant nothing to me: well, I close the window at startup, well, I go to another room to throw out the trash. But all together turns life into an annoying deception: tomorrow (later, in the evening) I will do everything!
Solution
Naturally, all problems cannot be solved in one fell swoop. Get out, clean the table, fix the door, all things cannot be done in one sitting. But if you do not do them now, where is the guarantee that I will not put them off for a long “later”? It was impossible to allow the mood for a great purge to disappear. Therefore, I immediately took a sheet of paper and began to write down everything, even the smallest, little things.
I recommend writing down promises, goals, making notes on real paper. This is completely different from writing to any Google Docs or to Evernote. It’s much easier to press the delete button than to burn or discard a book. Try to write everything down on paper. According to Robert Cialdini (author of the book “Psychology of Influence”), when a person writes down his thoughts, he subconsciously undertakes to fulfill them. He tries to be consistent, to do what he expects from himself. This is a very important step for our brain: by recording information, we become responsible for it. Try to always write notes on paper.
Having received an impressive list, I immediately identified problems that can be fixed in a matter of seconds. I removed unlocker, utorrent from startup. I introduced exclusion programs in punto-switcher (it pissed me off when the layout changed during sublime text 2 while writing code). I prepared my briefcase and clothes the next day.
Even after these minor changes, “breathing has become easier.” I feel that now it is much easier for me to perform routine, daily tasks. Now I am solving more complex problems that also annoy me, but which I was not going to fix.
Improving performance is worth the time. Why should we spoil our mood, reduce the thoroughness of work because of small things that can be fixed, say, in one day?
Not so long ago here, on a hub, there was an article in which it was said that programmers return to business for a very long time if they are distracted. Little things distract no worse than people. When you go annoyed to another room to throw out garbage, getting back to work is not so easy, it takes time, which we always have little. (by the way, the trash on the table is not a solution to the problem, but putting it aside, do not be fooled)
Try to note everything that at least once irritates you. What you do every day, although you can get rid of it much faster. Find such things, write them down and exterminate them on the list, like a hit man.
Report errors in the text in private messages. Quick fix, thanks.
And yes - do not add this article to your favorites. Well don’t put off already, start right now!