What Encourages Us to Get Things Done?

If you’ve read the last couple of posts on What Stops Us Getting Things Done, you might be despairing that anything will ever get done again.  But for every reason we have to put something off, a stronger urge keeps us moving forward.  Here is a starter on what encourages us to get things done:

1.    Values.  Values are when we can’t imagine behaving any other way.  Some people can’t leave the house without making the bed, or relax in the evening unless they have done the washing up.  Values ensure we reply to email before close or play.  Values are our own in-built standards that get the things done even when we are in a hurry or disaster strikes elsewhere.

2.    Urgency.  When other people are waiting for some work, or something bad will happen if we don’t do it.  Think end of tax year, end of month reporting, delivering work to an important customer.

3.    Enjoyment.  Loving what we do. 

4.    Quick and easy work.  Stuff that doesn’t need much thought and can get done quickly.  This may be things you should rightly clear off your plate so they don’t become a problem later or “busy work” that could be done in off-peak time, or not done at all.

5.    Habits.  Those “eat and sleep routines” that you do without thinking.  Examine your work habits to see which are useful, and which less so.

6.    Discipline.  Not a massively popular word, but sometime knuckling down and getting difficult or unpleasant things done takes discipline and grit.  ‘Nuff said.

As with what stops us getting things done (parts 1 and 2) I’m sure this list could be added to.  As we identify what encourages us to be productive, we can make little modifications to our work so tasks become easier and more fun.  It's worth a thought.

6 More Reasons for Not Getting Things Done

Friday’s post "6 Reasons We Don’t Get Things Done" provoked a bit of discussion.  Being specific about a problem can be a breakthrough in finding the solution, so it’s worth a bit of thought.  Here are six more reasons why things that should get done, don’t:

1.    Not understanding the problem.  Not defining it well enough.  Trying to solve a different problem.  Woolly thinking.  Complex problems frequently need to be defined, refined and revisited several times before the right problem gets worked on.   

2.    Interruptions/disturbances.  External and internal.   Whilst there is no shortage of external interruptions, and steps can be taken to minimise these, we are also quite capable of interrupting ourselves.  Checking email, making tea, stopping for a chat are all valid to some degree, but on occasions can be serious disturbances to our work.

3.    Perfectionism.  Believing you can’t do it well enough, which stops us even trying.

4.    Vicarious conduct.  Doing other things during work time.  You know what they are.

5.    Lack of energy.  Many people work better at one time of the day or another.  I’m definitely a morning person, but I know night owls who seem to work best in the wee small hours.  Knowing what works best for you can, and setting up your day to take advantage, can help.

6.    Taking on impossible jobs.  Tasks may be impossible for a number of reasons.  You may not have the ability to do them, other people may be determined to stop you, or you may not have planned the work carefully enough. 

I bet this list still isn’t exhaustive, but the longer it gets, the more useful it gets.  So a huge thank you to those who have contributed to the debate.  And just in case you are feeling that nothing will ever get done ever again, later in the week I’m writing about what encourages us to get things done.  If I get round to it, of course!

6 Reasons for Not Getting Things Done

You probably procrastinate less than I do.  Not that I do it on purpose, far from it, I like to attack the day with vigour and get on with what needs doing.  It’s just that some things don’t get done.  Or they stay on my “guilt list” for too long.  And whilst there might be many reasons for why these things aren’t getting done, the bottom line is that either they should be on my “to do” list, or they shouldn’t.  If they should be there, but haven’t been done after a month or so, then I’m procrastinating. 

Identifying the problem often leads to a solution; or gets us some of the way.  So here’s my list of what stops us getting on with what needs doing:

1.     Fear.  We are complex creatures so fear includes fear of failure, fear of success, fear of trying but not succeeding, fear of doing it wrong, fear of making a mistake, fear or looking foolish, or fear of not doing it as well as someone else.  Plus lots more things we are frightened of, but hide away.    

2.     Too difficult.  We don’t have the knowledge, we haven’t thought about what needs doing, we haven’t broken the job into small enough tasks, or we haven’t consulted with people we need to consult with. 

3.     Conflicting priorities.  Real or imagined.  We have other more important, more interesting, or easier things to do.

4.     Need additional resources.  We may need advice, money, or something from someone to get the job done.

5.     Lack of urgency.  Important things are rarely urgent, and vice versa, which means the big, important things need extra attention to get done.

6.     Lack of perceived importance.  Tidiness, planning, communication, taking time off.  Many low-level activities don’t appear to be important and only show their value when something gets lost, or missed, or someone wasn’t consulted.

Of course this list isn’t exhaustive, nor is it necessarily real.  Or at least each and every item is real until you put it under the microscope and examine it for the paper dragon it is.

Caffeine – A Cornerstone Habit?

I’m two weeks in to my 100 day caffeine free trial. After getting horrible caffeine withdrawal headaches for the first week I’ve been fine, and haven’t had any caffeinated drinks. I’ve eaten some chocolate, perhaps a little more than normal, but not much more.

In terms, of how I’m feeling I have to report I feel better without the caffeine than with. I’m much less tempted to have a glass of wine in the evening, so my alcohol consumption has plummeted. This in itself is a significant benefit. Sadly, it hasn’t resulted in any weight loss, but you can’t have everything! I’ve also taken up yoga again. It’s hard to know whether this is connected with giving up caffeine, but during the first week I did a lot of tidying up, and generally “putting my house in order”. So I’m tempted to think it was connected, but who knows?

On balance, therefore, I’m think there is something in this idea of a cornerstone habit. Improve one part of your life and other bits start following on, almost without any effort. It’s a very interesting idea that has lots of potential. Of course, it doesn’t have to be caffeine, it could be giving up smoking, taking up exercise, or making your bed in the morning. It could be anything. 

Curiously for me, I’m also growing tired of the debate about whether caffeine is or isn’t good for you (me, one, anyone). For me, it’s becoming clear that I’m a bit better off without it. It’s not a die in the ditch thing, but my life runs a little bit more calmly when I abstain. So whilst I’m sure there are benefits to drinking green tea, such as the antioxidants, I’m going to give them a miss. It’s no big deal, just personal choice. I know from past experience that a lot of people are interested in the do or don’t drink debate surrounding caffeine, but I’m no medic so can’t really contribute. The internet is a great resource for getting information on this sort of thing. I think running a personal trial with and without is no bad thing. Then you can make your own mind up.

How to Love Yourself

At the risk of sounding like a real tree-hugger, I was thinking about self-love and self-esteem at the weekend.  A friend has written a rather lovely novella on the subject and I read the first draft on Sunday.  Apart from being a gripping read, it reminded me of the importance of looking after oneself.  I suspect there are lots of people who don’t spend enough time thinking about their own needs, whilst spending lots of time thinking about other people’s. 

The novella reminded me that we have to love ourselves before we can care for anyone else.

By loving yourself I don’t mean conceit or selfishness, rather taking care of one’s physical, mental and spiritual needs in order to function properly.  Put like that it doesn’t sound selfish at all, it sounds plain sensible.  Like putting on your own oxygen mask before helping others on the flight we all hope we are never on. 

The odd thing is, once you start thinking about how to love yourself, it isn’t as easy as it sounds.  Thinking about what is best for you as an individual goes against the grain; we are too used to fitting in and not making a fuss. 

It’s hard to know whether my very unscientific experiment of giving up caffeine for a few months is encouraging these thoughts about what’s good for me, but the thoughts are there.  As caffeine is going out of my system, in comes thoughts about exercise and drinking more water.  Oh, and yoga classes.

I’ll be honest; this isn’t an area I’ve given much thought.  So you might say it’s an area I need to work on.  So I’ll give you a list I found, from someone who has come up with sensible non-tree-hugging conclusions.  This is the link if you are interested:  http://www.pluginid.com/7-ways-to-love-yourself/.

And this is the rather helpful list:

1.       Forgive yourself

2.       Stop comparing yourself to others

3.       Stop seeking approval

4.       Believe in yourself

5.       Practice silence

6.       Eat healthy and exercise

7.     Express yourself

Cornerstone Habits

So the caffeine withdrawal headache is still there, but not as bad as yesterday.  I’m guessing I’m in for a few rocky days before my body gets used to the idea that we are on another mission.  100 days with no caffeinated drinks.  Why?  Well my reasoning is slightly different from last time.  Last time I wanted to find out how long it took to create a habit.  Naively I concluded about 100 days.  Boy was I wrong.  I think it can take years to override a habit you love like smoking or drinking (alcohol or caffeine), overeating or whatever.  Psychologists believe the habit will always be there, you just have to find ways to overcome it.  I’ve yet to experiment with how long it takes to establish a new good habit.

This time I’ve got two goals with my 100-day challenge.  Firstly, it’s to see if I function better without caffeine in my tea cup.  Secondly, it’s to see if certain techniques work and make it easier for me this time (last time I had three attempts over about a year and a bit).  You’ll hear about my experiences with both goals in the weeks to come, so find another blog now if this sounds marginally less interesting than the washing machine on spin cycle.

In fact, there is a sneaky third idea.  And that’s the idea of a cornerstone habit.  A cornerstone habit is a habit that starts off other good habits.  When I tried giving up caffeine a few years ago I found I was less likely to have a glass of wine in the evening, and more likely to exercise.  That sounds a bit like kicking-caffeine might be a cornerstone habit for me.  So I’m going to repeat the experiment and see what happens.

Caffeine Withdrawal

Will I ever learn? It’s not that I didn’t know about caffeine withdrawal, heaven knows I’ve been there often enough, but somehow I always forget. So after yesterday’s brilliant idea of restarting the 100-day caffeine-free challenge I woke up with a raging headache. Not a normal, little bit of a headache, but a huge horrid head-falling-off-shoulders headache.

The strange thing is, I didn’t think I was drinking so much tea that I would get withdrawal symptoms. Clearly, I was. And going cold turkey produces headaches, fatigue, drowsiness, irritability, difficulty concentrating and a host of other symptoms one wouldn’t normally choose. So, children, if you are going to try this at home I’d recommend the gradual step by step reduction. It has all the advantages of reducing or stopping your caffeine intake, and none of the disadvantages of feeling like you’ve been out all night drinking with your wildest friends.

Withdrawal symptoms apparently peak between one and two days after giving up, and last for two to nine days. So that’s something to look forward to …