Frozen in Fear:
7 Strategies to Get Started NOW

Call it procrastination, fear, or just being lazy — we all know how it feels to continually put off something important.

The good news is that there are many solutions to this common problem and today I will share seven strategies to push through the fear and get to work.

Photo Credit: Jeff Sanders

Over the last few years I have become a master of shallow productivity, getting a lot done while never doing anything that matters. I am an expert at cleaning my house, making tea, and getting to inbox zero over and over again.

Unfortunately, my house doesn’t need to be cleaned, I have already had more than enough tea, and my emails can wait. So then, what’s holding me back?

Fear. Plain and simple.

Fear of getting started. Fear of doing something hard. Fear of missing out on the rest of my life while I focus exclusively on something that’s not worthy of a facebook status update.

Yeah, that last one really does cross my mind, a lot.

7 Strategies to Get Started NOW

Every now and then when you are facing a challenge, whether a real mountain to climb or just a metaphorical one, you will need a bag of tricks at your disposal to get the ball rolling.

Here are seven strategies to jump start your progress and get something done without all the nonsense of procrastination.

1. Make the Task So Easy You Can’t Say No to it
   Leo Babauta, creator of the popular Zen Habits blog, is really good at cutting through the clutter to get to the activity that moves the needle. When you make a task so simple, so small, and so easy you literally can’t say no to it, then you will more than likely actually do it. The other side of this coin is that things that are easy to do are also easy not to do.
2. Use the 10-Minute Momentum Method.
   I have always found that once I start it’s dramatically easier to keep going. When faced with a task that you just keep postponing, try giving yourself just 10 minutes to work on it. After 10 minutes you are allowed to stop. The funny thing is that you won’t. You will keep going and get it done. Works every time.
3. Trap Yourself
   Thankfully, I have never had to resort to this one, but it’s guaranteed to work. Try trapping yourself so that the only option you have is to accomplish your goal. For example, you could have a friend drive you 26.2 miles away from home, drop you off, and tell you to run back. That’s a surefire way to train for a marathon.
4. Grab a Buddy
   Accountability has a funny way of working wonders when nothing else will. I used to create my weekly review alone, but then I began meeting up with Matt Frazier from No Meat Athlete once a week for an accountability meeting. The simple act of meeting with Matt gave me all the motivation I needed to never skip a weekly review ever again.
5. Change Environments
   I’m terrible at writing anything at home. The fact that I’m writing this article in my home office is an anomaly. The most effective strategy for me is to get to the library and stay there until my work is done. The library’s environment breeds productivity and I can’t help but get to work when there is not much else to do there.
6. Create a Dire Consequence
   When in doubt, make it so painful to not do your task that the idea of doing it sounds like a cake walk. You could make a deal with your boss that for every important task you don’t get done on time you will have to pay $100. Over the course of just a month you could end up owing thousands. Motivated yet?
7. Sweeten the Deal
   Rewards are always nice. When I’m running a marathon I’m only thinking about two things: how much my legs hurt and the beer I get to drink when it’s all over. Just knowing I get to have a beer makes me do crazy things, like run ridiculous distances for a fairly lame reward. As simple as it is, it works over and over again.

What Works Best For You?

When you’re stuck and just can’t seem to get started on something challenging, what do you do? Share your ideas on my facebook page, including what strategy is most effective for you.

Next Week

On the blog next week I will break down why I ditched Mac Mail and found a better alternative for my daily email.