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In this lesson, we discuss two very valuable unprocrastination tools: the pause, and the reset.
Let’s start with the pause. In your Unprocrastination Sessions, I ask you to focus on one task for five minutes … but at some point, you’ll likely have the urge to switch to something else.
At this point, try to pause. Don’t follow the urge. Don’t do anything. Just pause. Take a breath, notice that you’re about to switch, about to run … and just stay still for a moment.
Notice how the urge feels. Notice if you’re running from something uncomfortable. See if you can stay with the discomfort for a moment without running from it.
Then, when the urge dies down, return to the task.
You can do this not only during your daily practice sessions, but throughout the day. Practice the pause, and you’ll get better at it. And it will become a powerful tool in your skillset.
Now let’s talk about the reset. It’s a tool you can use when, despite your best intentions, you get lost in distractions. You get caught up, go down the rabbit hole. We all do it.
At this point, it’s important to notice. See that you’ve gotten caught up.
Now stand up, and walk away. Go take a short walk, a breather. Get a glass of water, do some pushups, do some yoga poses, meditate for a minute. Take a break.
Think about what you’ve been caught up in, and what you really want to focus on. Think about why.
Now resolve to focus on that task, clear away distractions, and get going!
The reset is something I use every day, and it helps me get back on track. Try it and practice it!
Exercise
Practice the pause every day, during your Unprocrastination Sessions and even in your everyday work life. Try the reset once a day as well.
Discuss this idea and whether you’ve used it successfully before in Slack.