my simple anti-procrastination system
how I trick my brain into starting anything
You ever had a phase in a month where you don't feel like working or doing anything? Like restlessness. And you avoid work to watch some show or doomscrolling, just don't pick up the work waiting for you. But for some reason, you're not even able to get that work off your mind and are now more anxious even during your so-called "resting period"?
The fun part is: what you think of as rest is not actually rest. It's depleting your dopamine levels. And when you finally put your phone down after hours of scrolling, you feel even more low.
This is because you're overwhelmed.
There might be several reasons for it, but the one that's most true in my case is this:
The Problem: You are setting unrealistic goals
After wasting your whole day thinking about starting the work, you end up going to sleep feeling guilty. The next day, you wake up motivated. You open up your calendar, block every hour of it. You open up your to-do list or write one from scratch. Set all the tasks due for today.
Now you have to actually start. Voila - you're overwhelmed just looking at your big, fat to-do list.
Still, your mind goes, I'll break the chain today. You pick a task, work on it for 20 minutes. You feel bored or lazy. You think of switching to another task. You pick it up, only to drop it like a hot potato.
Now, you're even more overwhelmed.
The Fix: Build a system that makes everything feel effortless
1. Keep a "Master" Task List
Dump down every task that comes to your mind into this list. It's your brain-dump space. During deep work sessions, keep this list open. If any creative idea pops up, you can drop it here immediately without breaking your flow.
This helps your brain relax. It knows the idea is saved somewhere safe.
2. Use a timer
Seriously, this is my best productivity tool.
You can set a Pomodoro session. I prefer 50/10 minute sessions: 50 minutes of work, 10 minutes of rest. It keeps me in flow.
If you want to experience flow state (which is a bliss, really), you can just start a stopwatch and begin working. When you don't feel like working anymore, stop the timer and look at it - 20 minutes? Cool. Set this as a checkpoint for your next session.
Now try to beat this 20 minute goal the next time. Keep repeating until your task is completed. The magic is, after every session, you'll find yourself even more engrossed in the work, and it actually gets easier. Flow state is a technique that takes time to master. But once you do, it's worth it. You can read more about it here.
When you gamify your system, it does not feel like work anymore.
3. Set 3 MITs for the day
(MITs: Most Important Tasks)
Now that you have your master task list, use it smartly. Every night before sleeping, pick just 3 tasks for the next day. That's it. Just 3.
When you wake up, you won't feel overwhelmed staring at a messy list. You'll have 3 clear priorities. Pick one, complete it. Then take a proper, offline break. Go for a walk, read, work out, or literally just stare at a wall (not joking, it resets your brain).
Then move to the second task. Repeat.
By the end of the day, you'll feel accomplished. But remember - it's your job to choose the right 3 MITs.
Ask yourself: Are they moving me closer to my goals?
Shallow tasks (admin, home chores, errands) don't go here. You'll get them done during breaks anyway.
4. Time block, but the right way
I use Google Calendar. My rule is I ONLY time-block my 3 MITs. Nothing more.
And after each MIT, I schedule buffer time. You can set the shallow tasks during this buffer time to get a clear picture of your day. These breaks help reset the brain and avoid burnout. You stay focused because you have space to breathe.
5. How to set tasks actually
The biggest reason why we feel anxious about to-dos is we write them wrong. Think of them as two different entities: Projects and Tasks. Here's my golden rule:
If a task takes two or more steps to complete, it's a project, not a task.
I create a separate note for every project. This note holds everything related to it - ideas, notes, and a section labeled "To-dos."
From that section, I pick a task and make it an MIT. It's that simple.
This system changed how I approach work. One small step at a time. No more staring at the screen wondering where to start.