A TODO list worse than the task
Page created: 2023-04-17Back to procrastination.
Having a hard time getting started? Here’s a dumb technique I’ve used a couple times that just might be stupid enough for you!
What you do is make a regular TODO list.
Then you take the first item and break the task into smaller manageable bits.
Standard stuff so far, right?
But then you break the first of those items into smaller bits. And you keep going until writing it out becomes such a ridiculous activity that you can’t even bear to keep going. At that moment, it’s actually less painful to just do the thing than write about it in any further excruciating detail.
Made-up example:
First item on TODO list is:
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Refactor the login logic in the appliction.
Break into sub-tasks, the first of which is:
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Start with the credential loading function.
Break into sub-tasks, the first of which is:
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Find the credential loading function.
Break into sub-tasks, the first of which is:
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Open the repo and grep for "load_credentials".
Break into sub-tasks, the first of which is:
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Type "cd my_application".
Break into sub-tasks, the first of which is:
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Press "c" on the keyboard.
Break into sub-tasks, the first of which is:
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Lift arm from desk.
Break into sub-tasks, the first of which is:
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Send neural impulse to arm to lift.
If right now you can picture yourself actually accomplishing the list without starting the task, remember that you actually have to write all of the sub-tasks. The list above only has the first item from each sub-list.