One of the keys to achieving positive results in any long term endeavor is overcoming inertia. Sometimes it’s just so tough to get off the couch and begin! There are always a dozen reasons to put it off, twenty things that can go wrong, and a handful of things more urgent. We tell ourselves, “Tomorrow I won’t be so tired” or “This day’s already shot” or “I can make this up another day”.
The problem is these excuses form habits. If I use an excuse to cheat myself out of a workout today, it’s even easier to cheat tomorrow. If I neglect a chore today in favor of some nonsense TV, I can find an even better excuse tomorrow.
I’m paranoid about developing a procrastination habit. If I miss a workout, I worry much more about the effects on my character than the effects on my health. To overcome procrastination, I often employ the five minute deal.
If I have something I need to do but don’t want to, I make a deal with myself. I’ll do it for five minutes; after five minutes, if I still don’t want to, I can stop. The hardest step (getting started) is behind me, and it’s easier to continue than to stop. I’ve made inertia work for me instead of against me.
I can’t number the times I’ve employed this tactic, but I know the number of times it’s failed me is zero. Without exception, when I muster the discipline to begin, the end is inevitable.
Do you have some task requiring a five minute deal?