Some days start to get away from you.
I’m not talking about the flow, necessary wandering, or spurious opportunities that pop up and you should follow. You know what I’m talking about — the “all of a sudden it’s lunch time and you realize you’ve been working on everything, yet nothing.” You got 400 tabs in the browser open. Windows scattered all over the desktop. Papers strewn about the desk.
That’s Resistance.
But its OK. You can stop it here. You can pull it back and get on track. Here’s what works for me.
First, grab your list. Or, if you didn’t actually make one, do it now. Second, pick something you can knock off right now. Like a 5-minute kinda task. It doesn’t have to be the most important. It doesn’t even have to be something that’s requiredfor today, but it has to be useful.
Schedule the appointment.
Send the email.
Review the document.
Create the Pull Request.
Submit the expense form.
It’s NOT:
Clean your desk.
Clean your inbox.
Closing tabs and windows.
Organizing.
Getting a snack.
Taking a shower.
Those are Resistance tasks. They’re not helping you.
It can be an almost mindless task, but it’s gotta be productive. It’s gotta help you move forward.
Do it now and then cross it off. One down.
That’s how you pull it back. Now you’re on your way.
