Who Says You Can't Teach An Old Dog New Tricks?

I bet your first thought as you saw the title of this blog was “I’ll read this later.”

Well let the urge to change to a new task pass you by and take a minute to read this right now. It’ll save you countless hours.

Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks?

1.Identify the most important thing you have to do today.

2.Decide to do just the first little part of it — just the first minute, or even 30 seconds of it. Getting started is the only thing in the world that matters.

3.Clear away distractions. Turn everything off. Close all programs. There should just be you, and your task.

4.Sit there, and focus on getting started. Not doing the whole task, just starting.

5.Pay attention to your mind, as it starts to have urges to switch to another task. You will have urges to check email or Facebook or Twitter or your favorite website. You will want to play a game or make a call or do another task. 

6.But don’t move. Notice the urges, but sit still, and let them pass. Urges build up in intensity, then pass, like a wave. Let each one pass.

7.Notice also your mind trying to justify not doing the task. Also let these self-rationalizing thoughts pass.

8.Now just take one small action to get started. As tiny a step as possible.

9.Get started, 

10.The rest will flow.