How I Killed Procrastination!

I graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1975. Air Force played Navy yesterday, and last night I looked online for the results. I found this headline in the Denver Post.

Air Force Falcons toss 4 TD passes to defeat Navy

Come on Irv Moss, you can do better! You are a professional writer for the Denver Post. Since I've been practicing writing compelling titles, I wrote

Air Force goes to the Air to Sink Navy

Now, isn't that better? 

I brought you in the door with a hot topic: How I killed Procrastination ,and for starters, that's the last time you should ever think of that word. Let me give an example:

There is a political party in the United States I'm not fond of. Everytime someone mentions them to me I say, "They are irrelevant." They have become irrelevant in my mind and now their fox is on the run. So, when you hear that word, say "It's irrelevant." Don't even allow that negative seed to be planted in your brain!

The real title of this post is:

How to Engrave Positive Habits in your Brain!

A few years ago, I was translating an obscure old text by Rebbe Nachman from Hebrew and Aramaic. I'll paraphrase the text.

When a Jewish person is transitioning from sleep to waking, they say a prayer thanking God for returning life to them in the morning. As they say the prayer, they leap out of bed as quickly as a crouched young lion and go to the first hole. After they sink that putt, they give thanks that their pipes are working properly. Afterwards, they wash their hands and go to the second hole.

Depending on the situation, the second hole can be prayers, eating, or going to work It doesn't matter. They get right to it.

They continue from one task to another with planned breaks between holes for daily prayers. They work steadily until the end of the day.

I started thinking about sports.

• Football games start with a whistle and the referee waving his arm in a circle.
• Baseball games start with "Play ball!"
• Foot races start with "Ready, set, go!" 

Once a player is in the game, the voice stops.

The common factor is sound, and I use sound to build my habit patterns.

Here is a perfect day:

The alarm sounds at 4 am. I leap out of bed and race across the room to turn it off.

I start my coffee and then sink the putt in the first hole. After washing my hands, the first cup of coffee is ready and I take it to my desk.

My first task is to write the first part and last part in my other blog. These two parts are easy and are essentially the same each day. My computer has an application that sounds an alarm and shuts off the keyboard after 20 minutes. It then enforces a seven minute break. By then it's time for my second cup of coffee. I lace on my boots and drink the coffee while taking a creativity stroll around the house.

In the next 20 minutes I finish the first and last part of the blog post. The application sounds the alarm. Now it is 4:49 am. When the alarm sounds, I head out the door for my morning 5.1 mile creativity walk. 

How it works

There is a voice within us I call "weak excuses." Action is faster than voices, and I can prove it. When I slam on the brakes in the car, I say, "Shit" slightly after hitting the brakes. Action beats the voice.

Have a plan

Everyone says that. I say, "Set Alarms." 

I saw this on the sidewalk at the University during my mid-morning three mile walk.

A human's heart starts beating 21 days after conception.

A habit's heart starts beating 21 days after inception. 

What if I get side-tracked?

There is a Jewish saying that I'll repurpose into a fortune cookie. "Walker who misses day two miles behind walker who walks a mile."

It took me a long time to realize the meaning. Although I'm only a mile behind, I have to walk two miles to catch up. So, what's the solution?

If I miss an activity, I skip it if possible. So what if I'm a blog behind? The world won't end. I move on to the next activity of the day.

Take action

Start by setting an alarm for the time you plan to start writing. When you hear the alarm -- start. Try this for one activity at first, and then add more activities as you bring the habit pattern to life. 

Other methods

If you want to learn other ways to program your subconscious, click on the book at the top of the sidebar. At least peek inside.