How to overcome fear of work

In the office there are people who spend most of the day relaxing in the smoking room or kitchen. After midnight they finish that did not have time during the day. Eternal procrastination destroys their lives.

So I worked as an editor. I am writing articles for websites and checking texts freelancers - clear objectives, without hard deadlines. The only problem - sometimes it was necessary to defend the project in front of the customer.

Apparently, this was the reason for the fear of work. The challenges I spent about 5 hours a day. Rest of the time was spent on it to bring himself to do something. Then he began to postpone the case for the weekend. I forget about relaxation and privacy.

To cope with the problem of these techniques have helped me.

1. Make fast and "bad"

From the book "Easy way to stop to postpone things for later"Neil Fiore, I learned about the basic problem of procrastination. We are lazy, when our self-esteem is threatened.

I'm too lazy to look alike. I thought, "I'll write an article, the customer will come and everything will reject. So I'm incompetent and not worthy of his office. It is better to do nothing. " Procrastination protected me from the imaginary disgrace.

Indecision led to problems:

1. I pulled to the beginning. If we get the job, then immediately ran to chat in the smoking room.
2. Afraid to finish. The result always seemed good enough.

I realized that I need to overcome fear of incompetence. Therefore, I decided some time to do the job relaxed as possible. It has become the worst version of yourself. It is interesting, but it has led to positive changes.

the result of the quality and speed of work increased. When I get "bad" to do the work that remains plenty of time to bring it to mind. Once I showed the article as is, without any modifications. It turned out that people do not see the flaws, which I attach importance.

How to implement

1. Imagine failure. Client requests to alter the work. The most annoying thing that you feel - it's embarrassing. You will not be beaten for a bad logo or text.
2. Relaxed to do the work. Forget the mistakes and shortcomings of the formulation.
3. Do not over until you've completed the task completely. Usually still in the process of writing I returned to the top of the article to make changes, and it's like read over 20 times in the book proposal - strongly inhibits the work. Get rid of this habit helped service Write or Die for authors. This is a text editor that does not allow to stop. When you cease to 20 seconds to print, the screen turns red, and the speakers start to make the heartbreaking sounds.

2. Forget the word "should"

Neil Fiore believes that most motivational phrases only reinforce procrastination. Especially dangerous phrase with the word "shall", for example: "I have to finish this project to the environment."

As soon as we say the word, we realize: "I do not want to do that." We have superior, client, family and country. But I would never have undertaken in good faith for this work. When we talk about the debt, the brain is in revolt, like a naughty child.

"Nonsense! - it is fair to argue. - The person has a duty: he must support his family, to come to work, walking the dog in the morning. " But why is it necessary to say "I have to support my family?" It is better to say: "I want to ensure your family everything you need" - this phrase emphasizes personal choice.

How to implement

Use language that takes into account your choice, desire and interests. Cease to motivate yourself in an authoritarian manner. Forget the word "should", "shall", "promise".

• I must write a diploma. → I decided to write a diploma.
• Is obliged to hold a new location. → I will take pleasure in new challenges.
• He promised to finish the project on Friday to 10:00. → When you can start work on the project?

It sounds naive, but the wording is what counts.

3. Create pleasant associations with the work

If people act rationally, it would cease to postpone the case. Unfortunately, we behave irrationally.

Most postpone unpleasant things, even if waiting for a reward in the future. This writes Dan Ariely in his book "positive irrationality». The author tells how contracted a rare form of hepatitis following blood transfusion. To recover, he enrolled in a trial of the latest drugs. Three times a week he had to make their own painful injections. But there is a reward waiting for - recovery.

As it turned out, the funds were side effects after taking appeared fever, nausea and headache. Therefore, despite the effectiveness of treatment, many patients missed shots.

Dan did each injection according to plan, although never been a strength of will. He helped a clever trick: after the injection he would lie on the sofa and watching movies. So unpleasant procedure associated it with positive impressions from watching a movie.

How to implement

To stop postponing the problem, I tied them with positive emotions. To do this, temporarily gave up sweets and tea - tea party left only at the time of operation. Now when you turn on your computer at once looking for, what else to do. Brain associates work with cakes and pastries.

To positive associations were quickly add to the routine affairs gamification. You can use the task manager Habitica in the form of role-playing games. In it you'll fight monsters, performing work in real life. After completing the quests get coins that can be spent on game weapons and armor.

4. Work in a dispersed mode

In the book "Think Like a Mathematician"Barbara Oakley writes that there are two modes of the brain: the focused and diffused.

When focused thinking we tense up and focus on a single task. The dispersed state the brain is resting, and how to think about everything, recycling information for the day.

You can spend hours to solve a math problem, and then find the answer by accident while walking. Therefore it is sometimes more productive to relax and talk with friends, than to think about the problem.

Scattered treatment is important for creativity. When we work in this state, we do not feel pressure. Then come to us and illumination. Conversely, if the force ourselves to be creative, we get tortured nonsense. Try to come up with a joke to order. I have never left.

How to implement

To enter the mode of absent-minded, I pour tea, turn the timer to the hour and imagine a conversation with a friend in a cozy cafe. All imaginary conversation is being recorded. An hour later in front of me is ready to draft article - can only be edited.

Simplified operation is as follows:

• Collect information - focused mode.
• I am writing an article - scattered mode.
• Edit - focused mode.

The most difficult part of the task is performed in a dispersed mode, ie during the holidays.

5. Live in the bay one day

Before you start, I was constantly thinking about the future, and it looked awful. Because of my error the client company threatens court. People who trust me, my fault lost money. At work, back pay, and I could not pay the rent. I do not have time to write a diploma because of work, so I stayed for the second year in college. And so on to infinity.

Although the events existed only in my imagination, they are prevented to act in reality. Overcome unproductive thinking helped simple advice from Dale Carnegie's book "How to Stop Worrying and Start Living». It sounded like this: "Live in the bay today."

Complete the tasks in the order, not thinking about the past, future rewards and punishments. Imagine that the past and the future shield the sealed door in a submarine.

How to implement

Mark the goal, consider the steps to achieve it, and then focus on one particular task. Remove the plan aside until such time until you have completed the current task.

Using launcher Speed ​​Dial for Chrome, you can quickly make a bookmark and assign "hot keys" for the page. Open your browser and go directly to the desired document. Less likely start doing something minor or distracted to messages in social networks.

6. shorten breaks

Earlier I liked to work on technique Pomodoro. You put the timer for 25 minutes and doing chores, taking care not to be distracted. Then 5 minutes resting.

I liked that the break was a mandatory part. No matter how you work, still waiting in front of well-deserved rest. But it turned out that the five-minute Only harmed. Tasks are not closed, but the irritation was growing.

The problem was a brain adaptation. Dan Ariely in "positive irrationality" writes that we get used to any kind of work, and cease to feel unpleasant emotions. But after the break we need to re-enter the working mode.

Paradoxically, a short rest, which is recommended in the articles about productivity, makes the task more unpleasant than at the beginning. Therefore, if you are doing the cleaning or preparation of tax returns, it is better to do it in one sitting.

How to implement

I have not always time to solve problems so divide it into several subtasks. And each item is considered a separate mission, like a computer game. Rest only if it satisfies at least one item.

For convenience, I use the checklists in the program for mind maps SimpleMind. The progress bar shows how much is left before the job is finished.

7. To monitor progress

After the New Year, we tell ourselves that begin a new life: zaymomsya sports, open a business, quit smoking, or to arrange for another job. so plans usually remain unfulfilled. At first put off, and then forget about promises.

In the book "12 weeks a year"Brian Moran and Michael Lennington tell us how to deal with this problem. They offer not set goals for the year, and by 12 weeks. Every week we have to carry out concrete steps towards the goal. And on Sunday to measure efficiency.

The authors recommend to divide the results into two types:

1. The end result - to lose weight, to save a million, get a promotion, to improve relations with their families.
2. Operating performance - actions that affect the achievement of the final result.

The end result sometimes depends on luck, so it is important to monitor performance indicators. They show how to change our actions and discipline.

How to implement

Changing the operating parameters easily tracked if they are specific and measurable. For example, a plan manager on sales - 500 cold calls a week, but he phoned only 250 customers. So, the plan is made only by 50%. Or the goal is unrealistic or lazy manager.

For myself, I came up with the goal - to write seven articles per week. To achieve a result, I decided to work for 4 hours a day without being distracted by social network and news. On Sunday evening, calculated efficiency - came to 70%. It turned out that this week I wrote five articles, but almost every day carried out performance level. This optimistic result: though not reached the goal, but improved concentration and discipline.

To calculate I use the already mentioned program SimpleMind. Each day, I note the job and performance level. The program automatically determines how many I did, as a percentage.

For this purpose, suitable, and «Google Spreadsheets." I put in the plan 4:00 work without social networks and instant messengers. The next column write the actual number of hours at work. To calculate the efficiency percentage, divide the value in the "Done" column on the performance in the "Plan".

Counting week plan results in percentages, I began to notice small changes in productivity. If executed figures of less than 50%, simplify daily tasks. When the plan seemed too easy, add new tests.