7 Steps Technique To Unstuck Yourself When A Big Challenge Frustrates You
Mayur Bardolia shares a seven-step technique to break through procrastination on big projects. Start with 15-minute focused work blocks, break the task into tiny pieces, and plan backward from your deadline. He explains how lowering activation energy with small time commitments builds momentum and eventually generates the inspiration to finish.
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A long time ago when I was beginning my career, I was searching for opportunities to perform my work. On one day I got a call from a big multinational company where I had to teach the team of 25+ sales managers. The deal was really wonderful. It was a big challenge for me at the beginning of my career. I agreed to take the challenge and I was supposed to start the 5 days long Sales Mastery Workshop after 3 weeks. I thought I had enough time, but even after 2 weeks, I did not even think about it. Well, I was terrified of the deadline coming closer. I was worried about losing this great opportunity. I worked very hard in just 1 week to prepare for it and the event was over successfully. But I did not want to commit the same mistake again. Well, when you want to do something big, you want to take that challenge. You love it. When you agree to do it, it seems wonderful challenge. Somehow that initial excitement fades away after some time. Now your deadline is fast approaching and you haven't even started. Getting the job done is a priority, yet it somehow doesn't happen. Instead, it stays there on your daily to-do list. You highlight for attention but never attend to do. What causes this destructive process? Why does a great opportunity turn into a very big burden that turns into an overwhelming problem? It leads to frustration and you wish you did not even accept it and started in the first place. There are all sorts of causes but only one solution that consistently worked for me. Let me share with you. Number one, if you have been stuck for more than three days, you are stuck. Admit that. Stand in front of the mirror and repeat: "I shot my mouth off. I am stuck." Admit the same it in front of the people who are close to you. Accept that you have been waiting for inspiration to save you, but it hasn't happened. Stop waiting. Do honest conversation with yourself and accept that you are stuck. Number two, change the status of the job. It was one priority among many. Make it number one on your daily to-do list. You must stick to deal with number one priority anyhow. If everything is a priority, nothing is a priority. If a task is very important to do, make it urgent. Nothing gets done without this sense of urgency. Number three: Start small and do small. Don't even think of attacking the whole mess at once. Instead, break it up into small pieces. If it's a forty-page report you have to write, break it up into. If it's a bunch of people you have to talk to, think of each conversation or a meeting as a separate task. If a task takes 20 steps to complete, take one step at a time. Anything can be accomplished if the task is broken down into small enough chunks. Number four: Start from the end, working back from your deadline. Figure out how many discrete units— pages, people, etc.— you need to do each day. Then figure out how long it will take you to do that many units. Design the roadmap from the destination to the beginning. Number 5: Do in 15-minute blocks. If each unit can be done in less than 15 minutes, you are in luck. Give yourself the job of doing just one 15-minute task each day. If you have— if you will have to spend more than 15 minutes a day to finish, then begin and still with 15 minutes and gradually increase your daily time commitment as you get rolling. And this task can be reading a book, listening to a podcast, meditation, exercise, etc. Number six, brutally concentrate for 15 minutes. Shut off all distraction. Start with 15 minutes. Do your 15 minutes even if you feel that what you are doing is not very good. You will be surprised how much you can do in just 15 minutes without getting distracted. Number seven, keep moving and keep doing. Most of the time we limit ourselves. We decide our own boundary. Keep going until break through the psychological barrier you have been against. Now you will never know how much you are capable of doing if you just keep doing what is required to do. Then take required action until you finish your big task. So let me add that 15 minutes in is such a small amount of time that, you know, you won't have any trouble doing it. This will get the ball rolling, and even if it doesn't seem to be rolling in the first or right direction, sooner or later, and this is guaranteed, you will suddenly get that inspiration you have been waiting for, you know, while you are stuck. Now when it happens, you will find that you have already done a good deal of work. Like, you know, thinking, planning, research, or whatever. One of my friends recommended this technique to me several years ago. Now, he, you know, used to getting big writing projects done, and I used for it about writing, planning, research, and especially critiquing as well. It has never failed me. So follow this system. It's particularly useful when you get to the point where you don't actually like a project anymore. And in that case, unless you have the discipline to hack away at it every day, you will avoid it and you— it will never get done. Some days you will want to work more than 15 minutes, and that's fine. In fact, that's the idea. It means your creative mind is starting to kick in. One day, and this can happen at almost any time, you will suddenly see the big picture and will be able to get the whole project Done right. You may decide to scrap some of what you have been doing and change some of it. Now, but from that point on, you will work fast and easily because you will know exactly what needs to be done. So let's summarize what you have learned so far. When we receive a big challenge, we initially get excited. We wait until the deadline and lose motivation to finish the big project. You have learned 7 steps to finish the big project. Number 1, if you have been stuck for more than 3 days, you are stuck. Admit it. Stop waiting and do honest conversation with yourself and accept that you are stuck. Then number 2, change the status of the job. It was one priority among many. Make it number one on your daily to-do list. If a task is very important to do, make it urgent. Nothing gets done without the sense of urgency. Number three: Start small and do small. Break the big task into small pieces. Anything can be accomplished if the task is broken down into small enough chunks. Then number four: Start from the end. Figure out what do you need to do each day. Then figure out how long it will take you to do that many units. Number 5, do in 15-minute blocks. Give yourself the job of doing just one 15-minute task each day. If you will have to spend more than 15 minutes a day to finish, well, that's okay. Then begin and still with 15 minutes and gradually increase your daily time commitment As you get rolling. Number 6, brutally concentrate for 15 minutes. Shut off all distractions. Start with 15 minutes and you will be surprised how much you can do in just 15 minutes without getting distracted. And number 7, keep moving, keep doing. You will never know how much you are capable of doing if you just keep doing what is required. Take required action until you finish your daily big task. That's it for now. Share this video with someone who you think can find helpful. They will thank you for sharing with them. Now, if you want to subscribe to my newsletter, go to mayurbardolia.com. If you have any comment or want to talk to me, well, you can email me directly on mayurbardolia@gmail.com. I usually reply within 24 to 48 hours. If you wish to have a free coaching call, you can book your appointment on bookme.name/mayurbi. I will be happy to talk to you. Thank you very much for watching. Bye for now.
