18 Tips to Avoid Procrastination (the Lean UX Way)

Trent Mankelow, @optimalworkshop http://www.flickr.com/photos/jesse757/3094868007/sizes/l/in/photostream/

18 Tips to Avoid Procrastination (the LeanUX Way)

Why talk about

Procrastination?

Two reasons, really

Procrastination impacts knowledge workers

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YhyEAomLWCA/TqdGbZy4c2I/AAAAAAAAOD0/m9dxqs5JgRM/s1600/OfficeSpace_022Pyxurz.jpg

LeanUX principles can help!

http://luxr.co/lean-ux/10-principles-for-lean-ux/

Why talk about

Procrastination?

Two reasons, really

Productivity pr0n (a/k/a "Productivity

porn") is a superclass of materials and

methods for theoretically becoming more

organized and productive.

http://wiki.43folders.com/index.php/Productivity_pr0n

Lean UX Productivity

porn

My talk

What is

Procrastination?

The act of postponing or delaying an

action needlessly http://oyster.ignimgs.com/wordpress/www.ign.com/17367/2011/04/research-paper-vs-internet-comic.jpg

Why do we

procrastinate?

Because we are afraid of failure

http://jeremywaite.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/fail444456.jpg

Because we are afraid of being imperfect

http://img2.etsystatic.com/000/0/5677449/il_fullxfull.340295286.jpg

Because we are overwhelmed

http://www.weblogcartoons.com/

Why does it

matter?

It can affect your health

http://www.berwick.monash.edu.au/vce-revision-lecture.jpg

The quality of your work may suffer

http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/enhanced/web04/2012/1/23/12/enhanced-buzz-6886-1327341418-52.jpg

It can make it hard for others on the team

http://files.redux.com/images/68b1309581015fd82b8bc36a59155772/raw

You may miss deadlines

http://lightshowmedia.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/dinasours-miss-deadline.jpg?w=570

Is procrastination

always bad?

Some people live for the rush

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mWhkAgYuIUc/ThceMJ7b9YI/AAAAAAAAAhQ/y-sNizvWzz0/s1600/NZone+Sky+Diving+3+copy.jpg

Sometimes procrastination = percolation

18 tips

Lean UX Principle:

Goal-driven and

outcome focussed

1. Identify your three key outcomes each

day, week, month, and year http://www.gettingresults.com

2. Do a weekly review

https://secure.davidco.com/store/catalog/GTD-WEEKLY-REVIEW-p-16165.php

3. Think ‘next action’, not ‘to do’

http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidchicopham/3574355833/

4. Say No

http://www.gptalkback.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/computer-says-no.jpg

Lean UX Principle:

Routinize

5. Decide on the Most Important Task

before you leave work each day

6. Park on a downhill slope

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b8/DunedinBaldwinStreet_Parked_Car.jpg

7. Avoid e-mail for the first hour of every day

http://www.wccbournemouth.co.uk/images/email.jpg

Lean UX Principle:

Externalise

8. Use a pen and paper

9. Mindmap the edges of the project

http://www.humorhound.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/darth-vader-brainstorm-death-star.jpg

10. Two heads are better than one

http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb57886/muppet/images/d/d8/Tumblr-Two-HeadedMonster.png

11. Set arbitrary, public deadlines

http://www.flickr.com/photos/joelanman/366192378/

12. List your anxieties

From The Now Habit, p 99

1. What is the worst that could happen?

2. What would I do if the worst really happened?

3. How would I lessen the pain and get on with as much happiness as

possible if the worst did occur?

4. What alternatives would I have?

5. What can I do now to lessen the probability of this dreaded event

occurring?

6. Is there anything I can do now to increase my chances of achieving my

goal?

Lean UX Principle:

Go faster

13. Work in 25-minute sprints http://www.pomodorotechnique.com

http://www.focusboosterapp.com

1. Choose a task to be accomplished

2. Set a timer for 25 minutes

3. Work on the task until the timer goes

off

4. Take a 5 minute break – go to the

bathroom, look at The Facebook, etc

5. Every 4 sprints take a longer break

14. Create a ‘CC’ inbox

15. Colour code your emails

Lean UX Principle:

Good enough

16. Do “shitty first drafts”

http://www.orcutt.net/othercontent/sfds.pdf

17. Consider only giving yourself a certain

number of revisions

One final, very

powerful tip

18. Plan play, and celebrate success

Ada and Louise, Tonga 2011

Resources

Thanks! Trent Mankelow

Optimal Workshop

optimalworkshop.com

@optimalworkshop