The 2-Minute Rule
Let’s set the stage – it’s a cold northern Minnesota November Friday evening. I go out to start the car and nothing – no rrrrnnn rrrrnnn (my attempt to capture the sound of a cold car trying to sluggishly start). Not even a click! Dead battery. My typical reaction – shoulder shrug and a commitment to take care of it TOMORROW. Saturday – after our guests have left, as dusk is setting in – I go out to tackle the car. We try jumping the battery with another car – nothing! Worry and dread set it. At 6PM in darkness, I reluctantly call AAA and was told they would be out in 30 minutes – hopefulness returns. At 11PM, after 5 hours and 3-4 calls to AAA, I cancel the service call and commit to re-starting the process Sunday morning first thing. At 7:30AM I am told the service vehicle would be there at 8:15AM – hopefulness returns, only to be dashed as the service vehicle doesn’t arrive. At 10:30, the tow truck arrives – they survey the situation, take out their 4000 amp jumpstarting gizmo – the car turns over and is running perfectly. The tow truck was there no more than 5 minutes. 5 minutes! For that, I impacted 2 days and had 2 fitful sleeps. Uggh!
Truth-be-told, I am a lifelong procrastinator. I am comfortable twisting Aaron Burr’s sage advice: ““Never do today what you can put off till tomorrow. Delay may give clearer light as to what is best to be done.” Unfortunately, the procrastination often comes with worry and dread. My mind spinning a simple issue into something catastrophic – like letting the 5-minute jumpstart affecting 2 night’s sleep!
David Allen, in Getting Things Done, has offered the best advice for me when faced with procrastination: - the 2-minute rule. “If it takes less than two minutes, then do it now.” I came face to face with the procrastination monster this morning – and I can proudly, yet weeningly, admit that I put the 2-minute rule into practice. I slide open the Keurig k-cup drawer only to find an empty drawer – uggh, shoulder shrug. Thankfully, my thoughtful wife had bought coffee the day before and the box was sitting alongside the coffee maker. I rip open the package, take and place one, hit STRONG and SMALL and wait… The procrastination monster is back – like the devil and angel scene from Animal House – do I keep taking from the box OR do the right thing and fill the drawer. I “hear” Mr. Allen and do the right thing and fill the Keurig k-cup drawing – taking less than 2 minutes. Taking less time than it took to brew my STRONG and SMALL cup of coffee.
My question for you – what are your tricks to keep moving forward when the procrastination monster arrives?