Sometimes you just know you're about to waste a whole afternoon. You've got time, but you're feeling so groggy or unmotivated or indecisive that you know those hours are going to slip away. For times like that, I envisioned an emergency kit that you would break the glass on with a little hammer, and it would contain all the things you need to get energized and accomplish at least *one* thing.
Maybe I'll make that someday, but what is almost as good and that I make use of every so often is this list of commands for me to follow, unthinkingly, when I find myself in that predicament:
1. Have a snack (I keep protein bars in my desk)
2. Drink a short can of cola (ditto)
3. Sweep everything on my desk into my inbox (sometimes mere clutter slows me to a halt)
4. Take out a blank piece of paper and write down the name of 1 project to make progress on for 2 hours solid. (having too many projects vying for my attention can also be a source of paralysis)
5. Brainstorm all the ways I can make progress on this project
6. Pick one of those ways, decide what the next simple, physical action would be towards that. If the task is an unpleasant one, launch web browser and do 10 and 2s.
7. Two hours later, go home!
For a while I was trying to make something out of a shoebox, that would contain the pop and protein bar, and these instructions. I still want to someday. What would you put in your emergency kit? Some other suggestions for what might go in:
* A cd burned with high energy music
* A map to go take a walk
* Inspirational phrases
* Step by step list of exercises
* Smokebombs. Because those are always handy.
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