Some tasks get put off because you want the first version to be good. The blank page starts to feel like a test, and putting it off feels safer than failing it.
Waiting to feel ready
You rarely feel ready before you begin. The feeling usually shows up after a few minutes of doing something imperfect, and waiting only adds pressure.
Allow a bad version
Say it out loud if that helps: this first version is allowed to be terrible. You are making raw material for the final thing. A few ways to do it:
- Write the worst opening paragraph you can think of.
- Sketch the solution in comments instead of code.
- List the points of the argument in any order.
- Record a messy version of the presentation for yourself.
Set a short timer
A visible end makes mess easier to tolerate. Try a 15/5 block, which gives you fifteen minutes of ugly drafting and then a break, with no editing during the block.
Edit in a different block
Drafting and editing are different jobs, and mixing them makes starting feel heavy. Draft, take a break, and edit in a separate session.
Make the first step small
Open the file, write the title, add three headings. That already counts as movement, and the next step tends to feel lighter. There is more on this in why you can’t start and how to stop mid-sentence for an easy start.
Pick the thing you’ve been putting off, start a timer and write the worst first draft you can. The second block is for fixing it.
