[Reflection] #19: Procrastination
In general, people take me for a hard worker, but that’s not the case. I only work when I’m passionate. When I’m not, I drag my feet even more than others. However, I have a trick I’d like to share with you to move forward nonetheless. Recently, I read a book in Vietnamese called “72 Strategies of Chinese Management” (72 Phép Quản Lý Kiểu Trung Quốc), a modern version of The Art of War applied to business, and these lessons can also be applied to individuals.
Here’s a summary of a passage I really liked:
The Power of Small Steps
“Without taking small steps, how can you travel thousands of miles? Without small streams, how can you form rivers?” This age-old proverb holds a profound truth applicable to all our daily challenges. Great achievements don’t happen spontaneously; they are the result of a methodical accumulation of small victories.
The strategy is clear: turn an intimidating goal into a series of achievable micro-goals. This isn’t just about arbitrary splitting, but about building a coherent system where each small task fits into a larger vision.
Why So Many Projects Remain Unfinished?
We all know that feeling of disappointment when facing a project abandoned halfway. Interestingly, failure is usually not due to insurmountable obstacles, but to a lack of strategic structure. Without clearly defined intermediate goals and an understanding of how they interconnect, we quickly lose our initial momentum.
Procrastination sets in precisely in this strategic fog. Without a detailed roadmap, our brain perceives the task as a monolithic intimidating block rather than a series of manageable steps.
Imagine Lucie decides to ‘build her own wardrobe’ this year. She buys a sewing machine, 20 fabrics, and starts several projects at once: a complex pleated skirt, a top with raglan sleeves, and a lined dress with an invisible zipper. Quickly overwhelmed by technical difficulties, she abandons all her unfinished projects.
Her failure isn’t due to lack of talent, but to strategic organization. Instead of diving into complex creations, a structured approach would have planned:
- A logical progression: first straight seams, then a simple tote bag, a few practice pieces, then a basic straight skirt
- Interconnected skills: learning to set a simple zipper before moving on to the invisible zipper
- Specific learning objectives for each project
Without this structure, Lucie tackled challenges too advanced without having built the necessary foundational skills, inevitably leading to frustration and giving up.
A Systemic Approach to Productivity
To truly overcome procrastination, adopt a systemic view of your goals:
- Define your final destination precisely
- Set milestones for the short, medium, and long term
- Break down each milestone into concrete daily actions
- Identify logical connections between these micro-goals
- Create dynamic tension that naturally propels you from one step to the next
This approach transforms the intimidating into the accessible. Each small goal becomes not only achievable but also meaningful because it represents a miniature version of your larger ambition.
Take JB as an example. To reach his main goal: a career change into cybersecurity, he divided the long path into several stages: first, making sure it’s what he wants to do (by reaching out to those already working in cybersecurity); then he passed a recognized certification in the field & the TOEIC (obtaining these certifications helped validate the project and encourage JB); and finally, he contacted his entire network with his new resume and applied to over a hundred job postings. And all that in two years. If he had to do it all in 2 days, he would have given up right away.
The Beauty of the Domino Effect
The most fascinating aspect of this method is its multiplying effect. When your goals are properly interconnected, each achievement creates momentum for the next. This “dynamic tension” between your micro-goals generates an intrinsic motivation that makes procrastination increasingly difficult.
The next time you catch yourself procrastinating, remember that the journey of a thousand miles always begins beneath your feet. Identify the smallest possible action toward your goal and do it now (it could be as simple as writing your goal down in black and white). This isn’t just a small step—it’s the start of a river that will transform your entire landscape.
And you, what small step will you take today toward your big goal?
