How to Make Yourself Do the Things You Keep Avoiding, Part I: The Third Pillar of Productivity

There’s that one task for everyone. You see it. You skip it. You promise tomorrow. But tomorrow never shows up. What if getting started isn’t about more discipline? What if it’s about… making friends with gnawing rats?

In this episode, we explore how to make dreaded tasks feel more accessible to get started or lingering projects to get completed.

What kind of ceiling height is better suited for what kind of tasks? Could a tomato-shaped kitchen timer give you the burst of energy to start that long dreaded project? And what does a pre-lunch setup ritual that only takes one minute have to do with momentum? We’re unpacking all of it—and more—in this episode.

If your to-do list has a stale, shame-tinted leftover, this one’s for you. Come sit with the rats. You might be surprised what happens next.

Links from the Show!

The Influence of Ceiling Height https://assets.csom.umn.edu/assets/71190.pdf

Temperature and productivity https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark%3A/67531/metadc882029/

Time Surfing - Reference to gnawing rats https://www.timesurfing.uk/#book

Hawthorne Works Experiment - Note: most writeups of this experiment attribute the results to the participants being observed rather than the environment changes. Blame either the shifting sands of research or Alex’s faulty memory! https://thedecisionlab.com/reference-guide/psychology/the-hawthorne-effect

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