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Conquer That Initial Friction

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Conquer That Initial Friction Getting started is often the hardest part of anything truly worth doing.

Whether it’s hitting the gym, penning that elusive article, or pitching to a client, the trick is just to dive in.

Next time you find yourself procrastinating, tackle it with a tiny action. Slip on those sneakers for your workout, jot down that opening line for your article, or draft a snappy email subject line for your pitch.

Once you push past that initial friction and get over that first hump, you’ll find some momentum and likely get your task done.

Here’s to taking that first leap!

Wondering what to read next?

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  2. Use Friction to Make or Break Habits
  3. Use This Trick to Make Daily Habits Stick This Year
  4. Resolution Reboot: February’s Your Fresh Start
  5. How to Turn Your Procrastination Time into Productive Time

An Effective Question to Help Feel the Success Now

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An Effective Question to Help Feel the Success Now Bestselling author Tim Ferriss is known for his unconventional take on productivity and personal growth. He urges his audience to ask bold, thought-provoking questions—timeless wisdom in modern form.

One of his popular questions is: “If you had to accomplish your 10-year goals in six months, what would you do differently?” This challenge cuts through procrastination, forcing quick decisions and encouraging immediate action.

It drives you to focus on what truly matters, bringing clarity and pushing you beyond your comfort zone. It’s a mindset shift toward efficiency and innovation.

Idea for Impact: Don’t wait to fast-track your future. Ask the question, sharpen your focus, and make real progress now.

Wondering what to read next?

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  2. Did School Turn You Into a Procrastinator?
  3. Change Your Mindset by Taking Action
  4. Use Friction to Make or Break Habits
  5. Get Good At Things By Being Bad First

The Problem with Self-Help

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Self-help Glosses Over Human Complexity for Catchy Slogans and Quick Fixes At its core, self-help isn’t a flawed concept, but its portrayal often deserves scrutiny: the self-help culture tends to foster an unrealistic belief in our ability to attain perfection.

Self-help resources, at times, offer nothing more than common-sense wisdom—things we might overlook until someone points them out. However, self-help also has a tendency to oversimplify (“practice gratitude, you’ll attract abundance”) and make grandiose claims (“unleash the unstoppable force within you and achieve greatness beyond your wildest dreams!”) about intricate personal matters, setting the stage for unrealistic hopes and eventual disappointment. As I’ve mentioned before, the value of self-help resources depends on whether their core message aligns with an individual’s current needs and challenges.

And then, self-help assumes we all know exactly what we want and what a perfect life looks like. It often takes for granted that it can effortlessly bridge the gap between our present reality and the ideal life we dream of.

Idea for Impact: While self-help resources can offer valuable insights and motivation for personal growth, it’s crucial to approach them with a discerning mindset.

Wondering what to read next?

  1. What Are You So Afraid Of? // Summary of Susan Jeffers’s ‘Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway’
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  3. An Effective Question to Help Feel the Success Now
  4. How to (Finally!) Stop Procrastinating, Just Do It
  5. Separate the Job of Creating and Improving

Resolution Reboot: February’s Your Fresh Start

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Resolution Reboot: February's Your Fresh Start At the beginning of the year, we all get hyped up with that whole “New Year, New Me!” vibe. But once the confetti settles, our resolutions crash and burn faster than a balloon with a slow leak. Come end of January, we’re like, “What resolutions?”

If you’re aiming for a February reboot or you’ve kicked things off strong and want to keep that momentum rolling all year, watch out for these resolution roadblocks:

  • Willpower Woes. Counting on willpower alone usually doesn’t cut it for long-term goals. Instead, work on building discipline gradually, taking small steps, and cutting yourself some slack when things don’t go as planned.
  • Ignoring Psychology. Knowing what makes you tick is crucial for real change. Figure out what triggers your bad habits and tweak your environment to make it easier to stick to your goals.
  • Negative Self-Talk. Beating yourself up when you slip up only makes it harder to stay on track. Treat setbacks as learning experiences, accept your limitations, adjust your expectations, and keep pushing forward.
  • Overreaching Goals. Trying to tackle impossible goals is like sprinting a marathon—you’ll burn out fast. Take it easy by setting achievable milestones each month and gradually building momentum.
  • Lack of Specificity. Swap out vague resolutions like “get fit” or “be a better person” for specific, doable goals. Start small, like running a mile or cutting out afternoon sodas, and keep checking in to stay on track.
  • Accountability Absence. Goals often fizzle out without someone to answer to. Pair up with a buddy, join a group, or use apps to keep yourself focused and motivated.
  • Overlooking Progress. Celebrate the little victories—they’re what keep you going. Don’t just focus on the big picture; recognize every step forward to boost your confidence and motivation.

Idea for Impact: If January didn’t pan out like you hoped, no worries! Give your New Year resolutions a reboot. Turn those intentions into solid themes, keep tabs on your progress, and set some fresh targets. Snag a new planner, jot down some realistic goals, and let February be the month you truly kick it into gear and start smashing those resolutions!

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  3. An Effective Question to Help Feel the Success Now
  4. If Stuck, Propel Forward with a ‘Friction Audit’
  5. The #1 Hack to Build Healthy Habits in the New Year

How to (Finally!) Stop Procrastinating, Just Do It

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Go to the gym consistently and unfailingly, even if it’s just to walk on the treadmill for ten minutes.

Even if your legs are sore, just go.

Even if you’re not feeling it, just go.

Even if there’s that something else you’d rather be doing, just go.

Just go.

Because once you’re there at the gym, you usually will get into the mood to run or achieve something more substantial.

Just do it.

Compel yourself to do just a bit of what you’re struggling to do.

Just taking action, even if you don’t plan on achieving much, can usually help you get and stay motivated.

Inertia will give way to momentum.

Idea for Impact: The “Just Do It” attitude can help you surmount mental blocks. Folks who actually get things done work at whatever they are interested in, even when they don’t feel like doing it.

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  2. How to … Make Work Less Boring
  3. How to Turn Your Procrastination Time into Productive Time
  4. 5 Minutes to Greater Productivity [Two-Minute Mentor #11]
  5. An Effective Question to Help Feel the Success Now

Separate the Job of Creating and Improving

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You can’t write and edit, engrave and buff, or create and analyze simultaneously. If you try to do so, the editor will hinder the creator’s progress.

Don’t let the evaluator’s biases and entrenched behaviors get in the way of the maker’s creative process. Keep the niggling editor from creeping up during the initial draft.

Idea for Impact: In the early stages, the creator’s mind should be free from any judgment. Revising your way into a cut above is far more effective than trying to conjure brilliance out of thin air.

Wondering what to read next?

  1. How to Banish Your Inner Perfectionist
  2. Five Ways … You Could Stop Procrastinating
  3. Did School Turn You Into a Procrastinator?
  4. An Effective Question to Help Feel the Success Now
  5. Just Start with ONE THING

The “Adjacent Possible” Mental Model

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The “Adjacent Possible” consists of all those ideas that are one step away from what actually exists. One thing leads to another, and when you achieve an adjacent possibile, you may hit upon more adjacent possibles.

So exploring the edges can take you somewhere new that you can’t predefine. The adjacent possible is something that gets continuously shaped and reshaped by your actions and your choices.

Steven Johnson’s Where Good Ideas Come From: The Natural History of Innovation (2010) urges, “The adjacent possible is a kind of shadow future, hovering on the edges of the present state of things, a map of all the ways in which the present can reinvent itself.”

Johnson borrowed the conception from biologist Stuart A. Kauffman’s The Origins of Order: Self-Organization and Selection in Evolution (1993.) This book examines a fundamental law of evolution: how everything has to evolve one step at a time within its realm of possibility, which sits directly adjacent to its current position. Novelty isn’t an abrupt, isolated happening, but rather stem from the voyaging of what is adjacent or related to what already exists.

Idea for Impact: Start at the edge of what works. Then, explore the adjacent possibile space. You may just get to those streams of opportunities that lead to the next big thing.

Wondering what to read next?

  1. Small Steps, Big Revolutions: The Kaizen Way // Summary of Robert Maurer’s ‘One Small Step Can Change Your Life’
  2. Real Ways to Make Habits Stick
  3. Do You Really Need More Willpower?
  4. Use This Trick to Make Daily Habits Stick This Year
  5. The #1 Hack to Build Healthy Habits in the New Year

Use Friction to Make or Break Habits

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It’s human nature to rely more on environmental triggers than we think. As a result, you’re more inclined to achieve a goal if you reduce any possible friction—i.e., eliminate obstacles that could make it harder for you to reach your goal.

One powerful method to tweak your environment to change behavior is the “hit the ground running” mindset. For instance, to start a morning exercise habit, reduce the friction of getting dressed for a workout by sleeping in your workout attire. Put your shoes and socks by the bed. On wintry days, set your jacket on the countertop by your keys.

Idea for Impact: Control your environment; change your habits

Don’t depend on trying to stay motivated to change behavior. Motivation can waver from one minute to the next. Reduce any potential friction in getting stuff done.

Equally, increase the friction for things you should avoid—e.g., break a bad habit by making it more inconvenient.

Wondering what to read next?

  1. An Effective Question to Help Feel the Success Now
  2. 5 Minutes to Greater Productivity [Two-Minute Mentor #11]
  3. Five Ways … You Could Stop Procrastinating
  4. Change Your Mindset by Taking Action
  5. Separate the Job of Creating and Improving

How to Avoid the Sunday Night Blues

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A proper Sunday isn’t complete unless you’ve expertly wasted every precious moment and then find yourself submerged in a sea of sorrow as that sinking feeling settles in your stomach, signaling the end of the glorious weekend.

The “Sunday-Night Blues” revolve around bidding farewell to the weekend and bracing yourself for yet another dreadful week ahead. It’s a baffling feeling when you can’t account for where the time went or what happened to all those noble intentions you had.

The tranquility of the weekend gives way to a somber mood, a sense of impending doom, and a restless night of sleep. It’s even hard to accept that the brief respite from the previous week’s work is ending.

Here’re some tips to help you ward off those Sunday-Night Blues. Spread out your chores and errands throughout the week, or better yet, tackle the tedious tasks early on—the earlier you deal with pain, the less painful it is. Tie up any loose or annoying ends on Friday, so you don’t have to give it a second thought over the weekend.

Take a few moments earlier during the weekend to plan and organize your upcoming week. This simple act will grant you greater control and preparedness, easing any anxiety or stress over the upcoming week.

Idea for Impact: Sunday evenings are meant to be cherished, not squandered in sorrow. With careful planning, a sprinkle of self-care, and a dash of positive thinking, you can transform those Sunday Night Blues into a delightful symphony of relaxation and anticipation for the week ahead.

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  3. How to Keep Your Brain Fresh and Creative
  4. Give the Best Hours of The Day to Yourself
  5. How to Turn Your Procrastination Time into Productive Time

How to … Make Work Less Boring

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Time passes faster when you divide a big chunk into lots of smaller chunks. So, if you’re on an inescapably boring path, break it into units. And, for each dreaded task, ask yourself, “What’s the most fun way I could do this?” Work at a coffee shop? Listen to your favorite music? Reward yourself upon its completion?

As Mary Poppins pleaded, “In every task that must be done there is an element of fun. You find the fun and snap! The job’s a game.”

Wondering what to read next?

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  2. Do You Really Need More Willpower?
  3. How to (Finally!) Stop Procrastinating, Just Do It
  4. Zeigarnik Effect: How Incomplete Tasks Trigger Stress
  5. How to Turn Your Procrastination Time into Productive Time