This document provides 18 tips for avoiding procrastination based on Lean UX principles. It suggests identifying key outcomes, doing weekly reviews, thinking in terms of next actions, saying no, deciding on the most important daily task, avoiding email for an hour each day, using pen and paper, mindmapping, setting public deadlines, listing anxieties, working in 25-minute sprints, creating a CC inbox, color coding emails, doing "shitty first drafts", limiting revisions, and planning play and celebrating successes. Images accompany each tip to illustrate the points.

1. 18 Tips to Avoid Procrastination
(the LeanUX Way)
Trent Mankelow, @optimalworkshop
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jesse757/3094868007/sizes/l/in/photostream/

4. Why talk about
Procrastination?
Two reasons, really

5. Procrastination impacts knowledge workers
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YhyEAomLWCA/TqdGbZy4c2I/AAAAAAAAOD0/m9dxqs5JgRM/s1600/OfficeSpace_022Pyxurz.jpg

6. LeanUX principles can help!
http://luxr.co/lean-ux/10-principles-for-lean-ux/

7. Why talk about
Procrastination?
Two reasons, really

9. Productivity pr0n (a/k/a "Productivity
porn") is a superclass of materials and
methods for theoretically becoming more
organized and productive.
http://wiki.43folders.com/index.php/Productivity_pr0n

10. My talk
Productivity
Lean UX
porn

11. What is
Procrastination?

12. The act of postponing or delaying an
action needlessly http://oyster.ignimgs.com/wordpress/www.ign.com/17367/2011/04/research-paper-vs-internet-comic.jpg

13. Why do we
procrastinate?

14. Because we are afraid of failure
http://jeremywaite.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/fail444456.jpg

15. Because we are afraid of being imperfect
http://img2.etsystatic.com/000/0/5677449/il_fullxfull.340295286.jpg

16. Because we are overwhelmed
http://www.weblogcartoons.com/

17. Why does it
matter?

18. It can affect your health
http://www.berwick.monash.edu.au/vce-revision-lecture.jpg

19. The quality of your work may suffer
http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/enhanced/web04/2012/1/23/12/enhanced-buzz-6886-1327341418-52.jpg

20. It can make it hard for others on the team
http://files.redux.com/images/68b1309581015fd82b8bc36a59155772/raw

21. You may miss deadlines
http://lightshowmedia.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/dinasours-miss-deadline.jpg?w=570

22. Is procrastination
always bad?

23. Some people live for the rush
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mWhkAgYuIUc/ThceMJ7b9YI/AAAAAAAAAhQ/y-sNizvWzz0/s1600/NZone+Sky+Diving+3+copy.jpg

24. Sometimes procrastination = percolation

25. 18 tips

27. Lean UX Principle:
Goal-driven and
outcome focussed

28. 1. Identify your three key outcomes each
day, week, month, and year http://www.gettingresults.com

29. 2. Do a weekly review
https://secure.davidco.com/store/catalog/GTD-WEEKLY-REVIEW-p-16165.php

30. 3. Think ‘next action’, not ‘to do’
http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidchicopham/3574355833/

31. 4. Say No
http://www.gptalkback.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/computer-says-no.jpg

32. Lean UX Principle:
Routinize

33. 5. Decide on the Most Important Task
before you leave work each day

34. 6. Park on a downhill slope
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b8/DunedinBaldwinStreet_Parked_Car.jpg

35. 7. Avoid e-mail for the first hour of every day
http://www.wccbournemouth.co.uk/images/email.jpg

36. Lean UX Principle:
Externalise

37. 8. Use a pen and paper

38. 9. Mindmap the edges of the project
http://www.humorhound.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/darth-vader-brainstorm-death-star.jpg

39. 10. Two heads are better than one
http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb57886/muppet/images/d/d8/Tumblr-Two-HeadedMonster.png

40. 11. Set arbitrary, public deadlines
http://www.flickr.com/photos/joelanman/366192378/

41. 1. What is the worst that could happen?
2. What would I do if the worst really happened?
3. How would I lessen the pain and get on with as much happiness as
possible if the worst did occur?
4. What alternatives would I have?
5. What can I do now to lessen the probability of this dreaded event
occurring?
6. Is there anything I can do now to increase my chances of achieving my
goal?
12. List your anxieties
From The Now Habit, p 99

42. Lean UX Principle:
Go faster

43. 1. Choose a task to be accomplished
2. Set a timer for 25 minutes
3. Work on the task until the timer goes
off
4. Take a 5 minute break – go to the
bathroom, look at The Facebook, etc
5. Every 4 sprints take a longer break
13. Work in 25-minute sprints
http://www.pomodorotechnique.com
http://www.focusboosterapp.com

44. 14. Create a ‘CC’ inbox

45. 15. Colour code your emails

46. Lean UX Principle:
Good enough

47. 16. Do “shitty first drafts”
http://www.orcutt.net/othercontent/sfds.pdf

48. 17. Consider only giving yourself a certain
number of revisions

49. One final, very
powerful tip

50. 18. Plan play, and celebrate success
Ada and Louise, Tonga 2011

51. Resources

52. Thanks!
Trent Mankelow
Optimal Workshop
optimalworkshop.com
@optimalworkshop