Jumping over the Intention-Action Gap

The Daily Writing Challenge: Day 3 Blues

I decided to write one short text every day in August.

Simple idea, right?

Day 1: Exciting!

Day 2: Still pumped!

Day 3: Ugh...

Suddenly, excuses flood in:

• It's too hot

• Neighbors visited

• Didn't sleep well

• No one's reading this anyways

• No accountability

• Not getting paid for it, so why bother?!

But here I am, writing on day 3. How?

My Strategy:

1. Expected the struggle.

It always happens. Well, for me, at least.

2. Premeditated a plan:

• Pick a topic from my list (Had a list ready - that curbs the analysis paralysis)

• Set a 30-minute timer

• Just write

3. Lowered the friction:

• Used speech-to-text (Audiopen) - less intimidating than a blank page

• Imagined explaining to a friend and just started talking

4. Asked myself:

"Will I like myself more for doing it or not doing it?"

Hell yes!

Remember: It doesn't have to be perfect. It's just 30 minutes.

Techniques Used:

1. Implementation intention ("When X happens, then I'll do Y")

   • Research paper by Gollwitzer

   • Video on implementation intentions

2. Time boxing (30-minute limit)

   • The Pomodoro Technique

   • Book: "The One Thing" by Gary Keller

3. Lowering friction (speech-to-text)

   • Atomic Habits by James Clear (discusses friction reduction)

4. Reframing (talking to a friend)

   • Cognitive reframing in psychology

5. Self-respect check ("Will I like myself more?")

   • Self-Compassion by Dr. Kristin Neff

6. Expectation management (it doesn't have to be perfect)

   • Brené Brown’s TED Talk on perfectionism works like a charm!

7. Pre-planning topics

   • David Allen's Getting Things Done methodology

8. Commitment to consistency (daily writing)

   • The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg

The struggle is real, but so is the satisfaction of pushing through.

And I now can carry on floating next to someone’s hideous Unicorn!

What's your strategy for sticking to your commitments?