The power of minimum due

Have you find yourself procrastinating on doing somthing you really want/have to do. Signing up to a gym and start working out, making new friends, starting your side project or even talking to that girl you find attractive.

What if i told that using this method of “minimum due” could make magic for you. would you believe me? I am a skeptical person myself, so I am asking you to not believe me but start to examine it yourself.

But before getting into the method description, let’s agree that forming a new habit and starting new thing could be challenging. Everybody will tell you that they experience a sense of overwhelm, a bit of fear from the unexpected and feeling fogginess that comes from lacking the direction or familiarity with the new environment, processes and people.

The idea of the “minimum due” is a powerful treatment and practical application on how to overcome this stage of uncertainty and hesitation. As they say, hesitation is the “kiss of death”.

“Minimum due” can be summarized if three steps. Once you have an idea about what you want to do and before jumping into doing it, do the following:

• Define the minimum amount of work that could help you getting entangled and attached to the task. When you come up with a short version of working out, you still working out. So sign up to the gym just to walk five minutes or so in the first few days and then move yourself gradually with baby steps more added exercise. Discard the idea of having it all or none, it’s just an excuse that helps you justifying your procrastination. When i started writing this article, I opened medium website > write new story and wrote the headline and two line explaining the topic. I have been examining this method since the school days. Once, i wrote the first few lines, I found myself articulating the different part of the article. If it’s your first time to examine this method, just do you minimum due “writing the few lines”, the trick is to commit to this minimum in a daily basis with the mentality “I will be satisfied once i finish my minimum due, but if do more, that extra will only encourage me and make me feel great”. If you want to start applying for job, make the habit to apply for at minimum amount of jobs daily (1 job per a day), if you applied for more that’s even better, but don’t dare break the habit with the minimum due.
• I am sure you have seen the slogan “just do it” from the shoe company NIKE. Have you heard about the “FIVE MINUTES RULE”?

The 5-minute rule is a cognitive behavioral therapy technique for procrastination. After defining the short version of the task (Minimum due), you use the 5-minute rule to get it done. No matter what, close your eyes and count 5 4 3 2 1 and start doing it. Stop debating , Stop overthink it, Just do it. Well! you don’t have to close your eyes but you got the point here. This will help you not only getting your hand dirty and you system entangled into the task but it also eliminate lot of unnecessary guilt and self beating for not doing what your gut telling you. From another point of view, it gives you a taste of the actual task. By taking your idea into execution, you are skipping what i call ideas masturbation. It’s a form of self medication. An individual trying to boost their self-steam by thinking of smart ideas. Guess what, thinking about smart ideas or nice life style without putting the action toward it is just a form of self entreatment. Similarly when you read a book and not use any of its knowledge. You just using reading as an entreating platform. So jsut do it and thank me later.

• Dont’ break the habit once it started or before you are done with the task. If you would start breaking the habit of doing at least the minimal work, you would be missing with your momentum. Ask any entrepreneur, they will tell you that the power of momentum is unlike any other. It’s the way to automate your habit and put your system to work for you instead of debating and rethinking every decision. You would gain more speed and continuity when you put your habits into autopilot. If one day you don’t feel going to the gym, go just to do some few minutes of walking. You may miss a day but next day you MUST come back stronger or your momentum would fade away.

Please note that this method will not serve you well with urgent or short tasks. it works magic when trying to form a habit for success.

Keep it short, just do it, count down and jump. Examine it yourself and let me know if this works for you too.

Best of luck