I've recently read "The Now Habit" and I've been having a great time this week implementing its cures for my procrastination. I've spent most of the week cataloging all of my to-do's (ala David Allen), and using the Franklin Covey Plan Plus software with my TabletPC. However, the best thing I've done is retreated to an abandoned conference room in my office building for two or three 30 minute blocks of time each day. I set my watch alarm for thirty minutes, take it off, and set it face down on the table. I start the project I need to work on, and work straight through for the 30 minutes. No telephone interruptions, no e-mail, no secretary asking me to fix her computer. The focused productivity has been absolutely amazing. I admit I got much of the idea from former Five by Five contributor Michael Cage, who writes:

The bulk of my income is derived from writing, and it has proven to be slow-going for me to write in my office. I’m an easily distracted person (the classic “hunter” profile a la Thom Hartmann). Ordinarily, I’d set about changing a trait that was an annoyance, but, in this case it is responsible for a large part of my success. I don’t want it gone, I just want better strategies for focus.

So, I bought an iBook.

It does not have E-mail set up and never will. When it’s time to work on important projects, I carry it into another office (that doesn’t have my stuff in it) to work; or strut over to Starbucks and down enough caffeine for the entire state of Virginia while pumping out the copy. In a sense, I’ve “ritualized” the entire process of writing including the tools I do it with. I’ve finished 3 major projects in the last 3 days that were dragging on for weeks. My productivity has soared. It’s great!

Like Michael, I've gotten more done in the last four days than in the previous two weeks. I'll have a review of the Plan Plus software up soon, but right now, I've got thirty minutes set aside to get some real work done.