The “I’ll Get It Done in One Sitting” mindset is procrastination’s cousin

Trying to tackle certain projects in one single session can be as counterproductive as procrastinating.

Don't approach projects with an unrealistic completion timeframe in mind - Photo by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash

You have this great idea for a LinkedIn article. Although you haven’t written a piece ever since you graduated from college, you only block a couple of hours in your calendar to craft your masterpiece. After all, it’s “practically finished” in your mind’s eye. It’s just a matter of putting pen to paper, taking a couple of breaks, giving it one last good look, and hitting the “Publish” button. However, one hour into the task, there’s not one complete sentence on your screen and your frustration levels are through the roof. Finally, you storm out of the room and set out to do something more productive, like streaming a movie or gaming online. You’ve been the victim of the “I’ll Get Done in One Sitting” mindset or IGDOS, for short.

IGDOS is a wolf in sheep's clothing

Unlike procrastination, where you find yourself putting off things you want or need to do over and over, with IGDOS you get to start working on projects, but since you approach them with an unrealistic completion timeframe in mind, not only do you not get to finish them, but it will also be a while until you muster the strength to go back and finish what you started.

Fear of failing: the gift that keeps on giving

There are a couple of reasons behind the resistance to retaking any IGDOS-related unfinished project. One, your brain already ticked the box right next to “Write a LinkedIn article”, so why bother revisiting that. Two, the fear of failing once again at tackling the project holds you down.

Assume makes an a...well, you know the rest

You’ve got to understand that if you didn’t do well the first time, it was simply because you were ill-prepared. You didn’t do your homework! You assumed it would be a piece of cake despite the fact that you were out of practice or simply had no previous experience with whatever task you were trying to accomplish. I dare say that for round #2, it’s crucial you do some reading and watch how-to videos about the particular subject challenging you. Once you have an idea of what you’re up against, break your project into bite-sized chunks. That article that you wanted to write in 2 hours, schedule a week for it: 30 minutes a day for 5 days. Use day 6 for getting honest feedback from family and friends. Day 7 is all about final revisions and sending your “offspring” into the real world. Good luck! ☼

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Alex Guerrero is a content creator who lives in Lawrence, KS. He’s very vocal in his displeasure over pineapple pizza. Chocolate, on the other hand, makes everything better!