The issues you don’t want to do…

The issue is waiting. For the person that will complete it. And this person is you. You know that priority is high. You know the issue must be solved. That is the required step that needs to be taken before you have a chance to proceed further with other things.
You try to convince yourself to start. And you’re failing. There’s so many other things that can be done. You let them keep you busy. To be your excuse.


You know the feeling? You know this passivity? Unfortunately I cannot help you with the feeling, but I’ve got a piece of advice that may help you to move on.
List all things that have to be done to complete the issue.
Sounds easy, doesn’t it? But I heard once that the simplest solution are often the best one.


It doesn’t matter whether this issue is hard or not. Is it complex? Boring? Or maybe not? Maybe it’s interesting? Well, there’s no rule. The only thing all these issues have in common is the fact that you just don’t have a motivation or willingness to do them, just like in case of the issue described in the first paragraph.
But the job needs to be done anyway.
You are looking at the task and somehow it looks pretty complicated and hard even when it is not. Yet, your imagination helps you see it in this way.
You know the sooner you will start, the better. It’s easier said than done. You see a hard issue in front of you. A hard issue means lot of work. That’s what demotivates even more.
What can you do?


I keep saying that it is good to start with something easy and this is exactly what you need to do now. Look at the issue that you need to complete. Take a piece of paper, draw a circle and write down the name of your task in the center:

Write down all actions required to complete it. Draw smaller circles and connect with the main one. Make those actions atomic (not possible to split further). You need to read an article? Put it on the list. You need to talk with someone and make a summary of your discussion? Another two actions. Don’t focus on order. This is not the right time for it:

If it turns out that one action can be split, don’t cross it out. Just add another one, smaller circles and connect them with circle that represents split action:

You’ve got all actions on the paper? Great, now’s the time to order them. Put a number next to each last (not split further) circle. If something can be done at the same time, put numbers in any order you want, but remember NOT to put the same number twice. Why? Because you cannot work on them simultaneously anyway.


All actions written down and ordered? Great. You are almost ready to go.
Before you will do it, I want to share with you two more things that may be helpful:

• I need to wait for a response, what’s now?
  If you can, take another action from your list. Not possible? Look at another one. And another one if you have to. And only if there will be no doable action, move to completely different issue. But you have to remember that you are waiting for an action. Don’t start to use it as an excuse! Try to negotiate a deadline. Remind about yourself when you are waiting too long. Be proactive.
  
  
• New actions discovered/added This is the place where you can clearly see how great it is to use circles and not an ordered list. A new action? Just draw more circles! Connect them and add an appropriate number. Or a letter, like in sub lists. The great advantage of such a visualization is that is open for extension without breaking anything (contrary to ordered lists; try to add something in the middle of a regular list).

You divided this complex and hard issue into smaller pieces. Smaller means easier. Easier means that requiring less effort to complete. And that means that is simpler to start. Making the first step doesn’t overwhelm you so much anymore.
Don’t wait any longer.

Divide and conquer!