I think in this example those prep work items _are_ doing the thing.
But then telling people about a new product could also be doing the thing.
There’s definitely something to be said for defining what the thing really is being an important part of doing it, but that can also spiral out of control into not doing the thing.
I think thingness is more of a variable property of the current thing you are doing. Than a binary is or isn’t the thing.
All we can really do is regularly check how much the thingness of the current thing is aligned with the main thing’s thingness.
I'd say for the purposes of this article anything that is required in order to have done the thing is "doing the thing".
If you need to read something to get the thing done you are doing the thing. If you already know everything to get started but still read another article you are procrastinating. If you need to sand this part to do a good job painting it, then you are doing the thing. If you just continue sanding with no benefit you are no longer doing the thing, you are now just delaying the next step
Additionally, a lot of people will describe doing completely unrelated things as "(mentally) preparing to do the thing."
I catch myself doing this. I will put off writing a job requisition by spending time on code. I will tell myself, "ugh, I'm just not in the right mental state to write a job req right now. Let me focus on some code until I'm ready." Which never works. I end up getting into a code flow state and that's all I work on for the rest of the day, or until I get interrupted by a meeting.
And then I get back from the meeting and say, "I got interrupted, I should just finish what I started and then I'll write the job reqs." And that never happens. I always pick up yet another coding task instead.
The only way I am ever able to get through admin paperwork is to just admit to myself I hate it but it has to get done, it has to get done right now, no amount of procrastiworking is going to make me stop hating it, so I should just get it over with so it's not sitting like a lead weight in the back of my head. And then when 5pm rolls around, I won't hate myself for letting yet another day go by without having the job reqs written.
Things I do to deal with the mental state procrastination lie:
- Start things. If after actually trying the thing I am truly not in a conducive mental state for the activity I can quit. Mostly evidence for this bad mental state is repeated mistakes at things I can already do. I think starting also weakens procrastination habits because you know you’re going to experience the thing you’re avoiding anyway even if you end up quitting part way through.
- Focus on whether it is a bad mental state for the activity rather than “the right” mental state for the activity. Most mental states will be good enough for most tasks. You don’t need code flow to code, even if you want it and it helps. You just need to not be in a state where you can’t figure things out or you keep introducing bugs.
- Completely reject my feelings about doing the task. If you’re in those feelings the task is a lot harder and the procrastination lies a lot easier to believe. It doesn’t matter in the short term how you feel about tasks you have to do.
- Constantly question the veracity of procrastinations lies. “Is this true?” “If it is true what can I do about it right now?”
- Reward myself after completing the task if I don’t get any kind of internal satisfaction naturally.
But then telling people about a new product could also be doing the thing.
There’s definitely something to be said for defining what the thing really is being an important part of doing it, but that can also spiral out of control into not doing the thing.
I think thingness is more of a variable property of the current thing you are doing. Than a binary is or isn’t the thing.
All we can really do is regularly check how much the thingness of the current thing is aligned with the main thing’s thingness.