Starve Procrastination with Salami-Slicing Tactic

“Procrastination is one of the most common and deadliest of diseases and its toll on success and happiness is heavy.”—Wayne Gretzky

Once, I had a personal project to accomplish within a relatively short period of time, brimming with gusto I made a public announcement to family and friends; I to them to hold me accountable for the self-chosen deadline.

However, after few weeks of animated work, my motion waned. I was suddenly inundated with distractions here and there. So I put off the task for while. Eventually, the initial deadline turned out to be a line in the sand—it was blown away; it was missed.

The above silly story illustrates what the psychologists call procrastination. And I want to guess that every one of my readers has experienced something like that, in at least a single area of their lives.  There is hardly any human alive who is completely free from the threat of procrastination; however, the trick of proactive doers is that they know how to starve it before it could get the best of them. And that’s what I want to share here today.

On my earlier narrative, as you would expect, the task became much more difficult than it actually was. And, that experience proves the words of Charles Kingsley, the English historian and novelist, perfectly. Charles said: “Every duty which is bidden to wait returns with seven fresh duties at its back.” 

Now, if procrastination is this degenerative, wouldn’t you agree that we should learn every tactic of execution in town to stifle this insidious enemy of productivity? I think you would.

 To do that, let’s take a look at a roll of Salami.

Salami Slicing

To tackle procrastination, I tried a method of work that is simple and effective at getting stuff done—whether big or small. It is called Salami slicing technique. 

If you are curious to know the meaning of Salami itself, it is an Italian sausage made of beef and the process of eating it involves slicing them into pieces, after which you take it, one slice at a time. Even a full order of Salami—just like a loaf of bread—will be consumed by us (I mean, me and you) in no time, if we take it, one slice at a time.

Actually, the term is a real concept in the art and study of execution; it is not something I coined by myself. I read it first in Brian Tracy’s book, “Eat That Frog.” In the book, he said that it is always easier to complete any huge task when you “Salami slice it,” and tackle it, one at a time.

Tracy explains:

“One technique that you can use to cut a big task down to size is the ‘salami slice’ method of getting work done; with this method, you lay out the task in detail and then resolve to do just one slice of the job for the time being.”

In the art of war, it is also a warfare strategy that uses a systematic process to divide an opposition into slices and then tackle the division, slice by slice. Before your opponent realizes what is happening, you have already gained the upper hand. You have won. 

Therefore, through this approach, you can conquer a gigantic task (or opposition) by slicing it into manageable pieces and taking it down, piece by piece until the monstrous challenge becomes a walk in the park. Trust me, this method works. 

Ostensibly, a huge task can be somewhat dreadful and that is invariably, one of the most common causes of procrastination. But the thing is when you fail to start your work on time because it is hard, does the delay make it any easier? Of course not, the wait does quite the opposite.  It only makes the task harder than it already is. And that is the last thing you want. On this, the French poet, Charles Baudelaire agrees. He said: “The task on which one dare not start… (soon) becomes a nightmare.”

Break It Down, Focus and Act

Salami slicing is very effective and it is one of the key tactics used by many highly successful people in the world. They do the tasks the rest of us habitually put off because they know how to get started, they know how to get going, and most importantly, they know how to get things done. And all through these stages of work, simplification through slicing is the trick. 

On this surprisingly powerful skill, the American novelist, Mark Twain had this modicum to add. He said:

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small, manageable tasks, and starting on the first one.”

From the foregoing, it is clear that to overcome the inertia which a complex task may bring, just slice the major job into smaller portions and tackle it all, one portion, at a time. 

Whether in school at work or even at home, always use this technique to break the crippling spell of procrastination and see yourself among the elites of super-productive people who can accomplish anything they set their minds to. Truly, if you can defeat delay, you can join the best global professionals in your field.

Norman Vincent Peale, the best-selling author of “The Power of Positive Thinking,” described those proactive doers as people, “who have broken the chains of procrastination, those who find satisfaction in doing the job at hand… (they are) full of eagerness, zest, (and) productivity.” And he enthusiastically concluded that, “You can be, too.”

Yes, we can also become proactive doers for life because we now know how to simplify, focus and act.

Instead of Engaging in Arguments, Respond with a Sublime Example

"It is impossible to defeat an ignorant man in argument."--William Gibbs McAdoo

There is one thing emotionally intelligent people really understand that a lot of people do not, and it is this: life is too short to engage in any form of fruitless arguments. If you think carefully about it, you will realize that most of our arguments fall into that category. And with this understanding, people with high emotional quotient conduct their affairs differently from the way many of us do. 

In order to encourage us to think and act like people with high EQ, I have decided to write this article to express a decent way to handle discussions including—or especially—the sensitive ones, both at home and in business. 

On that, I have consulted the work of Dale Carnegie, the author of, “How to Win Friends and Influence People." Evidently, Carnegie was one of the best masters on positively influencing people. In the book, he gives us many tips on how to relate and work well with others. Out of those priceless gems, I want to borrow just two rules for the purpose of this topic. 

And they are:

Rule One:  "The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it."

Rule Two:  “The best argument is that which seems merely an explanation.”

Now let’s examine them in broader details.

Rule One: Avoid Arguments

Make it a personal rule to never, ever argue with anyone. If you consider the fact that arguments are rarely fruitful, and sometimes they can degenerate into very costly distractions, this idea makes sense. With that in mind, I think, a more matured way to engage in conversations is to present your views; state what you know with sincerity for the purpose of true enlightenment. And if another person shows up with something better than what you stated; be humble, acknowledge the truth and salute the other person for his or her superior understanding. Don’t be the unreasonable one—never argue!

But if another person fiercely opposes you with a full load of baloney— and let’s be honest here, sometimes it is obvious what nonsense is, even to the stubborn “nonsense” peddler— remember rule one at once and merely smile and let things be. Just hope in your mind that he thinks again by himself to comprehend what he must have missed. You can’t force anyone to do this—it is an inside job.

Subdue your ego and never argue; know that you can’t win an argument with obstinate folks. You will only waste your time in unproductive discussions. This is why the British writer and Prime Minister, Benjamin Disraeli said, “Never argue. In society nothing must be; give only results. If any person differs from you, bow, and turn the conversation."

Rule Two: Be Constructive and Tactful

Joseph Grenny, the New York Times bestselling author of “Crucial Conversations” and the cofounder of VitalSmarts says that our ability to manage moments of conflict determines to a great extent, our maturity and the level of respect we can earn from other people. This is a big deal to truly successful individuals. Grenny says: 

“Conflict typically boils down to crucial conversations—moments when the stakes are high, emotions run strong and op­­­­­­­inions differ. And you cannot master crucial conversations without a high degree of emotional intelligence (EQ).”

And here is where the second rule of civility comes in. Even though, we have decided never to argue, yes. But in the real world, some situations will drag us right into the center of tension for a while, before we can consciously call ourselves back to order. Practically, those are the moments you need to apply rule two quite tactfully. 

You do that by simply presenting again and again, a constructive and humble explanation of your position to calm tension and let the other parties feel appeased. In that way, you can create serenity in the hall, and likely earn the respect of other people. On this, the wise Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers of United States said:

 “Those disputing, contradicting, and confuting people are generally unfortunate in their affairs. They get victory, sometimes, but they never get good will, which would be of more use to them.”

In Conclusion

When you apply these two rules of engagement with people in day-to-day living, you will literally take on a new identity. You will become someone who is always dealing with people by looking at things from their own points of view; someone who is always willing to keep quiet for the sake of decency, even when you know you are right. 

You will become someone who is always willing to let people win, even when they have irrationally played to lose; someone who understands well the advice of Marcus Aurelius, and uses it daily in all his or her relationships.  And the counsel of the last of the good Roman emperors was: "Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one."

Science of Habit is the Universal Magic Bullet

            “Nothing is stronger than habit.”—Ovid

After thorough studies, researchers at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, United States came to the conclusion that forty percent of human behaviour is a function of daily habit. Also, I once heard a peak performance expert claim that up to ninety percent of what we think and do is influenced by our habit. 

Whether one accepts these estimates or not, the importance of habit in human life cannot be ignored by anyone who really wants to be in positive control of his or her future. For the proactive, the author of the book, “Superhuman by Habit, Tynan, puts the following position forward, based on his own personal study of a number of high achievers in the world. He wrote:

“Exceptional people aren’t that way because of who they are but because of what they do. In every case, they have a set of habits that have led them right to the top of their fields.”

In the same vein, we can logically state that average people are equally placed in the realm of mediocrity because of a certain set of habits that they have. This frank realization spurred my curiosity and got me asking:  what are habits, how are they formed, and how can we take charge of them?  

To answer these questions, I will share with you the direct words of some great thinkers on the science of habit. And first, let’s see what the French philosopher, mathematician and physicist, Blaise Pascal had to say on the subject. He said:

“Habit is a second nature that destroys the first. 

But what is nature? 

Why is habit not natural?

I am very much afraid that nature itself is only a first habit just as habit is a second nature.”

Think for yourself on that profound insight by one of the greatest intellectuals of the Western history. Right now, what I need most from Pascal’s deep thought is the first sentence:

“Habit is the second nature that destroys the first.”

Here in lies the central theme of this article: science of habit is a tool that can be used to make up for what we lack in any form of competency that we seek. This is to say that whatsoever we are yet to accomplish or whatever challenges we may have right now; we can solve (or improve) them all with the inculcation and permanence of the right habits. 

Habit—a repeat performance— is a gift from our Creator to help us become whatsoever we earnestly desire to become. And it boils down to this: consistent implementation of the necessary actions and right behaviours with almost no cessation. I think this is what the majority of us find a little difficult to do. Don’t you think?

In the his book, “6 Months to 6 Figures,” the entrepreneur and author, Peter Voogd shared a powerful poem on the concept of habit, which I believe will benefit you greatly, if you understand and apply—religiously— the message it solemnly conveys.

The poem aptly expresses my thought that the knowledge and usage of habit is all we need to get to wherever we want to go, if we are serious enough move—no matter the roughness of the road and the length of the distance. 

Write down the poem and study it from time to time. Yes, the material is that powerful. 

I have personally entitled it as:  “What Habit Is and A Way to Profit from Its Use.”

Here it goes:

“I am your CONSTANT companion.

I am your greatest helper or your heaviest burden.

I will push you onward to success or drag you down to failure.

I am completely at your command.

Half of the things you do, you might as well turn them over to me. And I will be able to do them quickly and correctly.

I am easily managed but you must merely be firm with me.

Show me exactly how you want something done, and after a few lessons, I will do it automatically.

I am the servant of ALL great men and master of ALL failures.

Those who are great, I have made great.

Those who are failures, I have made failures.

I am not a machine, though I work with the precision of a machine, plus the intelligence of a man.

You may run me for profit or run me for ruin, it makes no difference to me.

TRAIN ME and be firm with me and I will put the world at your feet.

Be easy with me and I will destroy you. 

{Please read this very line aloud: Be easy with me and I will destroy you.}

Who am I?

I am a HABIT.”

Peter Voogd 

{Peter Voogd has been labeled the leading authority for millenials and entrepreneurs by Entreprenuers.com.}

If we implement the idea from that long poem, our lives will take a dramatic turn for good.  But if we neglect to use it, the study of habits also reveals that habit is a two-edge sword that can either work forcefully for us or ruthlessly against us. 

As the above poem shows, I want you to read {no! study} these lines again and again:

“You may run me for profit or run me for ruin, it makes no difference to me.”

Whichever you choose will determine whether I…

“I will push you onward to success or drag you down to failure.”

Why? Because I…

“I am your greatest helper or your heaviest burden.”

And I…

“I am your CONSTANT companion.” 

{You can never do away with me, as long as you are alive.}

Habit is neutral. It doesn’t care what we choose to use it for, but it acts strongly on our choice—whether conscious or unconscious. Therefore, we must consciously choose to use it for our own benefit and the good everyone around us. 

However, you should remember that a fine habit may be hard to build but it is always nice to live with, while a bad (ugly) habit may be easy to form but it is certainly not nice to live with. And this is where I shall stop my writing today; now, the rest is up to you.

Lastly, few words are enough for the wise: learn to live better.

Good luck!