Keep it Simple

Humans, it seems, have a talent for procrastination. We need just the right Tarot deck, we tell ourselves, before we can start exploring Tarot as a brainstorming tool. And we can't start our session until just the right music is playing. And we have to strike just the right posture ... and at least an hour of free time to invest in attacking our latest creative block.

Is your own inner procrastinator sabotaging your success by creating roadblocks like these? Break free of perfectionism and take action! You don't need an hour, six Tarot decks, and a 100-card spread ... you can make surprising progress in minutes! Here's how.

1) Do a little bit now. We tend to take an "all or nothing" approach to tasks -- we envision ourselves working on them from start to finish. As a result, we over-estimate the time needed to make a little progress ... and we put of starting once again.

While you might need an hour of free time, thirty minutes (sometimes, less) is all you really need to make a dent in a project. Rather than spin around in your chair in frustration at all the work you have to do, make up your mind that, for the next thirty minutes, you're going to focus on one project.

No phone calls. No email. No conversations with folks in the next cube. Just thirty minutes, your task, and you.

You'll be amazed at the progress you'll make. In fact, I've managed to drop my "minimum effort time" down to fifteen minutes -- often getting done in a quarter-hour more than I dreamed I could do in two hours or more.

This small miracle of productivity soon becomes a matter of habit ... and gets you past the biggest challenge to any creative endeavor: just getting started.

2) Revel in Ritual. Rituals -- repetitive tasks performed to put you in a specific state of mind -- don't have to be complex. My favorite ritual? Shuffling a deck of Tarot cards. I associate the shuffle with the creative work to come ... and in seconds, I'm alert and ready to get started.

Your "down to work" ritual doesn't have to be complex. It doesn't have to involve candles or chanting or wearing a long, flowing robe. You don't have to intone the names of the muses.

All you really have to do is pick a physical and verbal cue that tells your mind and body: "Time to work." I shuffle cards ... but you might:

- pause thirty seconds to close your eyes and clear your mind, thinking, "I'm starting now."

- pick a Tarot card you associate with getting work done (the Eight of Coins comes to mind). When it's time to start a project, pull that card, gaze at the illustration for thirty seconds, and tell yourself, "For the next thirty minutes, this is me." Experience the satisfaction and good energy you'll feel as you achieve your goal for the day. Then ... go for it!

- select a song ("Taking Care of Business"?) or a scent (I like citrus) and sample it just before starting a work session. With time, you'll associate this stimulus with a working state of mind.

3) Draw a card! Stuck? Can't get your motor started? Draw a single Tarot card and invest three minutes making a list of how the characters on that card would take on your current task.

Let's say you've been putting off updating that dusty website of yours. You draw a single card: in this case, the Justice card.

How might Justice encourage you to take on this task and get it started? For starters, the card might remind you that balance is the key to a satisfying life: by working now, you'll enjoy this evening's play time all the more. You might also see the blindfold Justice wears, and be reminded to remove all distractions (cell phone, pager, email applications) from your workspace so you can focus and move forward.

Curb the urge to construct a fancy spread: when getting down to business is the order of the day, a single card can go a long way.

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Could you be reading this article as a way of procrastination even now? Don't give in to your inner procrastinator! Set your timer for fifteen minutes ... and get more done than you ever imagined ... just by getting started.

Comments

[Reiko Schallenberger]

I read the above article and felt releaved because every time I tried to pull a card I felt almost obliged to do a kind of ritual and it often irritated me. I ordered your book 'Putting the Tarot to work'at Llowellyn (through which I found your site)and can't wait until it's delivered. I think I'm a spiritual person but so many Tarot book authors write about rituals and atmosphere in the way that is beyond my level of spiritualism. Often times I thought to myself that I wouldn't like to go that far out of IT! I was really happy to find your article about how to deal with tarot cards that is a very clear cut and practical way of cooping with the cards. From now on I don't need to feel so ristricted by those mental and spiritual perfomances before I pull a card or three a day. I used to say "My tarot cards, I love you and I trust you. Please let me know concerning..." instead of lighting candles and pray rituals. Well, I much prefer your way..."I'm starting now" or "I'm ready now". Thank you! Reiko