Too Much

I'm realizing (again) that a significant cause of procrastination, for me, is a fear that if I begin a project it will take too much time; that there is no outside constraint forcing my efforts to be reasonable.  Since  the stopping point will be arbitrary anyway, why not stop before I begin?

This is why I like running on a treadmill; I can program in the end time in advance so that I will not be discouraged by the infinite time and speed possibilities.  (There's a certain irony here, as there is no serious danger that I will enjoy running so much that I actually lose track of time, but still, that's how it works for me.). As I get stronger and faster, I may be able to take it outside and pursue loops of known distance.  20 minutes at 5.8 mph seems OK for me at the moment, though I'm not sure I'd maintain that pace without the inexorability of a treadmill.

But this brings me back to my other areas of procrastination. I will try setting a timer (much like Jane Espenson's writing sprints), for a period of time that I know I can fully handle - 20 minutes.  Not very ambitious, but it will mean  making 20 more minutes of progress than I'm currently making. And that is good indeed.