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Coaching perso – 5 techniques de Fabien Olicard pour bien démarrer une tâche et éviter la procrastination et être réellement productif

Everyone procrastinates. We know we should start… but we always put it off. Fabien Olicard, mentalist and science communicator, offers five simple methods to overcome the initial hurdle and get started.

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1. The ugly sentence technique

«"The brain doesn't like a vacuum, but it loves to correct it."»
The principle is simple: start by writing or creating something intentionally imperfect.
Example: if you have to write, start with an awkward or incomplete sentence. The brain hates leaving things unfinished and will naturally try to improve this first draft.

Result: you break the inertia and take action.

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2. The anchoring ritual

Creating a repeated ritual sends a clear signal to your brain: it's time to focus.

Some examples of anchoring:

• Specific music reserved for work
• A particular fragrance or scent
• A gesture or a small physical warm-up
• A short breathing exercise or preparatory meditation

Key to success: repeat the same ritual each time. Little by little, your brain will associate this gesture or signal with getting to work.

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3. Zeigarnink Effect: The 2-Minute Rule

When faced with a task that is too large, reduce it to an action of less than two minutes:

• Open your document
• Note down a single idea
• Store a single item

Une fois démarrée, la tâche devient plus facile à poursuivre. Se laisser le droit d’arrêter après 120 secondes. Si on veut stopper une pensée persistante il aut finir la tâche.

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4. Limited choice

Reducing your options makes the decision simpler.
Instead of telling yourself, "I have to move forward with my projects," give yourself just two or three clear alternatives:

• Reply to three emails
• Write a paragraph
• Do ten minutes of research

Your brain makes decisions faster and you take action.

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5. Règle des 3 priorités absolues pour la journée ne pas toucher les autres…

La productivité n’est pas faire plus mais moins tellement mieux

6. Bonus: the inverted mirror

Don't criticize yourself, but congratulate yourself, be kind to yourself.

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Conclusion

Procrastination isn't overcome by willpower alone. These five techniques help bypass mental blocks by transforming intention into action.

• Start with an ugly sentence
• Establish a grounding ritual
• Break the task down into two-minute steps
• Narrow your choices
• Organize your priorities, eliminate the superfluous, categorize strategically.

These are small, concrete levers, but very effective for regaining control of your time and moving forward with your projects.