"If you wait until the last minute, it only takes a minute to do,"observed Cyril Northcote Parkinson. We've all experienced Parkinson's Law. We struggle for a month to finish a project, then magically get it done in the final week. Or, the house is a mess for weeks, then spotless within a few hours of the in-laws showing up.
Related: How do I determine appropriate deadlines for my employees?
For athletes, it's called being "in the zone," where you're so focused that you're numbed out to any distractions. It's a state we can all tap into: writers, musicians, and entrepreneurs.
• I "won't power'' is resisting temptation, such as saying "no" to social media.
• I "will power'' is to choose an alternate behavior -- sending a social, but networking email.
A case-in-point is Nick Swinmurn's startup of Zappos. He validated his idea without blowing cash by first going to a shoe store, taking photos and posting them online. When sales came in, he went and bought the shoes. He didn't need to pivot, just perservere.