Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Do not do this daily! This is like a once-a-year thing. Why's that? (I'm intrigued by this idea.)
I mean, first off, do whatever you want. I'm not a cop. I found I could make myself do things I had a lot of resistance to with this technique. It wouldn't necessarily be great , but it would get done. One could call this activity... eating frogs. I'll defer to the article on the issues with that in general. The problem with this technique is that it's so strong (god it sounds like I'm selling the thing) that you don…
Method 1. Incrementing time boxes (the first step is similar to yours actually). Set a timer for 1 minute and do it for one minute. Then 2 minutes, then 3, and so on. (At some point you'll be working on it and forget about the timer, and that's ok.) (Credit to Mark Forster[1] and/or Khatzumoto[2] for that idea.
[1] I believe it's in his "Get Everything Done" book as mentioned here http://markforster.squarespace.com/forum/post/2713432
[2] http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/timeboxing-trilogy...
Method 2. Start with a blank piece of paper (or text file). Write down the goal. In outline form, indent and write the first thing needed to do that. If needed, indent again and write down the first thing to do that, and so on, until you have something to start on. Note that I'm not talking about outlining and planning the project, just the first step (of the first step, ...). A great benefit is it helps you focus on deciding where to start, breaks it down to something small enough to start on, and it keeps track of where you are in the process, what you're trying to do. I guess it helps with working memory (which helps with executive function). Proceed to work on the project indenting and un-indenting as needed (i.e. adding sub-item 2 after sub-item 1 is complete)
I'll mention a related idea (it's essentially the same thing) because I had forgotten something I posted on reddit and someone just replied to me 7 years later saying it helped them "tremendously". To rephrase it, (I assumed) when you think about working on something, and then feel anxious, and then do something else (procrastinate) it provides relief and reinforces procrastination (same with how phobias work). So I mention doing a really small part of it instead like work for X minutes or X item(s), but when the thought of stopping comes to mind, then stop. That way you don't associate starting with forcing yourself. But then keep starting again with small pieces.
Your idea about doing nothing for 1 minute reminds me of a time when I had to break myself from switching to working on something else, and I would just set a timer (3 minutes though, and you could stop waiting if you wanted to work on the thing you actually wanted to work on before that) and literally lay down with nothing to do and then go back to what I was doing. Basically I was either doing the project, or doing nothing, but not switching to something else unproductive.