Are you being properly annoyed?
Oh, you may be annoyed right now. You may be annoyed at plenty of things. If you're not annoyed, I can point out many reasons to be (hint: start watching the news).
I'm talking proper annoyment. I'm talking to annoyment that you may need to get you moving. I'm talking that subtle, effective discomfort that gets you off your backside and working on your life and career and all that matters.
If you don't have that proper annoyance, maybe it's time to make sure you have a Designated Annoying Friend.
We need those Designated Annoying Friends (DAF), the people that prod us and push us and remind us of the important things. The ones that tell us things we don't need to hear, the ones that chide us about things we've forgotten, the human time bombs of irritation that irritate us because they're right. Those are the DAF's we need.
Why do we need them? Simple, sometimes we need someone to push our buttons and get us back to work. So since you need one, why not designate one? Why not ask someone to be your DAF?
A few suggestions:
- Ask someone you respect. Respect adds an extra edge in getting you back to work.
- Don't ask someone who you feel is superior to you. You might listen to them because they're "above" you and that lacks the same motivational factor as being annoyed into following your own drive.
- Do tell them why you need help. Let them in on it.
- Don't brush them off or get angry at them unless they really overdo it – you asked for it.
- Do be willing to be their DAF as well. Teamwork!
- Don't be afraid to tell them to stop – but only after you really let them push you.
Next time you're not getting things done? Maybe it's time to find someone to be your Designated Annoying Friend. It might be what you need.