Why did this man work for 36 hours straight?
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Why did this man work for 36 hours straight?

Taking the extreme approach to preventing procrastination.

Richard Eastes starts his day like many people. With a glance out the window, the Brisbane businessman sits down to write his "to do" list for the day ahead.

The only difference is that if he doesn't complete the list by the end of the working day, he doesn't knock off. While 12-hour days are common, on two occasions, he's kept at it for a gruelling 36 hours straight, stopping only for meal and bathroom breaks.

Richard Eastes has a novel way of beating procrastination.

Richard Eastes has a novel way of beating procrastination.

The founder of car-rental price comparison website vroomvroomvroom.com.au read several self-help and business books, but couldn't find any advice to help him overcome his professional lethargy. So he began thinking about his own personal rules that would help him stay focused and grow his business idea. He began writing a daily "to do" list six years ago.

The rule that governs the list is simple. Don't stop until it's done.

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"I don't let myself go to sleep until that list is complete," he says.

"On two occasions, this has meant working 36 hours straight. That means 9am until 9pm the following day. The rule is that before I permit a break for anything, I must complete one item on the list."

But he swears he's not a hard worker. A few years ago he was the complete opposite, in fact.

"I'm a really lazy person. I sleep in. I like to relax. I take the easy option. Following this path of least resistance is not healthy for a work-at-home businessman. I used to suffer from this laziness until I realised the best gift I could ever give myself would be discipline."

Eastes admits he was always a procrastinator.

"I'd leave uni assignments until the last minute. So I began trying to figure out how to become more motivated and disciplined, and sticking to a list has proven to be the best way for me to build my business. I know now that the best gift you can give yourself is to actually do something when you promise yourself that you will."

Working for such a long stretch without sleep wasn't achieved with stimulants. He doesn't drink coffee. And there were no big rewards at the end of the work, other than a long sleep.

"I just wanted to find the motivation I needed, and the lists keeps me motivated," he says.

The rule that governs the list is simple. Don't stop until it's done.

"Laziness was a burden in the business world, and I knew I had to turn that around. I got to the point where I knew I had a great business idea, but I was struggling with motivation. I didn't want to get down the track in life and wish I'd spent my time on something really important. But I'll admit that learning the practice of discipline was very hard for me."

Once he started sticking to his own rules and completing his daily "to do" list, he began to see some real runs on the board with his business, and enjoyment followed.

Suddenly, working for long stints became far easier because he was focused and enjoyed the results.

Privately owned business vroomvroomvroom.com.au has grown, thanks to his hard work, with 40 staff around the world and offices in Brisbane, Las Vegas and Britain. The site makes around 1000 sales a day and is free for customers.

But Eastes warned that there are downsides of working long hours. He recalled driving home from the office after a massive day at the office to keep working at home and having a microsleep behind the wheel of his car.

"I was in the wrong lane and was woken up by someone beeping me. It was a real shock, and taught me a hard lesson.

"That was really inconsiderate of me to be driving in that state. I wouldn't do it again," Eastes says.

Aside from making and completing your "to do" list, he recommends taking as many risks as possible in business, as long as the risks don't bring harsh penalties if things don't turn out as you planned.

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