Avoiding Important Phone Calls

The Problem

You need to call a client, a doctor, or a difficult relative, but you keep putting it off. Each day the call looms larger in your mind, and the imagined awkwardness grows worse than the actual conversation ever would be.

Strategies to Overcome It

• 1Use the "two-minute rule" — most calls take far less time than the dread.
• 2Write a short script or bullet points so you are not improvising under pressure.
• 3Schedule the call at a specific time and treat it like an appointment.
• 4Do it first thing in the morning so it cannot shadow your whole day.
• 5Reward yourself immediately after with something small you enjoy.