Procrastination is something that we always have to face when facing a task that we do not feel like doing. Since the human being exists, he has delayed or avoided tasks that he had to do.
During our most productive moments, when we don't procrastinate, we feel satisfied and accomplished. Today we're going to talk about how to make those moments of productivity a part of our routine.
The purpose of this guide is to find out what causes procrastination, share proven tips that can be used to overcome procrastination, and cover helpful strategies that will make it easier to take action.
You can click on the links below to jump to a particular section or just scroll down to read everything.
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Let's start by understanding the fundamentals that we are going to cover in this article.
I. The science behind procrastination
What is procrastination?
Humans have been procrastinating for centuries. The problem is so timeless, in fact, that ancient Greek philosophers like Socrates and Aristotle developed a word to describe this type of behavior: akrasia.
akrasia It is the state of acting against your better judgment. It is when you do one thing even though you know you must do something else. Loosely translated, you could say that akrasia is procrastination or lack of self-control.
Here's a modern definition:
Procrastination is the act of delaying or postponing a task or set of tasks. Therefore, if you refer to it as procrastination or akrasia or something else, it is the force that prevents you from going ahead with what you set out to do.
Before we get into any of this in depth, let's pause for a second.
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Why do we postpone tasks?
Why do we procrastinate? What is going on in the brain that makes us avoid the things we know we should do?
This is a good time to bring a little science. Research in behavioral psychology has revealed a phenomenon called «temporal inconsistency«, which helps explain why procrastination destroys our good intentions. Time inconsistency refers to the human brain's tendency to seek immediate rewards at the expense of future rewards.
The best way to understand this is by imagining that you have two 'I's: your current self and your future self. By setting goals for yourself, such as losing weight, writing a book, or learning a language, you are actually making plans for your future self. You are imagining how you want your life to be in the future. Researchers have found that when you think about your future self, it's pretty easy for your brain to see the value in taking actions with long-term benefits. The Future Self values long-term rewards.
TED conference in which the battle between the two 'I's is explained.
However, While the future self can set goals, only the present self can take action. When it comes time to make a decision, you will be in the present moment, and your brain is thinking about the current you. Researchers have found that the current me is very fond of immediate satisfaction, not long-term reward.
Therefore, the Present Self and the Future Self often contradict each other. The me of the future wants to be in shape, but the current me wants a donut.
Similarly, many young people know that saving for retirement in their 20s and 30s is crucial, but it is much easier for the current me to buy a new pair of shoes than it is to save for retirement.
Long-term consequences and rewards cannot be relied upon to motivate the current self. Instead, you have to find a way to move future rewards and punishments into the present moment. You have to make future consequences become present consequences.
II. How to stop procrastinating
There are a variety of strategies we can employ to stop procrastinating. Next, I am going to outline and explain each concept.
Option 1: Make the rewards for taking action more immediate
If a way can be found to make the benefits of long-term options more immediate, then it becomes easier to avoid procrastination. One of the best ways to bring future rewards to the present moment is with a strategy known as "Grouping of temptation".
The grouping of temptation is a concept that emerged from research conducted by behavioral economics Katy milkman at the University of Pennsylvania.
The basic format is: Just do [thing you love] while doing [THING you are procrastinating].
Here are some Common examples of grouping temptation:
- Escuchar audiobooks or podcasts that you like while you exercise.
- Watch your favorite show while you iron or do housework.
- Eat at your favorite restaurant while having your monthly meeting with a difficult colleague.
Option 2: Make the consequences of procrastination more immediate
There are many ways to force procrastination costs to be paid sooner rather than later. For example, if you stop exercising, your health doesn't deteriorate right away. The cost of procrastinating only becomes painful after weeks and months of this lazy behavior. However, if you commit to training with a friend at 7am next Monday, then the cost of skipping your training becomes more immediate. Missing this workout will make you feel like an idiot.
Alternatively bet with a family member that you will go to train 3 days a week. If you do not comply you will have to give him 30 euros.
Option 3: Design your future actions
One of the favorite tools of psychologists to overcome procrastination is called "Commitment mechanism". Compromise mechanisms can help you stop procrastinating by designing your future actions.
For example, eating habits can be controlled by purchasing foods in individual packages rather than buying them in a larger size. You can stop wasting time on the phone by removing the social media apps.
You can build an emergency savings fund by creating an automatic transfer.to your savings account every month.
These are examples of engagement mechanisms that help reduce the chances of procrastination.
Option 4: make the task more achievable
The friction caused by procrastination is generally centered around initiating a behavior. Once you start, it is less painful to keep working on it. This is a good reason to downsize your habits because if your habits are small and easy to get started, then you will be less likely to procrastinate.
For example, let's see the remarkable productivity of the famous writer Anthony Trollope. He published 47 novels, 18 non-fiction works, 12 short stories, 2 plays, and a large assortment of articles and letters. As it did? Rather than measuring his progress based on completing chapters or books, Trollope measured his progress in 15-minute increments. He set a goal of 250 words every 15 minutes and continued this pattern for three hours each day. This approach allowed him to enjoy the feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment every 15 minutes while still working on the big task of writing a book.
Another of my favorite ways to initiate a certain behavior is to use The 2 Minute Rule, what does it say: "When starting a new habit, it should take less than two minutes to do it". The idea is to make it as easy as possible to get started, and then you can expand on the habit a lot more. Once you start doing something, it is easier to keep doing it. The 2-Minute Rule overcomes procrastination and laziness. This makes it easier to start taking measurements.
III. Be consistent: How to kick the procrastination habit?
Alright, we've covered a variety of strategies to beat procrastination in our day-to-day lives. Now, let's look at some ways to make productivity a long-term habit and prevent procrastination from reappearing in our lives.
The Lee Ivy Method
One of the reasons it's so easy to procrastinate again after a while is because We do not have a clear system to decide what is important and what we should work on first.
One of the best productivity systems I have come across is also one of the simplest. Is named "The Lee Ivy Method" and it has five steps:
- At the end of each workday, write down the six most important things you need to have a productive morning. Do not write more than six tasks.
- Prioritize those six tasks.
- When morning comes, focus only on the first task.
- Complete the list in the same way. At the end of the day, make a new list of six tasks for the next day.
- Repeat this process every business day.
Here's what makes it so effective:
It's simple enough to get to work. The main criticism of methods like this is that they are too basic. They do not take into account all the complexities and nuances of life. What if an emergency arises? Yes, emergencies and unexpected distractions will arise. Ignore them, get back on your priority list of tasks as soon as possible. Use simple rules to guide complex behavior.
It forces you to make tough decisions. I don't think there is anything magical about determining exactly six important tasks. It could be just five tasks a day. However, I believe that there is something magical about imposing limits on yourself. It seems to me that the best thing to do when you have too many ideas (or when you are overwhelmed by everything to do) is to prune your ideas and cut out anything that is not absolutely necessary. Restrictions can make you better. Lee's Method is similar to Warren Buffett Rule 25-5 , which forces you to focus on just five critical tasks and ignore everything else.
Starting friction is eliminated. The biggest hurdle to most tasks is getting started. (Getting off the couch can be difficult, but once you really start running it's much easier to finish your workout.)
It requires concentrating on a single task. Modern society loves multitasking. The myth of multitasking is that being busy is synonymous with being better. Exactly the opposite of the truth. Having fewer priorities leads to a better job. Look at any specialist in any subject (athletes, artists, scientists, teachers), and you will discover a common characteristic in all of them: focus. The reason is simple. You cannot be great at a task if you are constantly dividing your time in ten different ways. Mastery requires concentration and consistency.
Regardless of which method you use, the bottom line is as follows: do the most important things first every day And let the momentum of the first task carry you to the next.
I hope you found this short guide to procrastination helpful.