If I can be blunt, the way most people try and beat procrastination is stupid. Why? It just doesn't work.
One of my favourite Charlie Munger quotes goes like this:
"It is remarkable how much long-term advantage people like us have gotten by trying to be consistently not stupid, instead of trying to be very intelligent."
So in this email I'm won't tell you how to be very intelligent, but I will tell you how to stop being consistently stupid (when it comes to procrastination and productivity).
There are 5 procrastination sins that everyone thinks are great, but are actually sabotaging your productivity.
1. Time-Management
When most people (including major universities [1] [2]) think of procrastination, time-management pops into their head. Time-blocking, to-do lists, pomodoro technique. But time-management has one major flaw: it deals with the logical part of the brain (prefrontal cortex), which has almost zero power of behaviour change. As your life experience can prove to you, it's not enough to merely know what you need to be doing. Using time-management to beat procrastination is like telling an alcoholic that he should stop drinking. I'm not saying time-management is bad, it is just not an effective antidote to procrastination.
2. Motivation
Many people think the solution to procrastination is motivation. They watch motivational videos, read affirmations and jump up and down. But motivation has one large flaw: you can't directly control it. You can't simple 'choose' to be motivated always. As a result, motivation comes and goes. It is inconsistent. So if you base your productivity on something inconsistent, it too will be inconsistent. You will go through super productive periods, followed by super unproductive periods. You will feel like you're on a rollercoaster and you have no control over your future. Therefore, motivation is not a long-term solution to procrastination.
3. Willpower
Many people think the solution to procrastination is willpower or discipline. They think the reason they're not consistently productive is because they're too 'weak'. But willpower/discipline has two large flaws: it is finite, and an attempt to force yourself to do something you fundamentally don't wish to do. First, we all know that if a dieter has cookies in the cupboard, it's only a matter of time before he caves and munches the whole box. Second, it is impossible to consistently act against what we want to do - we get tired, grump, frustrated, and end up watching YouTube to distract ourselves from these emotions. Therefore, willpower can not be the solution to procrastination.
4. Habits
Recently, there's been a craze around habits. "If I force myself to do this for 67 days, eventually it will become ingrained and effortless". But ask yourself this: why does the habit of masturbating come effortlessly, but the habit of meditation consistently fails no matter how many times you try? Simple: you are naturally compelled to do one, and you aren't naturally compelled to do the other. No matter how many times you force yourself to do something you aren't compelled to do, it will not form a habit. Imagine trying to create the habit of banging your head against a wall. No trigger, reward or habit tracker will make that a consistent habit. Therefore, habits are not the vehicle to beating procrastination.
5. Techniques
Many people think the solution to procrastination is a technique, tip, trick or hack. The 5 second rule, the pomodoro technique, chunking. But behaviour change can't be boiled down to a 'how', if it could then everyone who read Tiger Wood's "How I Play Golf" would be a pro golfer. And everyone who watched productivity technique YouTube videos would be Elon Musk. When we're dealing with the complex, nuanced elixirs of human nature, 'how tos' just don't work (no matter how much you wish they do). Just look at your own life experience to prove this. Therefore, techniques simply can not unlock consistent productivity.
When I see how most people try and beat procrastination I am reminded of Einstein's quote "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." If you tried and failed to beat procrastination/start a habit/stop watching YouTube after 5 days, why do you go straight back to trying the exact same thing again? If you do the same thing, you will get the same results.
If you want different results, you have to start doing different things.
- Andrew
PS: All the above realisations came as we were building out the Beta Version of V3.0 of the Procrastination Program.
The first couple years of the Procrastination Program was spent hacking through a jungle of BS, figuring out what doesn't work.
And once that's gone, the solution to procrastination becomes fairly simple. Not easy, but simple.
So if you're ready to accept that what you've been doing isn't working, then you can apply to join the Procrastination Program by booking an end-procrastination consultation call using this link.
We cancel 76% of applications, so please answer questions in sufficient detail.
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