{"id":4372,"date":"2020-10-10T14:40:38","date_gmt":"2020-10-10T14:40:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bloomsoup.com\/?p=4372"},"modified":"2021-09-19T15:32:47","modified_gmt":"2021-09-19T15:32:47","slug":"say-no-to-procrastination","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bloomsoup.com\/say-no-to-procrastination\/","title":{"rendered":"Say No to Procrastination!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Say no to procrastination! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I hereby issue a call to arms&#8230; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To defeat this silent but deadly dream killer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We know well what it is, but many of us seem completely powerless to prevent it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Why is that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Laziness, stress and sub-standard work<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Growing up, I was a master procrastinator, deferring what could easily have been done on the day to an unspecified future date. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In reality, it was normally on the train ride to school pre-deadline. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many a rushed essay amendment and exam revision occurred in that locomotive; mad, panicked scrambles to complete work I&#8217;d had plenty of time to prepare. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Likewise, late-night printing sessions are potent memories, where I (and my mother) was one paper jam away from ruin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On reflection, these almost seem like nostalgic moments, a procrastinator&#8217;s right of passage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But in the reality, I know they involved extreme stress and likely sub-standard work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even now, years later I feel the same familiar tug to delay what I could do today until tomorrow, and despite my best intentions, including writing articles on the topic, I sometimes succumb to the siren call of laziness and sloth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why do I procrastinate?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>So what are the <a href=\"https:\/\/bloomsoup.com\/causes-of-procrastination\/\">causes of procrastination<\/a>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Well, the phenomenon is deeply entwined in our relationship to time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Those biased towards comfort in the present may well delay the immediate pain of <a href=\"https:\/\/bloomsoup.com\/taking-action\/\">taking action<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In <a href=\"https:\/\/tynan.com\/scale\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">this article<\/a>, Tynan talks about time horizons and an old girlfriend who hoarded her money, subconsciously optimising her life for a day which would never come. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is much like the procrastinator, who would likely push back their <a href=\"https:\/\/bloomsoup.com\/responsibility\/\">responsibilities<\/a> into eternity if it weren&#8217;t for externally imposed deadlines demanding attention. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This altered relationship to time has far-reaching effects, influencing our ability to action habits which yield a happy and fulfilling life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Doing something right now is uncomfortable, after all. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Take exercise, for example. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We all know that a daily workout would improve our physical health and overall enjoyment of life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But the benefits can only be experienced after months of <a href=\"https:\/\/bloomsoup.com\/daily-discipline-checklist\/\">daily discipline<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And we&#8217;re generally only willing to endure such discomfort if the benefits meet certain criteria. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this way, the reward system itself dictates our willingness to take advanced action. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are three main influencing factors:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>The duration we must wait for the reward &#8211; the further in the future, the less tangible the benefits, increasing the likelihood of inaction<\/li><li>The certainty of the reward &#8211; a reward devoid of a guarantee loses significant present-moment <a href=\"https:\/\/bloomsoup.com\/self-motivation-techniques\/\">motivation<\/a><\/li><li>The clarity of the reward &#8211; we like well-defined, easily visualised benefits<\/li><li>An uninspiring reward &#8211; if the eventual outcome doesn&#8217;t elicit desire, our ability to endure discomfort today is largely diminished<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If the benefits for starting sooner don&#8217;t satisfy the conditions above, we require more activation energy to conquer our natural prediliction for procrastination. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And so what happens? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We pick the path of least resistance and choose a reward within easy reach. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In other words, procrastinating on our new exercise routine to stay in a warm in bed for another hour. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This phenomenon has become so prevalent that we label it instant gratification. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a world made ever-more comfortable by design, where we can sit in our pants and order our wildest desires for next-day delivery, it&#8217;s becoming increasingly difficult to prevent procrastination and counter the urge for instant satisfaction. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So how do we do it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-4bace21e gb-headline-text\">How to say no to procrastination<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If we&#8217;re largely influenced by impending rewards, there are a couple of potential enhancements to reduce procrastination and although it&#8217;s not my favourite, the first is to simply reverse engineer its triggers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>An uninspiring reward? For me, this might be doing my taxes &#8211; no real reward there. To fight off procrastination, I must imagine my inevitable relief after completing the task for another year.<\/li><li>Adding clarity to the reward &#8211; where an outcome is uncertain, you must uncover a new approach. Take my writing, for example. I have no idea how many people will encounter this article on our infinite digital ocean. However, supposing that even one person somehow stumbles across these pixels and finds them helpful, I add fuel to the fire<\/li><li>The clarity of the reward &#8211; making your reward feel more concrete is key. Postulating over the potential benefits of taking action, whether through visualisation or journaling, will infuse your current actions with inspiration.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>As I said above, utilising reward-based mind-trickery is just one weapon in your arsenal to say no to procrastination, but it&#8217;s not my preferred means of attack. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The trick to taking concerted, sustainable action lies in shifting our experience of rewards from the result to process, allowing us not only endure discomfort, but actually enjoy it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Like most things in life, it means developing the kind of autotelic personality where you set aside outcomes entirely and rather do things for their own sake. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you really want to say no to procrastination, this is an essential mindset shift. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s a simple concept to understand, but not easy to embody, requiring a level of attentiveness and presence which can only be developed through practice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ultimately, if you can find joy in the most mundane activities, from washing the dishes to paying the bills, there&#8217;s no longer any reason to procrastinate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Summary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The core revelation here is that all activities, at their essence, are created equal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s only our mind-made aspersions which classify some as hard and others as boring, tainting our relationship to whatever we seek to accomplish in the present. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By paying close enough <a href=\"https:\/\/bloomsoup.com\/focused-attention\/\">attention<\/a> to our reactions, we can see these illusions for what they are and instead, explore the activity with a renewed sense of curiosity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not only does this fundamental shift in approach allow us to say no to procrastination, but also redefines our entire relationship with this little jig called life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Say no to procrastination!<\/p>\n<p>I hereby issue a call to arms&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>To defeat this silent but deadly dream killer.<\/p>\n<p>We know well what it is, but many of us seem completely powerless to prevent it.<\/p>\n<p>Why is that?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4374,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Say No to Procrastination! | Bloomsoup<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Say no to procrastination! 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Click here to learn more.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/bloomsoup.com\/say-no-to-procrastination\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Bloomsoup\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bloomsoup\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-10-10T14:40:38+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-09-19T15:32:47+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/bloomsoup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/pexels-photo-3760043.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1880\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1253\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Joel\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@joelface\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@thebloomsoup\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Joel\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bloomsoup.com\/say-no-to-procrastination\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bloomsoup.com\/say-no-to-procrastination\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Joel\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bloomsoup.com\/#\/schema\/person\/540656bb1e42797634f467f16f584da7\"},\"headline\":\"Say No to Procrastination!\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-10-10T14:40:38+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-09-19T15:32:47+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bloomsoup.com\/say-no-to-procrastination\/\"},\"wordCount\":975,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bloomsoup.com\/#organization\"},\"articleSection\":[\"Self-Improvement\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bloomsoup.com\/say-no-to-procrastination\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/bloomsoup.com\/say-no-to-procrastination\/\",\"name\":\"Say No to Procrastination! | Bloomsoup\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bloomsoup.com\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2020-10-10T14:40:38+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-09-19T15:32:47+00:00\",\"description\":\"Say no to procrastination! 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