Tackling That Task You Keep Dodging

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Meet Sam Carter, a hardcore procrastinator. He was the type to put off even the simplest tasks, like organizing his closet or starting a new exercise routine. He knew he needed to make changes, but every time he tried, he ended up back in his comfort zone.

One day, during a casual chat with a buddy, Sam made a wild promise: “If I don’t start exercising regularly, I’ll donate $5,000 to an organization I can’t stand!” That was the wake-up call he needed—after that, he never skipped another workout.

When Willpower Doesn’t Cut It

As mentioned in part one of this series, motivating yourself based on far-off consequences can be a real struggle. Sam’s battle with procrastination is a perfect illustration. Sure, skipping a workout today didn’t seem harmful, but the long-term effects, like poor health, were looming in the future. In the tug-of-war between immediate pleasure and long-term benefits, instant gratification often wins.

However, once Sam made that outrageous commitment, the stakes changed. Suddenly, he was faced with a choice: hit the gym or lose a hefty sum to an organization he despised. By bringing the consequences into the present, he found it much harder to ignore the risks.

Shaping Your Future Choices

Sam’s experience highlights a powerful concept: you can influence your future actions. By adjusting your choices and making the results more immediate, you can align future-you with present-you. This approach is known as “precommitment,” a term popularized by Nobel Prize-winning economist Thomas Schelling.

In his work, Schelling describes how women in labor sometimes request that doctors don’t offer pain relief, knowing that in the moment, they might give in to the pain. By denying themselves that option, they ensure they stick to their original plan.

We encounter various forms of precommitment in daily life: “Please keep the cookies out of reach,” or “Stop me from texting my ex if I get tipsy.” The core idea is to limit future choices to those that align with what you truly want.

Here are five effective strategies to help you stay on track:

1. Hand Over Control: If you know you’ll be tempted, give someone your phone or car keys.
2. Make a Commitment: Promise to pay someone a set amount if you don’t follow through on your goals.
3. Remove Temptations: Don’t keep junk food in the house or use a site blocker to avoid distractions while working.
4. Incarcerate Yourself: Have a friend take you somewhere you can’t access your phone or the internet until your task is done.
5. Reschedule Your Life: Plan your grocery shopping right after eating, so you’re less likely to crave unhealthy snacks.

Imagine Always Choosing What You Want

These strategies all aim to ensure that when the time comes to make a decision, you naturally choose what’s best for you. For instance, if you prefer to run in the morning, only schedule runs for that time. Alternatively, if you have a financial penalty for skipping a workout, you’re more likely to hit the gym.

The method you choose will depend on your personal goals and what works best for you. Personally, I’ve found the commitment strategy to be game-changing. Using an app like Beeminder, I wager money on my goals—whether it’s sticking to a workout or practicing meditation. For some, putting money on the line can dramatically shift their motivation. I haven’t tried the incarceration strategy yet, but it sounds like it could be a solid approach!

Wrapping It Up

In conclusion, motivation is key to completing any task. However, when consequences feel distant, it’s easy to choose immediate gratification instead. The trick is to make the benefits of completing your task, or the costs of not doing it, feel imminent. By limiting your future options, you can ensure that your future self is on board with what you want to achieve.

For more insights on this topic, check out this post and visit Make a Mom for expert information on home insemination strategies. Additionally, Facts About Fertility is an excellent resource for all things related to pregnancy and home insemination.