The Cure to Procrastination

This is a quick kick in the butt for those of you who need it (you know who you are).  January is 1 day away from being done! That is almost 10% of the year complete, forever gone, adios muchachos.  Hesitation kills dreams. Take action now, as now is the only time we have.

If you are wondering why you are not following through with actions that you want, this blog is for you.

The reason we do ANYTHING always comes down to two things; pain and pleasure. If you associate more pain than pleasure in the moment to taking a particular action, you won't do it and vice versa. If only pain is present, you will do the action which causes the least perceived pain. And if only pleasure is present (now THAT is a quality problem), you will do whatever you see will give you the most pleasure.

Extreme example; death. Arguably, death can be seen as the ultimate pain.  So why would anybody choose to die?  Two examples come to mind; depressed individuals or suicide bombers. 

If you are depressed you are associating A LOT of pain to living.  If you live this life long enough and continue this pattern of thought, there is a tipping point where the pain of death is perceived to be less than the pain and living. 

On the other hand, in order to become a suicide bomber, one would have to associate ultimate pleasure with taking their life.  We have heard of such things as their families being taken care of for life, being a hero to your community and country, and of course the harem of virgins awaiting for you in heaven.

Its also worth noting, that most of us will take action to avoid pain, rather than gain pleasure.  Quick test of this.  Would you work harder to gain $50,000 or to not lose $50,000? Most people would fight like crazy not to lose the $$.

The two key phrases here are "perceived pain or pleasure" and "in the moment."

Perception = Reality 

Wither you logically know differently or not, whatever you emotionally feel will override this thought. And this would only apply to that particular moment you are making the decision.  After all, once you have made the decision, logic or emotions no longer apply.  The exception to this is when you find yourself in conflict, where you attempt to make a decision, then something (pain or pleasure) stops you and forces you back to the decision point again (also known as hell!).

In summary, if you find yourself procrastinating, ask yourself, "What pain or pleasure have I associated with this particular task?". Then, be honest with yourself and hook up pleasure in doing the action and massive pain in not.

If you find yourself in conflict or in need of help, you should consult a coach.  Now geeeeeee... if I only knew who I could refer you to.......

Dream your life. Love your dream.

Your friend and Coach,
Bryce