Why I can’t meet deadlines?
Remember the time you thought you had a week left to finish a project and then suddenly realized that it was due the next day?
We’ve all gone through this. This experience is familiar to us all. We invest time in leisure activities like watching Netflix, browsing Instagram, and socializing with friends. Then, we suddenly recognize that the submission deadline looms within a few hours. Bam! We turn the world upside down, freeze our hands to death, and go on an indefinite fast just to complete the task — something that we should have completed days ago.
How do I know all this? Well, this post you are reading was intended to be published in the first week of August. However, every time I opened my laptop to write, I ended up spending hours watching this video on YouTube, wondering what would happen if we gave him a punching bag, pondering why he’s always angry, and then googling that and reading about it for a while.
The Nature of Procrastination.
So, what is happening to all of us? There’s a term for it: ‘Procrastination.’
Did you notice the example sentence that says, ‘avoid procrastination’? That’s it. Loud and clear. No need for fancy neuroscientists. Well, it’s not that simple!
The Inner Conflict
Inside the mind of a procrastinator, there’s a constant duel between the present and the future. The future wants to be a writer, while the present wants to avoid reading books. The future wants to be rich; the present wants to spend all the money on expensive clothing.
The future wants six-pack abs, and the present wants a six-piece pizza.
Most of the time, in this duel, the present wins: Why avoid that delicious pizza today if I can’t see any immediate effects? Yes, I will get overweight in 10 years — but that’s 10 years from now. Why wait?
Whenever there’s a delay in the consequences (or rewards), we start procrastinating. Our brain craves immediate rewards or instant gratification.
This is one of the main reasons why we go to bed feeling motivated but wake up to find ourselves falling back into old patterns.
The Law of Minimizing Friction
So, how do we get out of this? There’s a rule that I follow. It is called ‘The Law of Minimizing Friction.’
One of the biggest hurdles in completing most tasks is starting them. That is the only friction that’s stopping you from achieving your dream. Once you start, you will continue by yourself.
Let’s understand with an example of how friction can be minimized:
Suppose you need to start running. At 6 pm, the time you have scheduled for running, ask yourself, what’s the first thing you need to do to start running? Is it a warm-up exercise? Is it a diet plan? No!
The first thing you need to do to start running is to put on your shoes. Yes, that’s simple. Once you put on your shoes, the friction will be minimized. It would be much easier for you to complete the task.
The thought of “putting on your shoes” sounds easier than “going for a walk” to our brains, and that’s how you trick your brain.
Need to complete an assignment? First, open your laptop. The rest will be much easier to do. Need to go to the gym? Just put on your gym wear. Need to complete a book? Just place your notebook and pen on a table.
The challenge is not merely to finish a task but to start it. The first step is the hardest. By taking the first step, you send a signal to your brain, allowing it to become accustomed to the task, and subsequently, the task continues smoothly.
As Robin Sharma, author of bestselling books like “The Leader Who Had No Title” and “5 AM Club” says, “Success is created through the performance of a few small daily disciplines that stack up over time to produce legendary achievements far beyond anything you could have ever planned for.”
Beating Procrastination will take time, minimizing friction is just the first step. It is a quick, simple, and proven methodology to handle procrastination.
As you master these, you can proceed to follow complex rituals — like environmental design, habit cues, and journaling. We’ll discuss these in our next article.
If you enjoyed this article, please check out, “Why Do You Need to Hard Reset Your Life?” Or “How to Stay Motivated Throughout the Day?”