Guide To Beat Procrastination with Skinner’s Law

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Feeling unmotivated? Stuck in a rut? Procrastination monster got you in its clutches? Don’t worry, we’ve all been there. But here’s the kicker: you can actually hack your brain to get moving again. It’s called “Skinner’s Law,” and it’s all about manipulating your motivation by playing with pain and pleasure. Sounds wild, right? Let’s dive into how this works and how you can use it to get your life back on track.

The Pain-Pleasure Principle: Our Ancient Drives

In the late 1700s, philosopher Jeremy Bentham was scribbling down thoughts that would shape how we understand human behavior. He famously said, “Nature has placed mankind under the governance of two sovereign masters: pain and pleasure.” Fast forward to today, and behavioral science has pretty much confirmed that Bentham was onto something big. We’re hardwired to avoid pain and seek pleasure. Understanding this is the first step to hacking your motivation.

Think about it: everything we do, every choice we make, is influenced by our desire to avoid discomfort and chase after what feels good. This isn’t just philosophical mumbo-jumbo; it’s the real deal. So, how can we use this knowledge to our advantage? Enter Skinner’s Law.

What is Skinner’s Law?

Named after the legendary American behaviorist B.F. Skinner, this law is like the cheat code for human motivation. Skinner, known for his work with rats and pigeons, figured out that behavior could be shaped through rewards and punishments — a process called operant conditioning. Now, Skinner’s Law suggests that to motivate yourself, you need to make the pain of not doing something greater than the pain of doing it, or make the pleasure of doing it greater than the pleasure of not doing it. Simple, right? But incredibly powerful.

Picture this: you’re avoiding a dreaded task. Maybe it’s cleaning your apartment, tackling that massive work project, or finally hitting the gym. By using Skinner’s Law, you can set up a system of rewards and punishments that’ll push you into action. These are what behavioral scientists call “commitment devices” — tools to help you self-motivate and stick to your goals.

Commitment Devices: Your New Best Friends

Commitment devices are strategies you set up to either reward yourself or punish yourself for completing or failing a task. They tap into our natural tendencies to seek pleasure and avoid pain. Let’s break this down with some practical examples.

Rewards and Punishments: The Carrot and the Stick

1. Make a Wager: Bet with a friend or family member on achieving a goal. If you win, you get a reward; if you lose, you face a penalty. For instance, you might tell your dad, “If I don’t lose five pounds by my birthday, you can have my PlayStation 5.” Make sure to put the wager in a place where you can’t back out, like giving the PlayStation to a trusted friend until you hit your goal.
2. Social Accountability: Tell everyone about your goal. Post it on social media, tell your friends and family, and keep them updated. This creates both a carrot and a stick — you get support and praise when you succeed, but also face embarrassment if you fail. It’s amazing how motivating the fear of social shame can be!
3. Avoid Boredom: Boredom is not just a neutral state; it’s painful. Studies show that people would rather experience physical pain than be bored. So, keep yourself busy and engaged to avoid falling into the boredom trap that leads to procrastination.

The Strongest Motivator: Pain or Pleasure?

So, which is more powerful: the carrot or the stick? Behavioral scientist Katy Milkman has some insights on this. She explains that pain is a more powerful motivator than pleasure. This idea is backed by Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahneman’s Prospect Theory, which shows that we’re more motivated to avoid losing $20 than we are excited about gaining $20. This means setting up painful consequences for not achieving a goal can be more effective than setting up rewards.

Practical Tips from the Experts

1. Set High Stakes: Make the consequences of failure significant. The higher the stakes, the more motivated you’ll be to avoid the pain of failure.
2. Create Immediate Rewards: While pain is a strong motivator, immediate rewards can also be powerful. Treat yourself to something you love after completing a task. This could be as simple as a favorite snack, a break to watch your favorite show, or time spent on a hobby you enjoy.
3. Use Technology: Apps and online tools can help keep you accountable. There are apps that let you bet real money on achieving your goals, which you lose if you don’t follow through. Other apps can block distracting websites until you complete your work.

Real-Life Application: The Smoking Cessation Study

Milkman highlights a fascinating study involving smokers trying to quit. Participants were given standard cessation products, but one group also had money at stake — if they failed a nicotine test in six months, they’d lose the money. This group had a 30% higher quit rate, demonstrating the power of combining pain avoidance with commitment devices.

Imagine applying this to your own life. Need to finish that big project? Tell a friend you’ll give them $50 if you miss the deadline. Trying to lose weight? Set up a system where you reward yourself with a treat for every milestone you hit, but if you fail, you donate to a charity you dislike. The key is finding what motivates you most — whether it’s avoiding pain or seeking pleasure — and using it to your advantage.

Balancing Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation

Intrinsic motivation comes from within; it’s when you do something because you genuinely want to. Extrinsic motivation, on the other hand, is driven by external rewards or punishments. Skinner’s Law primarily leverages extrinsic motivators, but it’s crucial to balance these with intrinsic ones to maintain long-term motivation.

For example, if you love reading but struggle to find time for it, reward yourself with a new book for completing a task. This way, you’re blending intrinsic and extrinsic motivators, making the process enjoyable and the reward even sweeter.

The Power of Habit and Routine

Now, let’s layer in another idea: habit formation. By integrating Skinner’s Law into your daily routine, you can create habits that make motivation almost automatic. Habits reduce the mental effort required to get started on tasks, making it easier to maintain consistency over time.

Start small. Pick one task you’ve been procrastinating on and apply a commitment device to it. Over time, as you see the benefits, you’ll naturally start incorporating these techniques into other areas of your life. The key is to be consistent and patient. Habits don’t form overnight, but once they’re in place, they’re hard to break.

Practical Steps to Implement Skinner’s Law

Alright, it’s action time. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you implement Skinner’s Law in your life:

1. Identify Your Goals: Clearly define what you want to achieve. Be specific about your targets and deadlines.
2. Set Up Commitment Devices: Decide on the rewards or punishments that will keep you motivated. Make sure they’re meaningful enough to drive you forward.
3. Monitor Your Progress: Keep track of your achievements and setbacks. Adjust your commitment devices as needed to stay on track.
4. Celebrate Small Wins: Recognize and reward yourself for small victories along the way. This keeps you motivated and reinforces positive behavior.
5. Reflect and Adjust: Periodically review your progress and the effectiveness of your commitment devices. Don’t be afraid to tweak them if they’re not working as well as you’d like.

The Science Behind Skinner’s Law

Let’s geek out for a minute. The foundation of Skinner’s Law lies in operant conditioning, a concept developed by B.F. Skinner. Operant conditioning is a method of learning that occurs through rewards and punishments for behavior. Skinner’s experiments with rats and pigeons showed that behavior could be shaped by reinforcing desired actions and punishing undesired ones.

This approach has been widely studied and validated in humans. We respond similarly to rewards and punishments, which is why commitment devices are so effective. By leveraging this natural response mechanism, we can train ourselves to adopt new behaviors and break free from procrastination.

Overcoming Obstacles and Staying Motivated

Life isn’t always smooth sailing. There will be times when motivation wanes, and obstacles seem insurmountable. Here are some tips to keep pushing through:

1. Stay Positive: Maintain a positive attitude and focus on the progress you’ve made rather than the setbacks. Positivity fuels motivation.
2. Find Inspiration: Surround yourself with people who inspire and motivate you. Read books, listen to podcasts, or watch videos that uplift your spirits and keep you focused on your goals.
3. Break It Down: If a task feels overwhelming, break it down into smaller, manageable steps. This makes it less daunting and easier to start.
4. Stay Flexible: Be open to adjusting your strategies if something isn’t working. Flexibility allows you to adapt and find new ways to stay motivated.

Real-Life Examples: How Others Have Used Skinner’s Law

Let’s look at a few real-life examples of people using Skinner’s Law to achieve their goals:

1. Fitness Goals: Jane wanted to lose weight but struggled with consistency. She made a bet with her friend: for every week she didn’t hit her workout goals, she had to pay $20. She also set up a reward system, treating herself to a spa day for every month she stayed on track. The fear of losing money and the allure of a spa day kept her motivated, and she successfully reached her fitness goals.
2. Career Advancement: Tom was procrastinating on completing a certification that would advance his career. He set up a commitment device where he had to donate $50 to a cause he disliked every time he missed a study session. Additionally, he promised himself a weekend getaway upon passing the certification exam. The combination of avoiding the penalty and anticipating the reward helped him stay focused and pass the exam.
3. Creative Projects: Sarah, a writer, struggled with finishing her novel. She created a public accountability system by sharing her progress on social media and promising to donate to charity if she missed her writing goals. The social pressure and her desire to avoid the penalty kept her writing consistently, and she eventually completed her novel.

Your Cheat Code for Motivation

So, how can you apply Skinner’s Law in your life? Here’s a step-by-step guide to get started:

1. Identify Your Goals: Clearly define what you want to achieve. Be specific about your targets and deadlines.
2. Set Up Commitment Devices: Decide on the rewards or punishments that will keep you motivated. Make sure they’re meaningful enough to drive you forward.
3. Monitor Your Progress: Keep track of your achievements and setbacks. Adjust your commitment devices as needed to stay on track.
4. Celebrate Small Wins: Recognize and reward yourself for small victories along the way. This keeps you motivated and reinforces positive behavior.
5. Reflect and Adjust: Periodically review your progress and the effectiveness of your commitment devices. Don’t be afraid to tweak them if they’re not working as well as you’d like.

The Bottom Line

We’re all driven by pain and pleasure, whether we like it or not. By understanding this, you can set yourself up for success. Use Skinner’s Law to turn your biggest intrinsic motivator — pleasure — into an extrinsic reward. And don’t be afraid to leverage the power of pain to push yourself out of procrastination and into action.

Remember, the key to staying motivated is to keep your eyes on the prize and use the right tools to get there. With commitment devices and a solid understanding of what drives you, you can tackle any task and achieve your goals.

Next time you find yourself stuck, think of Skinner’s Law. Make the pain of not doing something greater than the pain of doing it, or make the pleasure of doing it greater than the pleasure of not doing it. Hack your brain, and watch your motivation soar.