Humans are prolific procrastinators.
Our brains simply prefer instant rewards to long-term payoffs.
Given this tendency, we often have to resort to crazy strategies to get things done.
This post originally appeared onJames Clears blog.
By the summer of 1830, Victor Hugo was facing an impossible deadline.
Hugos publisher had become frustrated by his repeated procrastination and responded by setting a formidable deadline.
He collected all of his clothes, removed them from his chambers, and locked them away.
He was left with nothing to wear except a large shawl.
Staying inside and writing was his only option.
The Ancient Problem of Akrasia
Human beings have been procrastinating for centuries.
Even prolific artists like Victor Hugo are not immune to the distractions of daily life.
Akrasiais the state of acting against your better judgment.
It is when you do one thing even though you know you should do something else.
Why would Victor Hugo commit to writing a book and then put it off for over a year?
Time inconsistency refers to the tendency of the human brain to value immediate rewards more highly than future rewards.
Now you are in the moment and your brain is thinking about the present self.
And researchers have discovered that the present self really likes instant gratification, not long-term payoff.
This is one reason whythe ability to delay gratificationis such a great predictor of success in life.
you might curb your future eating habits by purchasing food in individual packages rather than in the bulk size.
you’re able to stop wasting time on your phone by deleting games or social media apps.
These are commitment devices.
Find ways to automate your behavior beforehand rather than relying on willpower in the moment.
Be the architect of your future actions, not the victim of them.
So why do we still procrastinate?
Because its not beinginthe work that is hard, itsstartingthe work.
The friction that prevents us from taking action is usually centered around starting the behavior.
Once you begin, its often less painful to do the work.
You have to constantlyreduce the size of your habits.
Put all of your effort and energy intobuilding a ritualand make it as easy as possible to get started.
Dont worry about the results until youve mastered the art of showing up.
There are hundreds of successful studies showing how implementation intentions positively impact everything from exercise habits to flu shots.
Fighting Akrasia
Our brains prefers instant rewards to long-term payoffs.
Its simply a consequence of how our minds work.
Aristotle coined the termenkrateiaas the antonym ofakrasia.
Whileakrasiarefers to our tendency to fall victim to procrastination,enkrateiameans to be in power over oneself.
James Clear writes about science-based ideas for building habits that stick and mastering your craft.
Image byLinda Bucklin(Shutterstock).
