We often struggle with getting up and doing work, procrastination, and productivity.
First, we have to conceptualize what is actually going on with our brains. According to this behavior pattern is because our brain is giving out two types of resistance:
- negative emotions. It’s very straightforward, our brain is like a spoiled child, when they don’t get their way, they complain and throw tantrums. Our mind works the exact same way. When things feel stressful or boring, our inner child awakens and procrastinates: Imagining how difficult it’s going to be, to getstarted on a brand-new project, start a side hustle, or study for the exam.
- The second is Ego. The self-image we have that’s afraid of failure. Our mind has this inner mechanism that protects our ego from getting hurt because our ego is what we attach our self-worth to. This is that feeling, you get when you start asking “what if” when you haven’t even finished more than 5% of the progress. So, in order to preserve our ego, we would avoid doing the hard work at all costs.
Emphasize the methodology.
This is why it’s so important to pay attention to the method. Methods are the progression, alongside the adjusted perception of how you think when it comes to dealing with your ego, there are different ways you can trick your brains into working hard.
- Baby steps. Our mind is very visual he does a mental calculus amount of effort and struggles it’s going to take to reach that end goal, What if
- Just start getting ready
- Reward yourself
- Focus on having fun
- Align your identity with the actions
Consistent actions lead to progress which leads to motivation. Carol Dweck is a psychologist and professor at Stanford University, best known for her research on mindset. She introduced the concept of “fixed” vs. “growth” mindsets. In a fixed mindset, people believe their abilities are static and unchangeable. In a growth mindset, people believe they can improve through effort and learning. Her study have shown that the most important trait for success is a belief in our ability to improve. People who didn’t believe they could improve, didn’t put in any effort, the ones who did put in tremendous effort, the difference? They kept on trying and refining their idea and methods, even when they failed.