5 Ways to (Actually) Fight Procrastination

Summary

In this Park Notes video, host Parker Scott explores five strategies from Cal Newport's book to combat procrastination. Key tips include keeping a work progress log for self-awareness, maintaining proper nutrition to sustain energy, making a big deal out of the most daunting tasks for accountability, establishing a routine to protect time for tasks, and planning intense workdays to tackle challenging projects. The video offers practical advice to enhance productivity and intellectual goals.

Takeaways

• 📝 Keep a work progress log to track daily tasks and identify procrastination patterns.
• 💧 Stay hydrated by drinking water constantly to maintain mental energy.
• ☕ Monitor caffeine intake to avoid crashes and maintain productivity.
• 🍽 Treat food as fuel for energy, avoiding heavy meals that can lead to sluggishness.
• 🚫 Don't skip meals, as they are essential for providing the body with energy for the mind to work well.
• 📅 Make an event out of the worst tasks to create accountability and motivation.
• 🗓️ Build a routine by setting aside specific times for cognitively demanding tasks to reduce the likelihood of procrastination.
• 🌞 Schedule difficult tasks for the morning when mental clarity is typically at its peak.
• 📈 Plan for hard days in advance to manage workload and avoid last-minute stress.
• 🤔 Consider intermittent fasting as a personal strategy for maintaining mental clarity, though it may not be suitable for everyone.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video?

The main topic of the video is fighting procrastination, specifically discussing five ways to combat it as outlined in Cal Newport's book 'How to Become a Straight A Student'.

What is the first tip for fighting procrastination mentioned in the video?

The first tip for fighting procrastination is to keep a work progress log, which helps in tracking tasks and increasing self-awareness about one's productivity.

How does keeping a work progress log help in fighting procrastination?

A work progress log helps by showing how much time is wasted on procrastination and whether tasks are being completed. It provides a clear view of daily productivity and can motivate better time management.

What is the second tip for fighting procrastination discussed by Parker?

The second tip is to feed the machine, meaning to maintain high energy levels to avoid procrastination, which includes drinking water constantly, monitoring caffeine intake, treating food as a source of energy, and not skipping meals.

What is Parker's opinion on Cal Newport's nutritional advice?

Parker suggests taking the nutritional advice with a grain of salt, especially considering the book's age and the fact that nutritional advice can vary widely. However, he agrees that taking care of one's body is important for mental productivity.

What is the third tip for fighting procrastination?

The third tip is to make an event out of the worst tasks. This involves telling people about a difficult task, planning to work on it somewhere out of the way, and committing to a specific time to work on it to create a sense of accountability.

Why is it suggested to tell people about a difficult task?

Telling people about a difficult task creates accountability, which can motivate one to complete the task and avoid embarrassment or the need to explain why it wasn't done.

What is the fourth tip for fighting procrastination?

The fourth tip is to build a routine by setting aside and protecting certain hours of the day for cognitively demanding tasks, ideally in the morning when one is most alert.

Why is it recommended to do cognitively demanding tasks in the morning?

It is recommended to do cognitively demanding tasks in the morning because many people are naturally more alert and focused during this time, and there are fewer distractions compared to the afternoons and evenings.

What is the fifth and final tip for fighting procrastination?

The fifth tip is to choose your hard days, which means planning for days when you will focus on completing difficult tasks or projects, but spacing them out so they don't occur back-to-back.

How can planning hard days in advance help with procrastination?

Planning hard days in advance helps by providing a clear timeline and goal for completing significant tasks. It reduces the stress of last-minute work and allows for additional time to refine and improve the work.

What does Parker suggest about mixing time block logging with bullet journals?

Parker suggests that one can mix time block logging with bullet journaling to effectively organize and schedule tasks, which can be a powerful strategy to combat procrastination.

What is Parker's personal experience with intermittent fasting and its effect on mental clarity?

Parker shares that he has been intermittent fasting for two to three years and finds that his best mental clarity is from waking up to lunchtime when he is not eating. He feels alert and productive during this fasting period.