I learned a system to work without motivation

Summary

The video script shares a four-step system for overcoming procrastination and achieving goals, even when motivation is low. The first step is to clearly define the task at hand. The second step involves setting a timer for a short period, like 10 or 30 minutes, to get started on the task. The third step is to involve others, such as joining a study group or working out with a friend, to increase accountability and social support. Finally, the fourth step is to keep score and track progress, which taps into our natural competitiveness and desire to improve. The speaker credits this system for personal successes, including passing a difficult calculus course, losing weight, and building a successful business. The system is also used in coaching sessions with over 9,000 people, emphasizing its effectiveness in various aspects of life.

Takeaways

• 📝 Clearly Define the Task: Breaking down a large goal into smaller, manageable tasks can make it easier to start and complete.
• ⏰ Set a Timer: Using a timer can help overcome inertia and get started on a task, even when you're not feeling motivated.
• 🤝 Do It with Someone Else: Accountability and social interaction can greatly improve motivation and the likelihood of completing a task.
• 🏆 Keep Scoring: Monitoring progress through a scoring system can increase motivation by providing a sense of competition and achievement.
• 📈 Use a System: Implementing a structured system, like the four-step process described, can help overcome procrastination and achieve goals.
• 🤔 Identify the Next Task: Knowing exactly what to do next is crucial for making progress and avoiding confusion that leads to inaction.
• 🏋️‍♂️ Incremental Progress: Starting with small, achievable goals, such as 10 minutes of work or exercise, can lead to longer periods of productivity.
• 🧘‍♀️ Mindfulness and Discipline: Recognizing the need to work even when you don't feel like it is a key aspect of self-discipline.
• 📚 Learning from Others: Observing and adopting strategies from successful individuals can provide insights into maintaining motivation and discipline.
• 🚫 Overcoming Procrastination: The system presented helps to combat the tendency to delay tasks, which is a common barrier to productivity.
• 💪 Consistent Effort: Consistent small efforts over time, such as daily practice or study, can lead to significant long-term achievements.

Q & A

What was the speaker's initial struggle with calculus in university?

The speaker struggled with calculus because they couldn't motivate themselves to study, read the textbook, and do the required work, leading to failing the course three times.

How did the speaker transform their approach to tackle calculus after understanding the habits of straight-A students?

The speaker realized that straight-A students had specific strategies to stay motivated. They broke down the task of passing calculus into solving sample problems each week, making the task more manageable.

What is the first step of the four-step system the speaker developed to overcome procrastination?

The first step is to clearly define the task. The speaker used this approach to break down the task of passing calculus into solving sample problems each week.

Why is it important to break down a big goal into smaller tasks?

Breaking down a big goal into smaller tasks helps to eliminate confusion and makes it easier to start working on the task. It turns a daunting goal into a simple, actionable step.

What is the second step in the speaker's system for getting things done?

The second step is to set a timer for a short period, like 10 or 30 minutes, to start working on the task. This helps to overcome inertia and get the work started.

How did the speaker use a timer to help with their calculus studies?

The speaker set an alarm clock for 10 minutes and committed to working on calculus problems for that duration. This approach helped them to start working and often led to continued study beyond the initial 10 minutes.

What is the role of social interaction in the speaker's system for getting things done?

Social interaction, or doing the task with someone else, is the third step in the speaker's system. It provides accountability, motivation, and support, making it easier to stay on track.

How did joining a study group help the speaker with their calculus studies?

Joining a study group provided the speaker with a sense of community, accountability, and shared knowledge. It motivated them to work on problems, show up, and learn from others.

What is the fourth step in the speaker's system for motivation and productivity?

The fourth step is to keep scoring. By measuring progress and success, such as the number of problems solved or tasks completed, it creates a sense of competition and motivation to improve.

How did the speaker apply the four-step system to other areas of their life, such as fitness and business?

The speaker applied the system by defining tasks, setting timers, working with others, and keeping score in various contexts like fitness workouts, business goals, and personal development.

What is the significance of using a score or a measure of success in the speaker's system?

Using a score or measure of success taps into the natural human desire for competition and achievement. It helps individuals to stay motivated, track progress, and feel a sense of accomplishment.

How did the speaker's approach to learning guitar illustrate the principles of their four-step system?

The speaker started by practicing for just 10 minutes a day, setting a timer, and gradually increasing the time as they improved. This showed the principles of starting small, setting a timer, and building up to larger goals.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Overcoming Procrastination and Achieving Goals

The speaker reflects on their struggle with procrastination and lack of motivation, particularly during their university years when they failed calculus three times. They express admiration for disciplined students and eventually discover that these individuals use specific strategies to stay on track. The speaker outlines a four-step system that helped them to overcome procrastination, lose weight, and build a successful business. The first step involves clearly defining the task at hand, as exemplified by their calculus studies where they broke down the task into solving sample problems each week. This approach helps to reduce confusion and makes it easier to start working on the task.

05:01

🕒 Using Time Management and Social Accountability for Productivity

The second part of the speaker's narrative focuses on the importance of setting a timer as a tool to combat inertia and start working on tasks. They recount their personal experience of using a timer to commit to 10 minutes of work, which often led to longer periods of productivity. The speaker also emphasizes the power of working with others, as social accountability can motivate individuals to perform better. They share their experience with a study group in university, which provided a supportive environment that helped them to succeed in their studies. The speaker suggests that keeping score, as seen in sports and other competitive environments, can be a powerful motivator for personal productivity. They encourage viewers to use this four-step system to initiate tasks and build lasting habits.

Keywords

💡Procrastination

Procrastination is the act of delaying or postponing tasks or actions, often resulting in decreased productivity or failure to meet goals. In the video, the speaker discusses their personal struggle with procrastination in the context of studying for calculus, and how they overcame it by implementing a four-step system.

💡Motivation

Motivation refers to the psychological drive or state that encourages individuals to take action towards achieving a goal. The video emphasizes the importance of intrinsic motivation in overcoming procrastination, and how the speaker's system helps to cultivate this by setting clear tasks and goals.

💡Calculus

Calculus is a branch of mathematics that deals with the study of change and motion. It is used in the video as a personal example of a challenging task that the speaker initially struggled with due to procrastination but later succeeded in by applying their four-step system.

💡Study Group

A study group is a collaborative learning environment where individuals come together to study and discuss academic material. In the video, joining a study group is presented as a pivotal moment for the speaker, as it provided social support and accountability, which were key factors in overcoming procrastination.

💡Accountability

Accountability is the expectation of being answerable for one's actions or decisions. The video highlights the role of accountability in maintaining discipline and commitment to tasks, particularly when working with others or setting personal goals.

💡Timer

A timer is a device or application used to measure and track time spent on a task. In the context of the video, the speaker uses a timer as a tool to overcome inertia and start working on tasks, which is a critical part of their four-step system to combat procrastination.

💡Scorekeeping

Scorekeeping is the act of tracking and comparing progress or performance, often used in competitive environments. The video suggests using scorekeeping as a motivational tool, by measuring and comparing personal progress, which can drive individuals to improve and maintain momentum in their tasks.

💡Discipline

Discipline is the practice of training oneself to follow a set of rules or a pattern of behavior, often to achieve a particular goal. The video discusses how discipline is not just about innate qualities but can be developed through strategies and systems, such as the one outlined by the speaker.

💡Task Definition

Task definition involves clearly outlining the specific actions required to complete a task. In the video, the speaker emphasizes the importance of defining tasks in a way that is simple and actionable, which is the first step in their system for overcoming procrastination.

💡Inertia

Inertia, in the context of the video, refers to the tendency to remain in a state of inaction or rest. The speaker discusses how inertia can lead to procrastination and how using a timer can help break this cycle by providing a structured start to a task.

💡Weight Loss

Weight loss is the process of reducing body weight through a combination of diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes. The video mentions weight loss as an example of a significant personal achievement that was made possible by applying the same four-step system the speaker used to overcome procrastination.

💡Business Success

Business success is typically measured by profitability, growth, and the achievement of business goals. The video uses the speaker's experience of building a million-dollar business as an example of how the four-step system can be applied to achieve significant professional success.

Highlights

People often accomplish tasks even when they don't feel like it by showing up and working through problems daily.

The speaker failed calculus three times due to lack of motivation and discipline.

Successful students were not necessarily more motivated but had effective strategies to keep going.

A four-step system was developed to overcome procrastination and increase productivity.

The system helped the speaker lose 100 pounds and build a million-dollar business.

Step one is to clearly define the task at hand to avoid confusion and start taking action.

Breaking down a large goal into smaller tasks makes it more manageable and likely to be started.

Using a journal and the WHOOP system can help clarify what the next task should be.

Step two involves setting a timer for a short period to initiate work and overcome inertia.

Committing to a short work session can lead to extended periods of productivity.

Step three is doing the task with someone else for social support and accountability.

Study groups and collaborative work can enhance motivation and learning.

Step four is keeping score to introduce a competitive element and measure progress.

Natural competitiveness can be harnessed to motivate oneself to do more.

The speaker used this system to pass calculus with an A- after failing it three times.

The same system has been applied in a gym setting to coach thousands of people.

Defining tasks, setting timers, working with others, and keeping score are key components of the system.

The system can be applied to any area of life to increase motivation and achieve goals.

Transcripts

you ever wonder how people manage to get

stuff done even when they don't feel

like it they show up every day and

exercise right or grind through

difficult problems no matter how they

feel I always wanted to be one of those

people when I was younger I had failed

calculus three times in University

because I just couldn't get myself to do

the work now I'd done enough work in

high school to get into a good

University but once I got there studying

and showing up in class was not really

at the top of my list for things like

English or sociology I was fine but

calculus required me to actually show up

read the textbook and learn things to

pass it and there was no part of me that

wanted to do that I would look at those

straight A students and think I wish I

had their discipline and their

motivation but once I discovered how

they did it I realized those students

weren't actually more motivated they

just had these little tips and tricks

that they kept them going when they

didn't feel like it and once I broke it

all down and pulled it into a four-step

system I was able to fix my

procrastination stop waiting for

motivation and get more things done and

this is the same system that later

helped me lose 100 lb and build a

million-dollar business but to

understand the system you have to start

with step one and that is clearly Define

the task I had to pass calculus on my

fourth try so I started looking at it a

little bit different I reviewed the

textbook and realized if I could do all

the sample problems I'd know enough to

pass the final now I still didn't want

to do it but at least I knew what to do

and instead of this General task of I

need to pass calculus I broke it down

into solve sample problems each week

then when I sat down to study all I had

to do was solve those problems people

are like T T completing machines if you

know exactly what to do you are more

likely to do it but if there's any

confusion if there's anything that

doesn't make sense your brain sends up

this does not compute kind of error and

you won't even get started so you have

to break down the big scary goal into a

simple task I like to grab my journal

and use a system called whoop from the

book rethinking positive thinking

whenever I'm stuck on what to do next

that's for another video but for now

let's just break the task down into a

small digestible chunk and get going

most of the time when things aren't

moving forward in my health or my

business is because I don't actually

know what I'm trying to do or what the

next task should be so that would be

step one now I was actually able to help

over 9,000 people using this system and

I'll share how later once you figure out

the next task then it's a matter of

getting yourself to do it and that's

where step two comes in now I know what

I needed to do was pass calculus but it

still didn't mean I wanted to do it I

would sit on my bed looking at my bag

with my textbook in it thinking G I just

don't want to open that my roommate at

the time used to just come home from

class and get straight to work well I

would procrastinate for for hours I

asked him one day how he stayed so

motivated and he said I just commit to

doing 30 minutes of work when I get home

no matter what even if I don't feel like

it I'll work for those 30 minutes but

most of the time I kind of get things

going and I keep working until it's done

I thought it was brilliant so I decided

to try it but I was not nearly as

ambitious as him so I grabbed an alarm

clock and set it for 10 minutes and

started working so that's step number

two set a timer inertia is very powerful

this means if you're procrastinating on

something it's more likely that you will

keep procrastinating on that thing until

something makes you change a timer is a

perfect tool to break things up I

committed to opening that book and

trying to solve the first problem in

that 10 minutes and once I got the first

one I started the second and soon I was

solving problems reviewing the chapters

and actually studying and that 10

minutes turned into 60 and soon I had

solved all the problems for that week

nowadays I use my phone or this fun

little timer called The Tick timer I'll

put a link below if you want to buy one

I'll write down a task like write an

email to my list and set a timer to get

started I usually do three chunks of 25

minutes on 5 minutes off so a total of

75 minutes of work and that's usually

enough to get through most tasks when I

was learning to play my guitar I would

only practice for 10 minutes per day for

the first 3 months part of the reason is

cuz it was difficult it made my fingers

hurt and progress was slow so more than

10 minutes felt too hard as I got better

and became more fun I bumped that up to

30 minutes and later an hour and then I

actually learned how to play the goal of

the timer is to remove the barriers to

you starting a task and once it started

80% of the hard work is done but even

starting a timer requires motivation to

do and sometimes you are just not

feeling it besides who's going to notice

if you don't do the thing you can put it

off till tomorrow right that's exactly

what was happening with my calculus work

and soon weeks were going by without me

doing anything I was destined to fail a

fourth time and I probably would have

given up unless one of my classmates at

the time tapped me on the shoulder and

asked if I wanted to join her study

group I'm not overly social with

strangers but I knew I was in trouble so

I decided to go it was one of the best

decisions I made in my University career

it's also step three of the system do it

with somebody else humans are social

creatures even if you are a basement

dwelling gamer you're probably playing

games online with your friends it's more

fun you take it a bit more seriously and

you get further into the game when you

have people to do it with my study group

wasn't a bunch of geniuses in fact I

thought I was way behind but it turns

out I was ahead of some of them in the

book that Weekly group gave me a reason

to open my book work on those problems

and show up somewhere to share what I

learned we taught and learned from each

other and our Collective knowledge was

more than any one person had on their

own I've since used this trick to get

myself to work out write do breath work

track my food do cold plunges all sorts

of things my favorite way of doing this

now is to just text a friend or

co-worker and say what do you want to

accomplish in the next 25 minutes if

they're working they'll say something

like I want to schedule all my meetings

for the next week and I'll say I want to

write the subject and outline of my

weekly email and we'll set a timer for

25 minutes in 3 2 1 go just that little

bit of accountability is enough to get

you moving you don't want to be the one

who lets the other person down at the

end of the 25 minutes so you just focus

and get it done there are also services

like Focus mate or flow Club where

people work together online to get

things done in fact I sometimes hop on

and host a free online Zoom session

where anyone can join and work with me

and if you subscribe to my email list

I'll send you an invite to the next one

so now you have a clearly defined task

and a timer and a friend to do this with

and this can get you going for the short

term but I found this little secret that

unlocks unlimited motivation in almost

everyone I've tried it with including my

seven-year-old it's so good that

multi-billion dollar Industries are

created around it if you've ever watched

a football game what's the first thing

you look at when you turn it on uniforms

shoes field the crowd nope it's probably

the score in fact probably wouldn't

watch the game if it didn't have a score

football is a billion dooll industry a

multi-billion dollar industry based on

one team beating the other on a

scoreboard so why don't we use that for

ourselves step four is keep scoring

people are naturally competitive you're

always looking to see how you compare

against other people if you're ahead of

them you're happy if you're behind

you're either discouraged or you feel

like you have to do something about it

one of my old coaches told me men will

die over points and in my experience

that is totally true when we were doing

the practice problems for calculus we

would keep track of how many we got

right and how many we missed we weren't

necessarily trying to beat everyone else

we all wanted to pass and we kind of

rooted for each other but if you were

falling behind you felt it and you

wanted to fix it I've seen this play out

in School in Fitness and in business we

keep grades we look at the scale we

check our bank accounts there are scores

everywhere so when you're trying to get

yourself to do hard things you want to

find a way to measure success how many

minutes did you work how many tasks did

you get done how many emails did you

respond to how much weight did you lift

for calculus I'd score myself on how

many questions I got right how I did on

the test and my overall grade at the end

of class and I ended up passing with an

A minus after failing that class three

times now I've since used this system to

lose 100 lb and build a million dooll

business in fact at my gym we've been

coaching all four of the steps in every

session we coach with 9,000 people over

the last 15 years step one Define the

task we have a big whiteboard where we

write the workout of the day every day

step two set a timer we have a timer we

use to get people started and the

workout is measured by how much work you

can get done in a certain amount of time

step three do it with someone we almost

never do one-on-one sessions because

people work better when they share their

suffering with others step four keep SC

we write the results on the Whiteboard

and celebrate any Milestones people

achieve you can use this system to get

anything started without motivation but

what if you've tried and failed so many

times to get yourself going that you've

started to give up go check out this

video and learn a system for how to get

unstuck and build habits that last and

do me a favor if you like this video

please consider subscribing and we'll

see you in the next one