How to actually stop procrastinating (by a NASA engineer)

Summary

In this insightful video, systems engineer and postdoctoral fellow at NASA, Ali Aluli, shares his personal battle with chronic procrastination and how he leveraged his professional expertise to diagnose and overcome it. He breaks down the root causes of procrastination into fear, interest-value incongruence, and overwhelm, offering targeted solutions for each. Aluli emphasizes the importance of identifying the specific cause to effectively address the issue, advocating for strategies like focusing on the first step, aligning tasks with personal values, and using 'vzero' to mitigate fear of failure. He also highlights the role of accountability in maintaining productivity.

Takeaways

• 😀 Ali Aluli is a systems engineer and a postdoctoral fellow at NASA's propulsion lab who shares his insights on overcoming procrastination.
• 🔍 The video aims to address the root cause of procrastination rather than offering generic productivity tips.
• 🧠 Aluli emphasizes the importance of understanding what's happening inside one's brain when procrastinating.
• 🎓 Despite his achievements, including a PhD at 26 and growing a YouTube channel, Aluli admits to being a chronic procrastinator.
• 🤔 He suggests that procrastination often stems from fear, incongruence of interests and values, or feeling overwhelmed.
• 🏁 To tackle procrastination, Aluli recommends identifying the specific reason behind it, such as fear, lack of interest, or feeling overwhelmed.
• 📝 For overcoming the feeling of being overwhelmed, he advises focusing only on the first step of a task to reduce the pressure.
• 🎶 To address a lack of interest, he suggests finding ways to make the task enjoyable, such as listening to music while working.
• 💪 For fear of failure, Aluli introduces the concept of 'Vzero', where one does a preliminary version of the task to reduce the fear of getting started.
• 👥 Accountability is highlighted as a powerful tool to enhance productivity and combat procrastination, especially for those who are people-pleasers.
• 🔗 Aluli offers a community for like-minded entrepreneurs for support and accountability, and invites viewers to join for further insights.

Q & A

Who is Ali Aluli and what is his profession?

Ali Aluli is a systems engineer and a post-doctoral fellow at the NASA Propulsion Lab. He also has a YouTube channel where he shares content related to productivity and personal development.

What is the main focus of Ali Aluli's video?

The main focus of Ali Aluli's video is to address the root cause of procrastination and provide methods to overcome it, rather than offering generic tips on productivity.

Why did Ali Aluli start his PhD at the age of 26?

The script does not provide specific reasons for Ali starting his PhD at 26, but it does mention his achievement as a point of credibility in discussing productivity and overcoming procrastination.

What is Ali's personal experience with procrastination?

Ali has been a chronic procrastinator throughout his life, including during his high school, college, and even the beginning of his PhD. He has used his skills as a systems engineer to diagnose and address his procrastination.

What are the three main reasons Ali identifies for procrastination?

The three main reasons for procrastination that Ali identifies are fear, incongruence of interests and values, and feeling overwhelmed.

How does Ali suggest dealing with the fear of failure when it leads to procrastination?

Ali suggests creating a 'V0' or a zero version of the task, which involves doing the minimum to get started without the pressure of producing a final product, to overcome the fear of failure.

What does Ali mean by 'overwhelm' in the context of procrastination?

By 'overwhelm,' Ali refers to the feeling of being overwhelmed by the size or complexity of a task, which can lead to a sense of panic and avoidance of starting the task.

How can incongruence of interests and values lead to procrastination?

Incongruent interests and values can lead to procrastination when a task does not align with one's personal values or interests, causing a lack of motivation and enjoyment in performing the task.

What is Ali's suggestion for dealing with tasks that are not inherently interesting?

Ali suggests finding ways to make uninteresting tasks fun, such as listening to enjoyable music while doing paperwork, to overcome the lack of interest and motivation.

How does Ali recommend using accountability to combat procrastination?

Ali recommends finding someone who can consistently check in and hold you accountable for completing tasks, which can provide the necessary external pressure to get started and finish tasks.

What is the 'procrastination Trident' that Ali refers to in his video?

The 'procrastination Trident' is Ali's term for the three main causes of procrastination he discusses in his video: fear, incongruence of interests and values, and overwhelm.