How to STOP procrastinating - simple and effective ways!

Summary

This video script addresses the common struggle of procrastination, offering a three-step solution to overcome it. It starts by acknowledging the emotional triggers behind procrastination, suggesting techniques like the 5-minute rule, Pomodoro Technique, and the 321 method to reduce initial resistance to tasks. Finally, it emphasizes the importance of recognizing and celebrating one's success in combating procrastination, fostering a positive mindset for future challenges.

Takeaways

• 📚 Procrastination is a habit, not a personality trait, and can be managed by identifying triggers and taking actionable steps.
• 🌟 Junior, the speaker, emphasizes the importance of understanding the root causes of procrastination to find a lasting solution.
• 🤔 The script suggests that procrastination often stems from feelings like fear, guilt, or embarrassment associated with a task, rather than the task itself.
• 💡 It's crucial to distinguish between reality and imagination to effectively tackle procrastination, as our thoughts can create artificial complexities.
• 📝 Acknowledging the trigger is the first step in overcoming procrastination, and journaling can be a powerful tool for this self-awareness.
• ⏱ The 5-Minute Rule is introduced as a technique to start tasks by committing to just 5 minutes of work, which can build momentum and lead to longer periods of productivity.
• 🍅 The Pomodoro Technique is recommended for maintaining focus, involving work intervals of 25 minutes (or a duration that suits the individual) followed by short breaks.
• 🏁 The 321 Method is a quick action-prompting tool, where counting down from three and taking immediate action can bypass hesitation and start the task.
• 🎯 Recognizing and celebrating success after overcoming procrastination is vital for building confidence and reinforcing positive behavior.
• 🔄 The video script highlights the importance of self-reflection and positive self-talk in maintaining motivation and overcoming the negative impacts of procrastination.
• 🚀 The speaker shares a personal anecdote to illustrate the effectiveness of the strategies discussed and encourages viewers to implement them in their own lives.

Q & A

What is the main issue discussed in the video script?

The main issue discussed in the video script is procrastination and how to combat it effectively.

According to the script, is procrastination a personality trait or a habit?

The script suggests that procrastination is not a personality trait but rather a habit.

Who is Mel Robbins and what did she teach the speaker about procrastination?

Mel Robbins is a motivational speaker and author. She taught the speaker that identifying triggers and taking actionable steps can help overcome procrastination.

What is the first step in overcoming procrastination as mentioned in the script?

The first step in overcoming procrastination is to acknowledge the trigger, which means becoming aware of the reasons behind the procrastination.

What are the three techniques introduced in the script to reduce the initial friction point of starting a task?

The three techniques introduced are the 5-minute rule, the Pomodoro Technique, and the 321 method.

Can you explain the 5-minute rule as described in the script?

The 5-minute rule involves committing to work on a task for just 5 minutes before deciding whether to continue, making it easier to start the task.

What is the Pomodoro Technique and how does it work?

The Pomodoro Technique involves working in intervals, traditionally 25 minutes, called 'pomodoros', with short breaks in between, and a longer break after a set number of pomodoros.

What is the 321 method and how does it help with procrastination?

The 321 method is a simple tool where you count down from three and take immediate action at 'one', which helps to overcome inertia and start a task.

Why is it important to recognize success after overcoming procrastination, according to the script?

Recognizing success is important because it helps to create a positive loop in one's mind, boosting confidence and making it more likely to overcome procrastination in the future.

What is the role of journaling in the process of overcoming procrastination as described in the script?

Journaling helps in acknowledging the trigger by writing down thoughts, creating distance between oneself and the thoughts, and better reasoning with oneself.

How does the script suggest dealing with artificial complexities created by overthinking?

The script suggests using techniques like the 5-minute rule, Pomodoro Technique, and 321 method to reduce the initial friction and start the task, which helps in overcoming the artificial complexities.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Overcoming Procrastination: A Personal Journey

The speaker, Junior, introduces the topic of procrastination, sharing his own struggles and the realization that it is a habit rather than a personality trait. He emphasizes the importance of identifying triggers and taking actionable steps to combat procrastination, as taught by Mel Robbins. Junior expresses empathy for those who struggle with procrastination and hopes that the strategies shared in the video will be as effective for the viewers as they have been for him. He also highlights the prevalence of procrastination among students and invites viewers to engage with the content through comments and subscriptions.

05:01

🤔 Understanding the Root Causes of Procrastination

This paragraph delves into the reasons behind procrastination, suggesting that it is rarely due to the task itself but rather the emotions associated with it, such as fear, guilt, or embarrassment. The speaker discusses how these feelings can stem from overthinking and creating artificial complexities in our minds. He also touches on the compounding effect of multiple tasks and the mental health impact of procrastination, such as feelings of demotivation and lethargy. The paragraph concludes with an introduction to a three-step process that the speaker has found effective in overcoming procrastination.

10:02

🔑 The Three-Step Solution to Procrastination

The speaker outlines a three-step process to combat procrastination. The first step is acknowledging the trigger, which involves becoming aware of the procrastination and understanding the underlying emotions. The second step introduces techniques to reduce the initial friction point, such as the 5-minute rule, the Pomodoro Technique, and the 321 method. These techniques aim to make starting a task easier, with the understanding that once started, maintaining momentum is less challenging. The speaker provides examples of how he personally applies these techniques and encourages viewers to experiment with them to find what works best.

15:03

🏆 Recognizing Success in Overcoming Procrastination

The final paragraph focuses on the importance of recognizing and celebrating success in overcoming procrastination. The speaker points out that we are often our own harshest critics and suggests that acknowledging our achievements can help create a positive internal dialogue. He shares a personal anecdote about a challenging day and how he used the strategies discussed in the video to accomplish his tasks. The speaker encourages viewers to be proud of their accomplishments and to reflect on their successes as a way to build confidence and motivation for future tasks.

Keywords

💡Procrastination

Procrastination is the act of delaying or postponing tasks or actions, often due to a lack of motivation or fear of failure. In the video, it is the central theme, discussed as a habit that can be overcome. The script mentions that it's not a personality trait but an actional issue that can be addressed by identifying triggers and taking steps to combat it.

💡Triggers

Triggers refer to the specific situations or emotions that prompt the act of procrastination. The video emphasizes the importance of identifying these triggers as a first step in overcoming procrastination. For instance, the speaker talks about feelings of fear, guilt, or embarrassment as potential triggers that lead to avoidance of tasks.

💡Mel Robbins

Mel Robbins is mentioned as the person who taught the speaker about identifying triggers to combat procrastination. She is known for her work on behavioral change and is referenced in the script to lend authority to the strategies being discussed.

💡Overthinking

Overthinking is the tendency to excessively analyze a situation, leading to artificial complexities and often resulting in procrastination. The script describes how overthinking can create imagined obstacles that make tasks seem more daunting than they are, contributing to the habit of procrastination.

💡Artificial Complexities

Artificial complexities are the imagined difficulties or obstacles that individuals create in their minds when faced with a task. The video script uses this term to describe how people often make tasks seem more difficult than they need to be, which in turn leads to procrastination.

💡5-Minute Rule

The 5-Minute Rule is a technique suggested in the video to combat procrastination by committing to just five minutes of work on a task. The idea is that starting is often the hardest part, and once started, it's easier to continue. The script provides an example of how this rule can be applied to gain momentum and enter a flow state of productivity.

💡Pomodoro Technique

The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method that involves breaking work into intervals, traditionally 25 minutes in length, separated by short breaks. The video script explains how this technique can make the initial task less daunting and help sustain momentum by making work sessions more manageable.

💡321 Method

The 321 Method is a simple action-prompting tool mentioned in the script where one counts down from three and takes action at 'one'. It's designed to bypass hesitation and get started on a task immediately. The video describes it as a powerful tool to overcome the initial friction of starting a task.

💡Flow State

Flow state refers to a mental state of complete immersion and focus on a task, where time and distractions seem to disappear. The video script discusses how once a person enters this state, it becomes easier to continue working productively, which is facilitated by techniques like the 5-Minute Rule.

💡Acknowledging Success

Acknowledging success is the act of recognizing and appreciating one's achievements, especially in overcoming procrastination. The video script highlights the importance of self-reflection and self-praise after successfully applying techniques to combat procrastination, which helps in building confidence and a positive mindset.

Highlights

Procrastination is not a personality trait but a habit.

Identifying triggers and taking actionable steps can help combat procrastination.

Procrastination is often a result of feelings associated with a task, not the task itself.

Feelings of fear, guilt, or embarrassment can lead to procrastination.

Overthinking and creating artificial complexities can contribute to procrastination.

The Pomodoro Technique can be a powerful tool to overcome procrastination.

The 5-minute rule encourages starting a task for just 5 minutes before deciding to continue.

Using a timer can help visualize the 5-minute rule and maintain focus.

The 321 method involves counting down from three and taking immediate action at one.

Acknowledging the trigger is the first step in combating procrastination.

Journaling can help identify and reason with thoughts that lead to procrastination.

The Pomodoro Technique involves working in intervals with short breaks.

Adjusting the time frame in the Pomodoro Technique can cater to individual preferences.

The 321 method helps shift focus from overthinking to immediate action.

Recognizing and celebrating success in overcoming procrastination is crucial.

Reflecting on accomplishments can boost confidence and motivation.

Procrastination can lead to feelings of demotivation and lethargy.

Understanding the root causes of procrastination is key to finding effective solutions.

Transcripts

you have an exam to study for or a paper

to write but instead clicked on this

video congratulations you struggle with

procrastination but truth be told I

struggled with it for most of my life

and it wasn't until University when I

recognized the fact that procrastination

isn't a personality trait it's not who

we are it's a habit Mel Robbins taught

me that once we can identify triggers

once we can take actionable steps

against it the quicker we're able to

return back to our work and get to the

place that we want to be in life I

understand how tough it can be to

procrastinates I really hope that you

learn a lot from this video you can take

a lot away from it my name is Junior if

you're new to the channel welcome if

you're returning welcome back man I am

super excited to do this one because if

you were to do a survey for students all

across the world and ask them hey what's

the biggest issue that you encounter as

a student I would be very surprised if

procrastination wasn't in the top five

so hopefully you can learn a lot from

this this is something that I've been

able to apply in terms of a strategy to

combat procrastin ation it's become very

powerful for me and I hope they can be

just as powerful for you too if you have

any questions or any thoughts please

leave them in the comments below if you

like the video make sure you give it a

thumbs up and then also of course

subscribe with that being said sit back

relax and enjoy this video before we can

even start talking about the solutions

we have to ask ourselves this really

important question of why do we even

procrastinate in the first place because

if we don't take the time to dissect and

then accurately identify what the root

causes then any solution we come up with

will be inherently temporary will be a

Band-Aid approach we don't want that we

want something more concrete we want

something a little bit more permanent

something we can rely on on a consistent

basis so let's just ask ourselves that

question and break it down why do we

procrastinate and I actually think the

answer might surprise you you see rarely

is it because the task is overwhelming

in and of itself instead there are

feelings associated with that task that

we're actively avoiding perhaps you have

a feeling of fear you are a

perfectionist and you've made progress

on a piece but you fail to return back

to it because you're afraid of messing

it up I've been there I know what that

feels like or perhaps it's a feeling

guilt you have a team that you made a

promise to and you're late on that

commitment now they're waiting on you

it's it's hard to try and overcome that

feeling of guilt or perhaps it's a

feeling of just straight up

embarrassment or shame because you've

seen other people successfully

accomplish this task and have made it

look pretty darn easy so you're

wondering what's wrong with me why is it

taking me so much longer whatever the

feeling is you have to understand that

there are occurring not because of an

event that's actually happened instead

it's a result of the thoughts in your

head the thoughts in your mind but it's

actually really difficult to distinguish

between reality and Imagination in real

time but the better we can understand

why procrastination happens the better

off you'll be when you're trying to

identify and then take actional steps

against it we as human beings we have

this natural tendency to overthink we do

you and me both and everyone are really

do believe do some people have it harder

than others yes but we all when we're

introduced to a task jump to the details

right we start to think about when is

the deadline who are the people we have

to work with what is it going to require

out of me what do I have to sacrifice to

get it done we think about every little

thing that can go wrong and we start to

create what I call artificial

complexities or perceived complexities

they're not actually there but they're

in our imagination but we all know that

sometimes our thoughts can seemingly be

our reality what makes it worse is that

we're usually introduced to a new task

before we even get started on the first

one and then what happens is not only do

you have these artificial complexities

built for this first task but now you

have it for a second and then a third

and then a fourth and a fifth and then a

six and then they all interact with each

other and they compound and eventually

they become this insurmountable Mountain

that you can't seemingly overcome I've

been there and if you've ever felt the

full extent of what procrastination can

do to your mental health you know how

serious of a matter this is right you

know that it can make you feel

demotivated it can make you feel

lethargic it can make you you just feel

like you don't want to do anything we

don't want to be there and now that I've

laid the foundation of how serious

procrastination can be let's jump into

the solution this is a three-step

process in which I've utilized I've

applied and it's worked tremendously

well for me so hopefully can help you

guys too so the first step is to

acknowledge the trigger a lot of us we

procrastinate without even knowing that

we're procrastinating we don't have any

awareness of it happening and then

eventually they just start to compile

with one another and then we just have

these feelings of being completely

exhausted and we're wondering what's

wrong with us we have to set time for

ourselves on a daily basis to have that

interaction connection with that inner

dialogue and I talk about how important

journaling is for me and I really hope

that you guys are taking me up on that

but what's happening when you Journal is

you're writing your thoughts down and

you start to create distance between you

and your thoughts paper is more patient

than people there's that great quote and

basically paper's not going to judge you

paper won't make you feel stupid it's

not not going to call you lazy or that

you're being irrational right as you're

able to freely write down your thoughts

you can better reason with yourself you

can even think oh my goodness I don't

even agree with that but you wouldn't

have known that if you didn't get it out

of your head and so once those thoughts

are out you start to go through the

process of actively uncovering those

layers and start to recognize okay this

is what I'm feeling and maybe this is

why I'm feeling that way so that's

acknowledging your trigger and then step

number two is you apply techniques that

reduce the initial friction point you

apply techniques that make it easier for

you to just get started because once you

do you'll realize that that part was the

hardest the three techniques that I love

to use and I actually find myself using

them quite often are one the 5 minute

rule two it's going to be probably the

most widely used productivity tip called

the Pomodoro Technique and three the 321

method we're going to quickly go over

these one at a time the first one being

the 5 minute rle which basically has you

commit to just 5 minutes of work before

deciding whether or not to continue it's

a lot easier for you to grasp working

for 5 minutes versus 5 hours but what

happens during those 5 minutes well I'll

come to my desk and I'll open up the

tabs that I need I'll read the actual

assignment prompt and now I know what to

do so what's going to happen after those

5 minutes I'm going to think okay it's

not that bad now that I've gotten the

assignment up and I know exactly what's

required of me maybe I can get up my

Word document and start a few paragraphs

of the assignment it's hard to start the

momentum but it's not as hard to sustain

it so now that I've created this

positive momentum then it's easier for

me to stay in it because you enter

What's called the flow state that makes

it a lot more natural a lot more

comfortable for you to do that work and

you're able to work effectively you see

after those first 5 minutes it can

quickly become 30 minutes it can become

an hour and eventually you'll have made

significant progress and even if you

don't continue after the first 5 minutes

that's fine go ahead and do something

else and then come back to apply the 5

minute rule again eventually I bet

you'll find yourself being able to

surpass the first 5 minute bout actually

a quick little anecdote I bought a timer

off of Amazon it was a sand timer and

for the first two years it became an

essential piece in my backpack I care e

it around everywhere and what I would do

is whenever I would feel lethargic not

want to do anything and feel like I'm

going to procrastinate I would just flip

that sand timer and look at it and I'm

like I can commit to 5 minutes of work

come on June I know you're tired but 5

minutes you can do 5 minutes and I would

do it and then eventually I'd find

myself going past the 5 minutes I did

this constantly right and actually the

the sandtimer served two purposes not

only did allow me to apply the 5 minute

rule but it gave me a place to put my

visual Focus whenever I start to find

myself being distracted and so instead

of looking out into the public space and

seeing people and be distracted by

movement I would look and Target my

visual Focus to that sand piece or

particle dwindling down and eventually

that got boring so I return back to my

work whether you Ed the sand timer or

not that's up to you but the 5 minute

roll in general is something that I

certainly think you should apply number

two the Pomodoro Technique and if you

haven't heard of this just yet um

hopefully I can bring light to it

because it is so powerful and basically

it has you work for pomodoros which are

25 minute intervals with 5 minute breaks

and then after a set of pomodoros you'll

take a longer break of 30 to 45 minutes

or even an hour break right again it's a

lot easier for you to grasp the idea of

barking for 25 minutes versus 3 hours or

4 hours or 5 hours but you'll find that

each subsquent pomodoros are much easier

to achieve than the previous one right

cuz again it's a lot easier for you to

sustain that momentum then start it so

making that initial task a lot less

daunting the pomodora doeses a really

good job of doing that but also a caveat

here that 25 minute is just a suggestion

right it's not something that you have

to adhere two I don't use 25 minutes I

use 45 minutes because for me that's not

that hard to do 45 minutes doesn't seem

so insurmountable if if it's hard for

you to even get a few minutes in

probably 45 minutes isn't where you're

going to start but 45 minutes still

feels very easy to me and also allows me

to take that break right about the time

in which I'm going to be bogged down by

distractions so just experiment with the

time frame in which you want to utilize

for your pomodoros and then find what

works best for you and apply it but

again the idea is can you find a time

frame in which it's still seemingly

feasible for yourself it's like duh I

can do that um it's laughable almost and

then you'll find that each subsequent

pomodoros are going to be easier for you

to execute number three the 321 method

this is a very simple yet powerful tool

if it could become a subconscious habit

of yours whenever you find yourself not

wanting to do a task count count down

from three and at one immediately take

action towards that step Mel Robbins has

that great quote that says never let

your mood dictate what you do always

take action first because movement

changes your mood and it couldn't be

further from the truth and I love that

quote and so what happens when we're

making these decisions of pursuing our

goals our mind and our bodies actually

enter this battle it's our body saying I

want to stay here I want to stay where

I'm at I want to stay put I want to stay

in my comfee bed I want to stay with my

friends and your mind is racing like oh

my goodness we got to do this and that

and we have these goals we should go to

the gym we should go do our work and

actually if you give yourself long

enough your body usually wins out um

your body keeps you where you're at and

that's why we tend to procrastinate on

our work and tend to not want to go to

the gym but the 321 method has you shift

your focus to the counting and then at

one you take that action so you don't

allow yourself enough time to start to

create those artificial complexities or

at least Ponder upon those artificial

complexities and when you take action

you'll start to recognize that it's not

as hard as you originally thought that

it was so this has become absolutely

essential for me in the mornings when I

wake up so literally when I wake up I I

only ever set one alarm and that's

because when I wake up I do this I I

roll over and I do three 2 1 and at 1 I

get up and I just start my morning

routine and usually that first action

changes my mood and I'm able to continue

sustaining that momentum into my first

task of the day are there times in which

I finish my morning then I go back to

sleep yes I will be completely honest

but is that rare yes and in general more

often than not does the 321 method help

me prevent that procrastination of

getting the day started yes and I think

that's something that you should try

implementing as well so those are three

techniques but really any technique that

helps you reduce that initial friction

that allows you to laugh at how easy it

is to accomplish the better off you'll

be in terms of um overcoming that level

of procrastination and then part number

three this is really important and I

think this is the part in which most

people don't do ever and that is to

recognize the success recognize the fact

that you were able to overcome that

procrastination you see we are our

biggest critics we are so quick to say

June you are useless you're lazy you're

unmotivated you're good for nothing but

rarely do we say June you did a good job

rarely do we compliment her ourselves

rarely do we give us that vat of

confidence and you see like we're

constantly in conversation with

ourselves so if that's not a positive

Loop in your mind of course it's going

to have an impact on you and and how you

go about what you do right so take that

time whenever you do to reflect to say I

did this I felt a certain way and I did

not want to do it but I acknowledged the

trigger I took the actable steps to

overcome it and man did I do a good job

because the more you're able to cement

that as an actual task that you

accomplished that you actually took

steps to overcome the more likely you'll

be doing that in the future I have a

perfect example of this this happened to

me yesterday I had the longest day

yesterday I had projects and I had exams

I had meetings for both my school

projects and then also for my business I

had to go to the gym there's so many

things going on I was getting so many

messages constantly of people that

needed my attention and in my head I was

thinking how am I going to do this how

am I going to try and even make any

progress towards any of these and I

found myself doing that I started to

create these artificial complexities

with each of those tasks and then they

start to compile with one another and

then it became this in of mountain

seemingly where I was like I'm just

going to call it a day but I did it I

acknowledged the trigger I wrote it down

and then number two I implemented the 5

minute rule for the first two tasks and

then I gained that momentum to start I

was able to sustain it and then before I

went to bed I made sure I took the time

to think I did that most people wouldn't

have been able to do that most people

wouldn't have been able to get through

that day yester because they would have

gave up and I'm certainly somebody in

the past that would have gave up but I'm

proud of myself for accomplishing that

you should be proud of yourself whenever

you do accomplish something as dangerous

something as hard as procrastination so

that's part three never skip out on that

okay you have to understand that you are

powerful beyond measure you are somebody

that that has a lot to offer you're

somebody that's very smart that that can

take somehow this

seemingly crazy chaotic world that we

live in and still be able to make

progress on the days that you don't want

to hopefully um what you learned in this

video was a value to you hopefully you

learned a lot right so to to recap we

first understood why

procrastination happens in the first

place that allows us to put ourselves in

a better situation to distinguish

between reality and Imagination in real

time and then the action full steps are

number one acknowledge the trigger

number two apply the techniques that

reduce the initial friction and then

make it easier for us to start and then

number three acknowledge your success

again if you have any questions please

leave them in the comments below I'll be

happy to answer and of course

subscribing until next time I hope that

you take care and of course I'll see you

at the

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