How to Stop Procrastinating
Summary
TLDRThe video script offers a three-step program to conquer chronic procrastination, a common issue affecting about 20% of the population. It suggests breaking down large tasks into manageable segments, starting projects with enjoyable tasks to trigger dopamine release, and eliminating distractions to stay focused. The script uses the analogy of 'eating an elephant one bite at a time' and references from 'The Odyssey' to illustrate its points, aiming to make productivity less daunting and more achievable.
Takeaways
- đ Procrastination is common, with about 20% of people identifying as chronic procrastinators.
- đ A study showed that students with strict deadlines performed better on papers compared to those who set their own deadlines.
- đ The 'Eat an Elephant' method suggests breaking down large projects into smaller, manageable tasks to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
- đ Reward yourself after completing parts of a project rather than waiting until the end to celebrate your accomplishments.
- đ Write down what you plan to do hour by hour to tackle your project and make it specific.
- đ Start your project with tasks you enjoy to release dopamine, which makes you happy and motivated.
- đ 'Itsy-bitsy goblins' refers to starting with the most enjoyable parts of a project to get momentum going.
- đą The 'Siren Songs' strategy is about avoiding distractions, inspired by Ulysses' crew in The Odyssey, who had to ignore the sirens' call.
- đ Clear distractions by setting boundaries, such as having someone change your internet password to stay focused.
- đ Recognize that humans are not good at self-regulation, which is why you need to trick yourself into being productive.
- đ The three-step method for overcoming procrastination involves segmenting tasks, starting with enjoyable parts, and avoiding distractions.
Q & A
What is the main topic of the video script?
-The main topic of the video script is addressing procrastination and providing a three-step program to help manage it effectively.
What percentage of the population does the script suggest identifies as chronic procrastinators?
-The script suggests that about 20% of the population identifies themselves as chronic procrastinators.
What was the key finding of the study involving two groups of university students and their approach to writing papers?
-The key finding was that the group with strict weekly deadlines (Group B) performed better on the papers than the group that could turn in papers at any point during the three weeks (Group A).
What does the script suggest as the first step in the three-step method for stopping procrastination?
-The first step is to 'eat an elephant,' which means breaking down a large project into small, manageable segments and rewarding oneself for completing parts of the project.
What is the purpose of breaking down a project into smaller tasks as suggested in the first step?
-The purpose is to make the project less overwhelming and to provide a sense of accomplishment and motivation by completing smaller tasks and rewarding oneself along the way.
What does the script refer to as 'itsy-bitsy goblins' in the context of the second step?
-The 'itsy-bitsy goblins' refer to the smaller, enjoyable tasks within a project that one should start with to trigger the release of dopamine and create a positive association with the work.
How does the script relate the story of Ulysses from The Odyssey to the third step of combating procrastination?
-The script uses the story of Ulysses being tied to the mast to illustrate the idea of removing distractions and staying on track, similar to how Ulysses' crew had to ignore the sirens' song.
What is the third step in the script's method for overcoming procrastination?
-The third step is to avoid the 'siren song,' which means clearing out distractions that could lead to procrastination later on.
What are some examples of distractions that the script suggests should be avoided according to the third step?
-Examples of distractions include Facebook, online video games, and any other activities that might tempt one away from completing their tasks.
How does the script recommend dealing with distractions such as social media or online games?
-The script suggests having someone else change the internet password as a way to remove the immediate access and temptation to these distractions.
Outlines
đ Procrastination Awareness and Introduction to the 3-Step Solution
The script starts by humorously acknowledging the audience's potential procrastination, suggesting they might have better things to do but are instead watching the video. It then introduces a three-step program to tackle procrastination, a common issue affecting about 20% of the population. The program is based on a study involving university students with different assignment deadlines, which showed that strict deadlines were more effective in improving performance. The video promises to offer a method to 'trick' oneself into being productive and encourages viewers to print out a worksheet from their website for guidance.
đ Breaking Down Large Tasks into Manageable Pieces
The first step in overcoming procrastination is to 'eat an elephant' one bite at a time, which metaphorically means to break down a large project into smaller, more manageable tasks. This approach prevents feeling overwhelmed and allows for gradual progress. The script advises viewers to organize their project into specific, hour-by-hour tasks, making the daunting 'elephant' of a project seem much less intimidating and more achievable.
đ Starting with Enjoyable Tasks to Boost Motivation
The second step suggests starting any project with the tasks that are most enjoyable. Engaging in tasks that one likes triggers the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with feelings of pleasure. This strategy aims to make the beginning of a project more appealing, thus overcoming the initial hurdle of getting started, whether it's writing an engaging introduction or designing an attractive cover for a report.
đą Avoiding Distractions with the Siren Song Strategy
The third step draws an analogy to Homer's 'The Odyssey,' where Ulysses is bound to the mast to resist the allure of the sirens' song. The script recommends a similar approach to avoid distractions that could derail productivity. It suggests planning to eliminate or minimize these distractions, such as asking someone to change internet passwords to prevent access to social media or online games, ensuring a clear path to focus on the task at hand.
Mindmap
Keywords
đĄprocrastination
đĄproductive procrastination
đĄchronic procrastinators
đĄself-regulation
đĄdeadlines
đĄtricking oneself
đĄbite-sized tasks
đĄdopamine
đĄsirens
đĄdistractions
đĄworksheet
Highlights
Introduction to a three-step program to combat procrastination.
20% of the population identifies as chronic procrastinators.
The importance of self-deception in understanding procrastination.
Study on university students with different deadlines for writing papers.
Group B with strict deadlines outperformed Group A with flexible deadlines.
The need to trick oneself into being productive.
Step 1: 'Eat an Elephant' by breaking projects into manageable segments.
Organizing a project hour by hour to tackle it effectively.
Step 2: Starting with the most enjoyable part of a project to release dopamine.
Using the 'Itsy-Bitsy Goblins' approach to overcome the initial hurdle of starting.
Step 3: Avoiding distractions by clearing the path, inspired by The Odyssey.
The strategy of tying oneself to the mast to avoid siren songs of distractions.
Recommendation to remove internet passwords as a distraction control method.
Recap of the three-step method to trick oneself into doing work.
Encouragement to share feedback and contact information for the channel.
Music outro signaling the end of the video.
Transcripts
all right let's be honest is there
something else you're supposed to be
doing right now give a paper due in 10
hours
is there a stinky pile of laundry slowly
inching its way across your bedroom
floor you should be doing those things
but instead you're here listening to me
lecture you on YouTube wait wait wait
wait wait don't go away just yet the
next five minutes will be the most
productive bit of procrastination you
have done all day and you're not the
only one procrastinating thanks to a
suggestion by one of our viewers today's
episode of well cast is going to bring
you a three-step program to wrangle your
monster of procrastination into
submission about 20% of the population
identifies themselves as chronic
procrastinators people who constantly
put off the things that they really need
to do and that is because
procrastination is about lying to
yourself you know telling yourself I'll
have plenty of time to finish that paper
tomorrow when you know you are way
behind in a recent study two groups of
university students were assigned to
write three papers in three weeks group
a was given the opportunity to turn in
all three papers in at any point during
those three weeks
Group B on the other hand had strict
weekly deadlines for each paper
ultimately the ones who did the best on
the papers were the ones given the
strict deadlines Group A the students
who had to pick their own deadlines and
they did pretty poorly clearly humans
are not the best at regulating
themselves so when it comes to
procrastination you have to trick
yourself into getting the job done and
this brings us to our well-cast 3-step
method for stopping procrastination
please pause and print out your
worksheet at watch well cast calm okay
are you ready
step 1 eat an elephant hey how do you
eat an elephant one bite at a time look
what I'm saying is you need time to
digest or you're gonna make yourself
sick reward yourself for getting through
parts of the project rather than waiting
to reward yourself after the whole thing
is over
okay procrastinator think about
that one project that you really need to
get done but calm down instead of
letting it overwhelm you organize that
project into small bite-sized manageable
segments think about what needs to get
done and write down what you're going to
be doing to tackle this project hour by
hour and make it specific by breaking
down this giant project into smaller
tasks this elephant will become a lot
less daunting step two pick out the
itsy-bitsy goblins instead of going for
the whole dragon the hardest part about
starting any project is always starting
the project a good way to get around
this is to start a project off with the
tasks you like the best listen when you
do something that you like your brain
releases dopamine which makes you happy
maybe it's decorating the cover of a
report or writing a snappy intro into an
otherwise incredibly boring paper step
three are the siren songs seriously this
step is straight out of Homer's epic
poem The Odyssey in the Odyssey our
protagonist Ulysses is trying to get
home unfortunately this requires
maneuvering through a straight of water
where sailors are often lured onto the
rocks by creatures called sirens instead
of giving up
Ulysses instructs his crew to tie him to
the mast of his ship and for all of them
to plug their ears no matter how much he
yells and screams to head towards the
beautiful sirens the sailors must keep
on track we're not saying that you need
to actually tie yourself up to anything
but you should plan to clear any
distractions that will hamper your
ability to procrastinate later for
example if you're a sucker for Facebook
or online video games have your parents
or your roommates change the internet
password to keep you on track for
studying the less temptations you give
into or have the ability to give in to
the better you'll be at a Seng that exam
okay kiddos let's recap the best way to
get around procrastination is to trick
yourself into doing the work it's true
though we recommend that you do this in
one of three ways number one breaking
your tasks into segments in other words
you go ahead to eat that elephant
number two start with the most enjoyable
part of the project go for those
itsy-bitsy goblins and number three
avoid that siren song clear out those
distractions so you can get the job done
at these tips helped leave us a message
below or email us at watch will cast
calm tweet us at watch webcast email us
at watch well-cast at gmail.com or leave
a comment down below we'll see you next
time
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