How I Make Myself Work When I'm Lazy (from a Top 1% Med Student)
Summary
TLDRIn this video, Salim, a final-year med student, shares his 'Flow Method' for getting work done efficiently without relying on motivation or discipline. He outlines five steps: establishing a Pre-Focus Routine to ease into work, practicing Tunnel Vision to avoid multitasking, setting a Low Threshold for Effort to minimize resistance, adhering to The Two-Day Rule for consistency, and overcoming mental barriers by understanding the importance of tasks. Salim also introduces a 1-to-1 online coaching service to help viewers with their productivity and studying challenges.
Takeaways
- š Start with a Pre-Focus Routine to transition into work mode, similar to warming up before a workout.
- šÆ Practice Tunnel Vision by applying Parkinsonās Law to prioritize tasks and declutter your physical workspace to minimize distractions.
- šŖ Set a Low Threshold for Effort to initiate tasks with minimal commitment, which often leads to completing more than intended.
- š Adhere to The Two-Day Rule to maintain consistency in your activities by not skipping more than two days in a row.
- ā° Identify your best hours for specific activities to align your energy levels with your tasks for optimal productivity.
- š¤ Consider group accountability with a friend to stay committed to your tasks and avoid disappointment.
- š Reflect on the deep reasons behind your tasks to understand their importance and overcome resistance to starting.
- š Write down immediate and long-term reasons for your tasks to reinforce motivation and focus on the process, not just the outcome.
- š« Avoid comparing your progress with others to prevent demotivation and maintain a healthy perspective on your personal journey.
- š Learn from the speaker's experience and strategies shared in the script to enhance personal productivity and academic success.
Q & A
What is the main focus of Salim's video?
-The main focus of Salim's video is to introduce the 'Flow Method,' a reliable way to make oneself work efficiently without relying on motivation or discipline.
What is Salim's educational background mentioned in the script?
-Salim is a final year medical student who has also completed an undergraduate and postgraduate degree.
What is the first step of the Flow Method that Salim suggests?
-The first step of the Flow Method is to establish a Pre-Focus Routine, which is an easy or simple activity done before starting work to prepare the mind for the task ahead.
How does Salim compare the Pre-Focus Routine to exercising?
-Salim compares the Pre-Focus Routine to warming up at the gym before lifting heavy weights, as it prepares the body and mind for the more demanding task.
What is the concept of 'Tunnel Vision' as discussed by Salim?
-Tunnel Vision, as discussed by Salim, involves two parts: mentally focusing on one task at a time to avoid multitasking, and physically clearing the workspace of distractions.
How does Salim apply Parkinsonās Law in the context of the Flow Method?
-Salim applies Parkinsonās Law by suggesting a brain dump where one lists everything on their mind that needs to be done and then picks the most urgent tasks to focus on within a 3-minute time frame.
What is the 'Low Threshold for Effort' strategy mentioned by Salim?
-The 'Low Threshold for Effort' strategy involves setting a very low initial goal to start a task, which often leads to completing more than initially intended due to the momentum built during the process.
What is the 'Two-Day Rule' that Salim discusses?
-The 'Two-Day Rule' is a consistency strategy where one is not allowed to skip a task for more than two consecutive days, ensuring regular engagement with the activity.
How does Salim suggest identifying the best hours for productivity?
-Salim suggests identifying the best hours for productivity by recognizing when one has the most energy and scheduling tasks during those times to increase the likelihood of completion.
What is the service that Salim offers to help with productivity and studying?
-Salim offers a 1-to-1 online coaching service where he provides personalized action plans and advice to help individuals improve their productivity and academic performance.
How does Salim address the issue of comparing oneself to others in terms of productivity?
-Salim addresses the issue of comparing oneself to others by emphasizing the importance of understanding one's own reasons for doing a task and focusing on the process rather than just the end result.
Outlines
š The Flow Method for Productivity
Salim, a final year medical student, introduces a method called the Flow Method to help overcome laziness and start working efficiently without relying on motivation or discipline. He shares his personal experiences and offers actionable steps and mindset adjustments. The method includes a Pre-Focus Routine, similar to a warm-up at the gym, to prepare oneself for work. Salim suggests doing something easy or simple before starting work to condition the mind for focus. He also discusses the importance of avoiding multitasking, applying Parkinsonās Law for a brain dump, and creating a focused workspace to maintain tunnel vision. The paragraph emphasizes the need for a low threshold for effort to initiate tasks and the Two-Day Rule for consistency.
šļøāāļø Overcoming Resistance and Efficiency in Studying
In the second paragraph, Salim addresses the issue of resistance to work and provides strategies to overcome it. He talks about the importance of understanding the personal significance of tasks and setting clear, immediate, and long-term goals. Salim shares his own journey of studying for medical school and how he overcame the mental barriers by focusing on the process rather than just the end result. He also discusses the importance of efficient studying, hinting at a video where he shares key insights from his university experience on how to study effectively and achieve high grades with minimal effort. Additionally, Salim announces a new 1-to-1 online coaching service to help individuals with their specific productivity and studying challenges.
Mindmap
Keywords
š”Motivation
š”Discipline
š”Flow Method
š”Pre-Focus Routine
š”Tunnel Vision
š”Parkinsonās Law
š”Low Threshold for Effort
š”The Two-Day Rule
š”Accountability
š”Mental Barriers
š”Productivity
Highlights
A reliable method to make yourself work without motivation or discipline.
The introduction of the Flow Method with actionable steps and mindset.
The significance of the Pre-Focus Routine to prepare for work.
Using a Pre-Focus Routine similar to a warm-up exercise at the gym.
Examples of a Pre-Focus Routine: 10 minutes of thinking or language learning apps.
The importance of Tunnel Vision to avoid multitasking.
Applying Parkinsonās Law for a brain dump to avoid multitasking.
Creating a distraction-free workspace for physical Tunnel Vision.
The challenge of maintaining motivation and overcoming resistance to work.
The concept of a Low Threshold for Effort to initiate tasks.
The effectiveness of starting with a small task to build momentum.
The Two-Day Rule for consistency and flexibility in work habits.
Identifying the best hours for productivity to follow the Two-Day Rule.
The offer of personalized 1-to-1 online coaching for productivity and studying.
The importance of understanding personal goals and the reasons behind tasks.
Overcoming mental barriers by focusing on the process rather than the end result.
The impact of comparing progress with others and how to overcome it.
The necessity of efficient time usage for effective studying and productivity.
Transcripts
Most people believe that they need to beĀ motivated or disciplined to get work done.
But what if I told you that thereās a reliable wayĀ Ā
to make yourself work withoutĀ motivation or discipline..
Iām Salim, Iām a final year med student, and IāveĀ also done an undergrad and postgraduate degree.
And like you right now, Iāve had times whereĀ Iād be on YouTube when I should be doing work.
But over my 8 years at uni, Iāve figured out aĀ reliable method to immediately make myself work,Ā Ā
even when i feel lazy - so that I work efficientlyĀ and still have time for more of what I care about.
So Iāll go through the 5 steps of the Flow MethodĀ which covers actionable steps and the mindset youĀ Ā
need to help you do this too - and the last pointĀ had a massive role in helping me get into medĀ Ā
school and start this YouTube channel, so stickĀ around until the end for this important point.
So first, I have a question - when do you feelĀ the most resistance to doing work? Usually,Ā Ā
itās when you try to start aĀ task, rather than carrying on.
And because of this, it makes sense forĀ me to explain the first step you needĀ Ā
to take so that you can start doing work,Ā even when you donāt want to - and this isĀ Ā
by making sure to have a Pre-Focus RoutineĀ - and I like comparing this to exercising.
When Iām at the gym, I warm up beforeĀ I go on to using te heavier weights soĀ Ā
that my muscles can get readyĀ to handle the higher weights.
And in a similar way for working, this is doingĀ Ā
something easy or simple thatās only everĀ done before you start working or studying.
Itās there to act similar to the warm up exerciseĀ at the gym, because it doesnāt need much effort toĀ Ā
do, but helps you directly prepare yourĀ energy into what youāll be doing next.
So as an example for a pre-work routine, oneĀ thing I do is spend exactly 10 minutes to doĀ Ā
nothing besides think - I just think about whatĀ I want to work on, planning the exact thing IāllĀ Ā
be starting on, so that when the 10 minutes isĀ up, Iām aware of what I immediately need to do.
Or another example is thatĀ I do lesson on Duolingo orĀ Ā
Brilliant to ease myself into a focused mindset.
Leave a comment below for a routine thatĀ youād do for yourself - just make sureĀ Ā
that the routine is somethingĀ you only do before working,Ā Ā
so that you condition your mind toĀ associate this routine with your work.
And now, I want you to think back toĀ something I know youāve experienced.
Think back to a time where you were on your phone,Ā and somebody came up to you - they started talkingĀ Ā
to you, but you couldnāt really listen to themĀ properly because your mind was on your phone.
But after you put your phone away,Ā you donāt remember what they said,Ā Ā
so they repeat what they said andĀ now you can properly speak to them.
Those experiences make it very clear thatĀ you canāt do multiple things at once,Ā Ā
and this applies to getting workĀ done; so what you should do,Ā Ā
is have Tunnel Vision - but this isnāt only toĀ avoid multitasking, thereās a second part to this.
But first, the best way toĀ avoid multitasking is toĀ Ā
apply Parkinsonās Law for a brainĀ dump - and what does this mean?
Give yourself only 3 minutes to list downĀ everything on your mind that you need to get done,Ā Ā
and pick up to three of the most urgent thingsĀ to do today - whichever one you pick out firstĀ Ā
is your most urgent, meaning your mostĀ time-sensitive - so start with that.
People think too much and that cloudsĀ their judgement, but by making it quick,Ā Ā
your brain just knows what needs toĀ be done and what can wait until later,Ā Ā
without you having to actually think too much.
And I said thereās a second part toĀ this - so similar to having tunnelĀ Ā
vision for directing yourself mentally, youĀ should have tunnel vision physically too.
In an exam setting you only have what you need,Ā Ā
so make your work space similar where if thereāsĀ something you donāt need, get rid of it so yourĀ Ā
mind and your eyes stay focused - becauseĀ literally anything can become a distraction.
And you might think oh but, your desk isnāt clearĀ - and youāre right, but Iāve only ever use myĀ Ā
desk to work, and I donāt have a problem withĀ focusing anymore, so this point isnāt for me.
But now for the next point, there is somethingĀ I do have a problem with, that most people haveĀ Ā
too - quite a lot of the time when I have toĀ go to the gym, or start editing my next video,Ā Ā
I donāt have any motivation to do them, or IĀ feel a very strong resistance to doing them.
Because it takes a lot of effort - theyĀ take up a lot of energy to get through.
But whatās helped me maintain going toĀ the gym 5x a week for the past few months,Ā Ā
or have a video out every single week,Ā is having a Low Threshold for Effort.
This is when I tell myself that, I donāt needĀ to do anything big, I donāt have to script,Ā Ā
record, and edit a video in oneĀ day - all I have to do right now,Ā Ā
is think of one thing I can start doing,Ā and feel free to stop after thatās done.
If I donāt want to go to the gym, IĀ just take a walk to my gym and back,Ā Ā
or for editing, this might only be addingĀ music and sound effects to the videos.
And when I do this I noticed that, I alwaysĀ end up doing more than this low threshold;Ā Ā
99% of the time Iād end up going to theĀ gym, or Iāll almost finish editing a video.
So for you, this could be doing theĀ smallest thing to make progress onĀ Ā
your work or studying, whether thatāsĀ organizing your schedule for tomorrow,Ā Ā
doing a few practise questions, orĀ writing a small paragraph for an essay.
This works because starting with nothingĀ is whatās difficult - but once you getĀ Ā
going your mindset naturally shiftsĀ as you build momentum with your task.
And this idea of minimal effort links wellĀ Ā
with the next point which is aĀ rule that you need to follow.
So over the past few months, I said that IāveĀ been going to the gym 5x a week - and this isĀ Ā
the same for practising the piano 5x aĀ week, or working on my YouTube channel.
And whatās helped me be consistent withĀ this and still be flexible, is followingĀ Ā
The Two-Day Rule - and thereās one thing IāllĀ get to that will help you follow this rule.
But first, this is a ruleĀ where you arenāt allowed toĀ Ā
skip more than two days in a row - theĀ flexibility comes from the fact that,Ā Ā
if I really donāt want to go gym today, thatāsĀ fine, I just have to make sure I go tomorrow.
And the thing that helps me do this is identifyingĀ my best hours for what I need to do - so for gym,Ā Ā
I have the most energy in the morning, so I makeĀ sure that I save early mornings for the gym,Ā Ā
or for piano, I like practising atĀ night, so I leave that for later.
This works with the rule because I canĀ anticipate when Iāll be bothered to doĀ Ā
the thing, so that I donāt feel bad ifĀ I miss the gym today after med school,Ā Ā
because I know Iāll be happyĀ to go early tomorrow morning.
This is something you canĀ apply to almost anything,Ā Ā
like making sure to study at a time youĀ focus better - and having a friend doĀ Ā
this with you can help you bothĀ be accountable for each other,Ā Ā
because you probably wonāt want to lose to yourĀ friend, or you wouldnāt want to disappoint them.
And before the next point, you might have noticedĀ that I havenāt had a sponsored video in some time.
And itās not because I havenātĀ been getting sponsor opportunities,Ā Ā
itās because I was thinking of how IĀ can promote something to you thatāsĀ Ā
as helpful as possible besidesĀ my YouTube or Instagram content.
I do believe in the sponsors Iāve mentioned inĀ the past, but I felt as though there was more IĀ Ā
could do to help you learn better, not just forĀ your academic life but also your personal life.
So Iāve been working on somethingĀ I can give you by directly helpingĀ Ā
you with your specific problemsĀ for productivity or studying.
And thatās through a 1-to-1 onlineĀ coaching service where you can directlyĀ Ā
speak to me about any problems youāreĀ facing with studying or productivity.
The purpose of these video calls is to help meĀ understand your personal problems, your goals,Ā Ā
and things you want to improve on, so thatĀ I can create a personalized action planĀ Ā
and give you detailed advice thatās goingĀ to level up your productivity or grades.
And these consultations are just one partĀ of the package - because even after them,Ā Ā
weāll keep in regular contact andĀ Iāll make sure youāre progressingĀ Ā
well and address any problemsĀ or questions you might have.
And you might be thinking, how much does itĀ cost - so Iāll have two offers: for students,Ā Ā
I know that moneyās hard to come by,Ā so Iāll have a form you can fill outĀ Ā
with a reasonable price for you toĀ suggest and we can work from there.
But because of this, Iāll only haveĀ 4 spaces for this student offer.
For everyone else including students thatĀ miss out on the spaces, Iāll have a fixedĀ Ā
price that changes depending on supply andĀ demand, but thereāll be around 10-15 spaces.
So if you want real, personalized adviceĀ that Iām confident is going to take yourĀ Ā
productivity or academic life to the next level,Ā Ā
visit my website linked in the descriptionĀ and Iāll see you in our next call.
And now for the next point,Ā I have another question - howĀ Ā
often do you find yourself comparingĀ your progress with another personās?
Iāve had people commenting on my videos wonderingĀ how I manage everything I do, because they sayĀ Ā
theyād find it impossible to do - and that mindsetĀ makes it even harder to get themselves to work.
And it also shows me that they feel theyĀ should have accomplished more with theirĀ Ā
time - and this has been a problem forĀ me, and Iām sure it affects you too.
Because even for piano or exercising, I feelĀ that thereās more I could do to make progress,Ā Ā
more effort I can put in or differentĀ things I can try - especially whenĀ Ā
I see how far other people haveĀ gone - which can be demotivating.
But what Iāve found useful to make myself work,Ā Ā
is overcoming the mental barriers - andĀ I have a personal example at the end.
So before that, the first thing you needĀ to do is really understand why somethingĀ Ā
is important to you, and why you arenāt doing itĀ - because when was the last time you sat down toĀ Ā
deeply think about why you need to study forĀ that exam besides thinking oh I need to pass,Ā Ā
or why youāre working the job youĀ have that you donāt really enjoy.
Write down the immediate and long-termĀ reasons for why you need to do something,Ā Ā
because that can make you more likely toĀ get on with it when you realise what canĀ Ā
happen if you donāt do it, or can even help youĀ realise that itās not actually that important,Ā Ā
and you should be focusingĀ on something else instead.
For example, I remember a point where IĀ didnāt want to study for the admissionsĀ Ā
test back when I was applying for medĀ school, and it especially didnāt helpĀ Ā
seeing how competitive it was toĀ get into graduate entry medicine.
But I spent quite a bit of time thinkingĀ about why it was important that I did study,Ā Ā
what I was worried about happening if I didnātĀ study, and what could help me want to study.
When I spent time thinking about why it wasĀ important, I thought beyond the oh I need toĀ Ā
get a high score to get an interview - I thoughtĀ about how it would set me up to become a doctor,Ā Ā
how it would help me learn aboutĀ things Iām actually interested in,Ā Ā
and even back then I was thinking about howĀ Iād make a YouTube channel as a med student.
Beacuse I thought about why it was important, IĀ could then focus on the process of doing, becauseĀ Ā
I realised the importance of taking action,Ā instead of only focusing on the end result.
And this focus on end result is something weĀ Ā
typically do because the end result isĀ all we see online from other people.
So spend a good amount of time writingĀ these things for what you need to be doing,Ā Ā
spend even up to an hour if you have to, becauseĀ itāll remind you why you need to make progress.
But another problem is that, even if you canĀ think of good reasons to make yourself workĀ Ā
when you donāt want to, it doesnāt meanĀ youāll be using your time efficiently.
Iāve had this problem a lot sin my undergradĀ degree where I spent a lot of time studying,Ā Ā
but because I wasnāt using time productively,Ā Ā
I studied a lot more than I really had to,Ā which took time away from my personal life.
But after thousands of hours of studying,Ā Iāve figured out the most important thingsĀ Ā
to reliably get high grades whilstĀ studying as little as possible.
And in this video here, I talk about the keyĀ things Iāve learnt from 8 years at university thatĀ Ā
can help you make use of your study time as bestĀ as possible - so click the video to learn more.
Browse More Related Video
How to Finish 7 Weeks of Studying in 3 Days (from a Med Student)
How to Study When You're Tired (from a Med Student)
How to Study 3x Faster Instantly (from a Top 1% Med Student)
How I Stay Focused Studying for Long Hours. Full Guide.
How to Think 3x Faster in 7 Days (from a Top 1% Med Student)
Youāre NOT lazy, Youāre Scared: How to Force Yourself to Take Action
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)