7 things that (quickly) cured my procrastination

Summary

This video script shares seven effective strategies to combat procrastination. From the classic 'Eat the Frog' to the '3-2-1 Rule' and 'Do Something' principle, the speaker offers practical tips to tackle tasks efficiently. He also emphasizes the importance of purging both physical and digital distractions and suggests a 60-second focus technique to enhance concentration. Lastly, he recommends intentionally confronting distractions before work to achieve mental clarity and productivity.

Takeaways

• 😀 'Eat the frog' technique: Tackle the most challenging task first thing in the morning to avoid constant distraction and dread throughout the day.
• 📚 The 3-2-1 rule: A simple counting method to jumpstart action on a task by creating psychological momentum.
• 🔄 Action begets motivation: Start with taking action to generate inspiration and motivation, rather than waiting for them to initiate action.
• 🧹 Purge your physical surroundings: A clean and organized environment can reduce distractions and enhance focus and productivity.
• 💻 Purge your digital surroundings: Minimize digital distractions like unnecessary notifications to maintain concentration on important tasks.
• 👀 Stare at one thing for 60 seconds: A method to rapidly increase focus by concentrating on a single point, which can help overcome mental chaos.
• 🕒 Confront your distractions: Intentionally allocate time to engage with distractions to clear the mind and gain mental clarity before focusing on work.
• 🎯 Use habitual actions: Harness the power of everyday habits to generate further motivation and inspiration for more significant tasks.
• 📉 Avoid procrastination pitfalls: Recognize and eliminate gateways to procrastination, such as excessive digital clutter or unattended notifications.
• 🤝 Psychological and physiological link: Understand the connection between physical actions, like eye movement, and mental focus to enhance concentration.
• 🌐 Sponsored content: The video includes a promotion for Anker's MagGo magnetic battery charger, highlighting its convenience and cost-effectiveness.

Q & A

What is the 'eat the frog' method mentioned in the script?

The 'eat the frog' method is a time management technique that suggests tackling the most unpleasant or difficult task first thing in the morning, as popularized by Mark Twain. The idea is that if you have to do something unpleasant, it's better to get it over with early so you can enjoy the rest of your day without the nagging feeling of the task pending.

Can you explain the '3-2-1 rule' for overcoming procrastination?

The '3-2-1 rule' is a simple and straightforward method to start a task that one is avoiding. It involves counting down from three to one and then immediately starting the task. The rule leverages psychological momentum, making it easier to begin a task after counting, which is a simple action that anyone can do without procrastination.

What is the 'do-something principle' by Mark Manson?

The 'do-something principle' by Mark Manson is the idea that action can also be the cause of motivation, not just its effect. It suggests that instead of waiting for inspiration or motivation to take action, one should start with action itself, which can then inspire and motivate further action, creating a positive loop.

Why is it important to purge your physical surroundings to avoid procrastination?

Purging your physical surroundings is important because a chaotic environment can lead to a chaotic mental state, which in turn can cause distractions and procrastination. A clean and organized space can help improve focus and productivity, making it easier to get work done.

How does the script suggest improving digital surroundings to reduce distractions?

The script suggests eliminating digital distractions by managing notifications and the digital environment. This includes avoiding unnecessary emails, social media pings, and other digital interruptions that can pull one out of a focused work state.

What is the technique of staring at one thing for 60 seconds to increase focus?

The technique involves focusing all of your attention on a single target, such as a letter in a word, for 60 seconds without breaking eye contact while taking deep breaths. This method, inspired by Dr. Andrew Huberman, is said to help collect mental focus and improve concentration.

What does the script suggest doing to confront distractions before starting work?

The script suggests setting a timer for a short period, such as 15 minutes, to intentionally engage with the distractions you want to check. This allows you to mentally 'check the box' for each distraction, clearing your mind and providing mental clarity to focus on the task at hand.

How does the script relate the concept of 'eating the frog' to the idea of doing tasks that are inevitable?

The script uses the 'eat the frog' metaphor to illustrate the point that if a task is inevitable, it's better to do it as early as possible to avoid the constant mental burden of knowing it's pending. This helps in living the rest of the day in peace and avoiding the accumulation of tasks.

What is the psychological phenomenon that the script refers to when discussing the impact of physical surroundings on productivity?

The script refers to the intimate link between psychology and physiology, suggesting that a chaotic physical environment can lead to a chaotic mental state, and vice versa. Improving the physical environment can have a powerful psychological effect, aiding in focus and productivity.

How does the script describe the impact of digital notifications on maintaining focus for deep work?

The script describes digital notifications as constant interruptions that can pull one out of a deep work state, making it nearly impossible to maintain the unbroken focus required for important tasks. It suggests that eliminating these distractions is crucial for curing procrastination and improving productivity.

Outlines

00:00

🐸 Eat the Frog: Tackle the Toughest Task First

The video begins with a discussion on overcoming procrastination by addressing the most daunting task right away, as suggested by Mark Twain's 'Eat the Frog' analogy. The host humorously illustrates the concept of facing an inevitable, unpleasant task, like eating a frog, and emphasizes the mental relief and productivity gained by not delaying it. The summary explains that putting off critical tasks leads to a mounting sense of dread and increased workload, whereas tackling them early allows for a more peaceful and productive day.

05:03

📝 The 3-2-1 Rule: A Simple Yet Effective Method

The second paragraph introduces the '3-2-1 Rule' as a simple but effective technique to combat procrastination. It involves counting down from three and immediately starting the task at hand. The summary explains that this method leverages psychological momentum, making it easier to transition from the simple act of counting to the more daunting task of, for example, writing an essay. The host suggests that this technique works by creating a 'psychological bridge' from a simple action to a more complex one, thereby reducing the tendency to procrastinate.

10:04

🔄 The Do-Something Principle: Action Breeds Motivation

The third paragraph delves into the 'Do-Something Principle' by Mark Manson, which challenges the traditional belief that motivation precedes action. The summary clarifies that action can also inspire motivation, creating a cyclical relationship between the two. The host advises starting with any action, no matter how small, to harness the motivational energy that follows, using everyday habits like brushing teeth as examples of actions that can trigger further productive behavior.

🧹 Purge Your Environment: Physical and Digital Cleanliness

The fourth and fifth paragraphs focus on the impact of physical and digital surroundings on productivity and the tendency to procrastinate. The summary highlights the importance of a clean and organized workspace for mental clarity and the need to minimize digital distractions, such as irrelevant emails and social media notifications, to maintain focus. The host suggests that a chaotic environment can lead to a distracted mental state, and by improving the physical and digital spaces, one can enhance productivity and reduce procrastination.

👀 Stare at One Thing: A Neuroscientific Focus Boost

The sixth paragraph introduces a technique from Dr. Andrew Huberman to quickly improve focus by staring at a single point for 60 seconds without breaking eye contact while taking deep breaths. The summary explains that this method uses the intimate connection between our eyes' movement and mental focus, suggesting that focusing the eyes can help collect scattered thoughts and enhance concentration, potentially aiding in overcoming procrastination.

⏱ Confront Distractions: Intentional Engagement Before Work

The seventh paragraph discusses a strategy to confront and engage with distractions in a controlled manner before starting work. The summary explains setting a timer to intentionally indulge in distractions, such as checking social media or emails, to 'check the mental box' and clear the mind for focused work. The host describes this as a negotiation with oneself, allowing the primal brain to be satisfied so that the higher judgment can focus on the task at hand.

🎥 Sponsored Content and Call to Action

The final paragraph is a sponsorship acknowledgment and a call to action for viewers. The summary notes the introduction of Anker's MagGo, a slim magnetic battery charger for iPhones with MagSafe technology, highlighting its features, price, and the viewer's potential interest. The host also encourages viewers to like, subscribe, and check out the second channel for more content, emphasizing the importance of viewer engagement for the channel's growth and visibility.

Keywords

💡Procrastination

Procrastination refers to the act of delaying or postponing tasks or actions, often leading to stress and reduced productivity. In the video, it is the central issue being addressed, with the presenter sharing various methods to overcome this behavior. The theme revolves around strategies to stop procrastinating and improve efficiency.

💡Eat the frog

The phrase 'eat the frog' is a metaphor for tackling the most challenging or unpleasant task first. It is attributed to Mark Twain and used in the video to suggest that starting the day with the most daunting task can prevent it from looming over you all day, thus reducing procrastination.

💡3-2-1 rule

The '3-2-1 rule' is a simple technique mentioned in the video for overcoming inertia and starting a task. It involves counting down from three and immediately beginning the task at hand. This method is said to leverage psychological momentum, making it easier to start a task than to continue procrastinating.

💡Psychological momentum

Psychological momentum refers to the mental drive or impetus that builds up as one begins an action. In the context of the video, it is used to explain how starting a task, even a simple one like counting, can create a motivational force that makes it easier to continue with the task and avoid procrastination.

💡Do-something principle

The 'do-something principle' by Mark Manson posits that action can be both a result and a source of motivation. The video explains that rather than waiting for inspiration, one can start with any action, no matter how small, to generate the motivation needed for further action, disrupting the typical sequence of inspiration leading to motivation.

💡Purge

In the video, 'purge' is used in two contexts: purging physical and digital surroundings. It refers to the act of clearing away distractions and clutter to create an environment that fosters focus and productivity. The presenter suggests that a clean and organized space can have a positive psychological impact, reducing the tendency to procrastinate.

💡Digital surroundings

Digital surroundings pertain to the online environment one engages with, including emails, social media, and other digital distractions. The video discusses the importance of managing these digital distractions to prevent them from interrupting focus and contributing to procrastination.

💡Deep work

Deep work is a concept that describes the ability to focus without distraction on cognitively demanding tasks. In the script, it is mentioned as the state of concentration required for important work, which is often disrupted by digital notifications and distractions.

💡Confront distractions

Confronting distractions, as discussed in the video, involves setting aside dedicated time to engage with the very things that tempt you to procrastinate. This method is suggested as a way to mentally 'check the box' and clear the mind of potential distractions, allowing for more focused work sessions.

💡Mental clarity

Mental clarity refers to a state of mind that is free from confusion or distractions, allowing for better focus and decision-making. The video suggests that by intentionally addressing distractions, one can achieve mental clarity, which is essential for overcoming procrastination and being productive.

💡EMDR therapy

EMDR therapy, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, is a psychological therapy technique briefly mentioned in the video. It is used as an example to illustrate the connection between eye movement and mental focus, suggesting that focusing the eyes can also help to focus the mind.

Highlights

Introduction of various methods to stop procrastinating, including personal and borrowed strategies.

Eat the frog method: Tackle the most unpleasant task first thing in the morning to avoid the dread of it looming over the day.

The 3-2-1 rule: A simple counting technique to jumpstart tasks and overcome initial resistance.

The do-something principle by Mark Manson: Taking action can lead to motivation, not just the other way around.

The importance of harnessing habitual actions to generate further motivation.

Purging physical surroundings to create a conducive environment for productivity.

The impact of a chaotic environment on mental state and productivity.

Purging digital surroundings to minimize distractions and improve focus.

The subtle yet insidious nature of digital distractions and their impact on deep work.

Eliminating gateways to procrastination by managing digital environment and notifications.

Staring at one thing for 60 seconds to collect focus and overcome mental chaos, as suggested by Dr. Andrew Huberman.

The link between eye movement and mental focus, and its application in EMDR therapy.

Confronting distractions before working as a technique to gain mental clarity and focus.

The effectiveness of intentional breaks and work sessions in managing distractions.

Negotiating with oneself to balance primal desires for distractions with higher judgment for productivity.

Guarantee that at least one of the suggested methods will work for overcoming procrastination.

Sponsorship acknowledgment for Anker and introduction of the MagGo magnetic battery charger.

Call to action for viewers to like, subscribe, and check out the second channel for more content.

Transcripts

- Today we're gonna talk about a bunch of methods

that I use to stop procrastinating.

These are methods that I've developed

over the past couple of years,

and also methods that I've heavily borrowed

from other people, completely ripping them off,

and now I'm making money off of their ideas.

Okay, so number one, eat the frog.

Mark Twain said, "If it's your job to eat a frog,

it's best to do it first thing in the morning.

And if it's your job to eat two frogs,

it's best to eat the biggest one first."

Knowing that you have to eat a frog

is unpleasant to think about, (frog croaking)

but if it's something that you have to do every single day,

the day starts, the sun rises,

and you're presented with a frog

that you have to eat every single morning,

then why put it off?

(ethereal choir music) (frog sloshing)

Because if you put it off,

the whole day you're gonna be thinking

about this dreadful thing you have to do.

You'll be haunted by this idea.

You'll try to have a normal conversation with other people,

you're gonna try to relax and unwind in the bathtub,

and all you're gonna be thinking about is the fact

that you have to shove a slimy toad down your throat.

And in this thankfully hypothetical scenario,

if you were to put off eating that frog until tomorrow,

you would have two frogs to eat.

And if you were to follow this pattern, day after day,

postponing eating the frog,

then at the end of the month,

you'll have like 30 frogs to eat.

You're gonna have to have this giant 30 frog mukbang.

That's extremely unpleasant.

Why would you do that to yourself?

But if it's inevitable and you have to do it,

why not do it first thing in the morning

so that you can live the rest of your day in peace?

So do yourself a favor

and eat that frog first thing in the morning.

(electronic beeping)

(man crunching)

Number two, the 3-2-1 rule.

Now the 3-2-1 rule is pretty stupid,

but it's too stupid to ignore.

So the way it works is, say, you've got to write an essay

for university or for high school,

or whatever the hell you do, I don't know.

You hold this thing that you have to do in your head

and you reflect on it.

And you say, "I've got to go and do this thing."

And then you count from three to one.

You say, "Damn, I gotta write my essay.

Three, two, one."

And then you just go and do the thing that you're avoiding.

Now that sounds stupid and overly simple because it is,

but it also works.

And I think what's going on here is that

by using this strategy,

we are utilizing psychological momentum.

Writing an essay seems super scary so we put it off.

But counting is easy.

Anyone can count.

So we're way less likely to procrastinate counting.

But once we start counting, we develop momentum

towards doing the thing that we're avoiding.

It's like a psychological bridge.

So next time you're having a very difficult time

just diving in and starting a task you need to do,

say, "Three, two, one,"

then just go do it.

I don't know why it works, but it works.

Speaking of psychological momentum,

number three is the do-something principle by Mark Manson.

So most people think that in order to take action

on something, we need to be motivated to do it.

And motivation comes from

some sort of emotional inspiration.

First, we're inspired to take action.

We have the strong reason to do it,

and that generates the motivation we need

to take action on the thing.

But action isn't just the effect of motivation.

It's also the cause of it.

Inspiration, motivation, action is not a linear sequence.

It's an endless loop

and you can start wherever you wanna start.

And since inspiration and motivation

seem to be hard to come by and completely unpredictable,

it's way more efficient to start with action

and let that action serve as the inspirational

and motivational fuel to power further action.

And you might be saying,

"Well, how am I supposed to take action on something

without inspiration and motivation?

That's the entire problem here.

The problem is that I can't take action.

I need some sort of inspiration and motivation."

But that's not entirely true

because all of us take action on things

with seemingly little or no inspiration whatsoever.

And if we didn't, we'd be dead.

We do certain things every day that are habitual.

We brush our teeth, we take a shower,

we put on nice clothes.

These seemingly insignificant actions

are the very actions we should harness the reaction of

to generate inspiration and motivation

towards doing further action.

It's like a snowball effect.

So next time you're avoiding doing your taxes

because it's super boring,

tell yourself, "Just do something, anything,"

and harness the reaction from that action

to generate the motivation to take further action.

And that, in essence, is the do-something principle.

Number four is purge your physical surroundings.

So a lot of the reason why so many of us procrastinate

so often is because the physical environment

in which we live in practically begs us to.

And as we've discussed on the channel before,

there's an intimate link

between our psychology and our physiology.

If we exist in a chaotic, disastrous physical environment,

our brain often follows suit.

A chaotic and distracted mental state very often creates

a chaotic and disastrous physical state,

which further perpetuates the distracted mental state.

It's a paradox, but it's often so much easier

to correct and improve upon your physical environment

than it is to suddenly feel good

and clear-headed all of a sudden.

So if you're more distracted than ever

and you're finding it increasingly difficult

to get any work done,

pay attention to your physical surroundings.

Improve upon your physical surroundings.

Make sure that the space that you take up

is conducive to productivity.

It's not just a nothing tip.

It's a powerful psychological phenomenon

that we need to take advantage of

if we want to stay focused.

Number five, purge your digital surroundings.

Probably even more important in today's day and age

is making sure that your digital surroundings

and your digital environment that you're a part of

aren't begging you to procrastinate every five seconds.

And this can often be more subtle and insidious

than it might look or seem on the surface.

When you get a random email from Old Navy

that they're having a 40% off sale

even though you haven't shopped there in six years,

or when you get a little Facebook Messenger blip

on your phone from some group chat that you're a part of

saying, "Hey, who wants to hop on Apex right now?

Did you see the new Halo Infinite trailer?"

These things might seem like nothing,

a little bit of a one-second distraction

and you can check it really quick

and then you can get back to work.

But the problem with that is that quite often,

the most important work that we have to do in our lives

requires deep, unbreaking focus for several hours.

And it is almost impossible to reach that deep work state

when we're constantly being pulled out of it.

Our attention is constantly being grabbed by notifications

from phone calls, from text message sounds.

And if you have kind of an ADHD-esque brain like mine,

that's a big deal.

You will follow that notification,

you will see what someone said on the group chat,

and you'll probably engage with it for 10 to 15 seconds,

or even worse, you'll go down a rabbit trail

and you'll spend 20 to 30 minutes on YouTube

even though you had absolutely no plan on doing that.

So one of the most important things you can do

to cure your procrastination

is to eliminate gateways to procrastination.

And it even boils down

to the amount of desktop clutter you have,

or what's on your toolbar,

because every time your phone buzzes in your pocket,

it's like Mark Zuckerberg himself is tugging on your shirt,

telling you to pay attention

to what he wants you to pay attention to,

because whatever that notification is

is more important than whatever you're doing.

But you have to ask yourself,

are you the master of your own life, or is Zuck?

Number six, stare at one thing for 60 seconds.

So judging by the title of this tip,

you might be thinking that,

"Wow, Joey is running out of content.

He's just trying to fluff up this video

and increase the watch time."

And you're totally right.

I need more tips and this video isn't long enough,

but also this tip seems really interesting.

I tried it one time and it instantly worked for me.

And I got this from Andrew Huberman's Instagram.

If you guys don't know, Dr. Andrew Huberman

is a neuroscientist at Stanford, I believe,

and he talked about how one way

to dramatically increase focus in 60 seconds,

especially if you're already

in a distracted, chaotic mental state,

is to focus all of your attention onto one specific target,

this could be one letter in one word,

at the distance that you would be doing that work in

for 60 seconds.

Do not break that eye contact

and breathe deeply as you do it.

And at the end of that 60 seconds,

your focus collects itself.

I think this is another really good example

of how intimately linked our psychology is to our physiology

and how our actual eye movement, not being chaotic,

collects our mental focus as well.

When we focus with our eyes,

we also focus with our brain.

And what we do with our eyes also matters.

That's sort of the entire concept of EMDR therapy.

You should look it up, super cool stuff.

So give that a shot.

Focus on one specific target for 60 seconds

while taking deep and relaxing breaths.

And you'll notice that your brain focuses too

and you can penetrate

through the resistance

in the way of doing the thing you need to do.

Okay, so tip number seven is confront your distractions

before working.

Now, this is sort of a direct contradiction

to rule number one,

which is why I saved it to near the end.

And I would kind of use this technique as a last resort,

although it has been very effective for me recently,

especially later in the day

when I've already eaten the frog

but I kind of have more frogs to eat due to procrastination

and things piling up, et cetera.

The way this works is that you set a timer for 15 minutes

or 10 minutes, or however long you need,

to actually engage with the distractions and the escapes

that you want to engage with.

Because so often what happens

is we don't wanna do this super hard thing

that we know we need to do, so we escape,

kind of impulsively.

We open the Word doc that we're supposed to be on,

and then we click away and then we just browse Instagram

and Facebook or whatever.

And you're sort of in this constant battle

of just dipping your toes into the distraction,

dipping your toes into the work,

and it's just this seesaw that never ends.

And you actually never have an intentional break

or an intentional work sesh.

So what I've been doing is setting a timer

for 15 or 20 minutes

and intentionally diving into each distraction

that I want to do.

I say, "Okay, I'm checking Facebook now.

Right now, I'm intentionally seeing

if I have any notifications

or if I have any messages."

And I'm allowing myself to mentally check that box

and clear it.

Then I move on to Instagram

and I say, "Okay, now I'm on Instagram.

I'm gonna have my way with Instagram.

Do I have any message requests?

Who posted on their Stories?

Cool, I've done that now.

Now I can put it on the back burner."

And this might seem weird,

but I think the intentionality is the difference here.

When you intentionally check the mental box

that you've done everything that you need to do

on each of these websites,

Sony Alpha rumors, YouTube, whatever,

then you can gain some mental clarity to say,

"Okay, I actually have no excuse not to do this thing now.

I have no excuse not to file my taxes

and I would feel very good about doing so."

So try giving your primal brain what it wants.

Let it feast itself for a dedicated amount of time

so that your higher judgment can also get what it wants.

It's like a negotiation with yourself.

So that's pretty much it.

If you've been struggling with procrastination,

I can pretty much guarantee you

that if you follow these tips,

at least one of these is probably gonna work for you.

And if none of them do,

I honestly don't really know what to do for ya.

That's pretty much everything I could come up with, so yeah,

let me know.

All right, a big thank you to Anker

for sponsoring this video.

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and you buy things from there, especially electronics,

if you're anything like me,

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And if you've ever actually pulled the trigger

on an Anker product,

you've probably noticed that their stuff

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And they recently sent me this magnetic battery charger

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What it does is it snaps onto the back of your phone

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So if you're in the market for this kind of thing,

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Thanks again, Anker, for sponsoring this video.

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I'm gonna recommend it to more people."

And then the algorithm shoves my bald head

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So it's a win-win for everybody.

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(soft music)