How To Trick Your Brain Into Enjoying Studying - Jordan Peterson

Summary

The transcript emphasizes the importance of setting clear goals to combat distractions and maintain motivation. It suggests breaking down long-term goals into actionable steps and scheduling them to ensure consistency. It also highlights the value of incorporating enjoyable activities into one's routine to create a balanced and motivating schedule, using the example of a client who struggled with energy due to poor diet.

Takeaways

• 🧘‍♂️ The importance of conscious intent in studying is highlighted, noting that distractions are common but should not deter from the goal of learning.
• 🔍 The need to identify what one is avoiding and why, suggesting that understanding this can help in overcoming procrastination and distractions.
• 🎯 Emphasizing the necessity of setting clear and specific goals to provide direction and motivation for action.
• 🤔 Discussing the avoidance of goal setting due to fear of failure, and how this can lead to continuous failure without awareness.
• 💡 The suggestion that having a valued goal can energize and motivate, making the process of working towards it more enjoyable and less of a chore.
• 🌟 The advice to define a long-term ideal that is personally meaningful, which can help in setting and pursuing smaller, actionable goals.
• 📝 The strategy of breaking down larger goals into smaller, manageable tasks that can be scheduled and tracked.
• 📆 The recommendation to use a scheduler or calendar to organize tasks and establish a routine, making it easier to stay on track.
• 🕒 The idea of starting with simple scheduling tasks, such as setting times for waking up, eating, and going to bed, to build a habit of following a schedule.
• 🎉 Encouraging the scheduling of enjoyable activities as well as work tasks, to ensure a balanced routine and to prevent the schedule from feeling like a punishment.
• 🍎 A real-life example of how neglecting basic needs, such as proper nutrition, can lead to a lack of energy and focus, underscoring the importance of self-care in achieving goals.

Q & A

What is the main issue discussed in the transcript regarding studying?

The main issue discussed is the struggle with distractions and fantasies during study time, and the need to address the underlying reasons for avoidance of study.

What is the first step suggested to address the problem of avoiding study?

The first step is to specify your goals clearly, as it helps in understanding what you are aiming to achieve and why it is worthwhile.

Why is it important to have a valued goal when studying?

A valued goal provides positive motivation and makes the micro processes associated with achieving that goal more exciting and engaging.

What does the transcript suggest about the relationship between goal value and daily motivation?

The more valuable the goal, the more likely one is to feel excited and ready to undertake the necessary steps towards achieving it.

How should one decompose their long-term goals into actionable steps?

One should break down their goals into smaller, manageable tasks that can be scheduled and are highly likely to be undertaken.

What is the purpose of breaking down study tasks into smaller increments?

Breaking tasks into smaller increments makes them more achievable and less daunting, increasing the likelihood of actually performing them.

Why is it suggested to negotiate with oneself and make steps smaller if they are not being taken?

Negotiating with oneself and making steps smaller helps in finding the largest step one is willing to take towards the goal, making the task more manageable.

What role does a schedule play in the process of achieving goals according to the transcript?

A schedule helps in organizing tasks and allocating time for both work and leisure activities, making it a tool for achieving what one wants rather than a constraint.

How can one use a scheduling tool like Google Calendar to aid in goal achievement?

One can start by scheduling daily activities such as waking up, going to bed, and eating times, and then gradually add small study tasks and leisure activities to create a balanced routine.

What is the significance of including both work and leisure activities in a schedule?

Including both work and leisure activities ensures a balanced routine, allowing for necessary breaks and enjoyment, which can prevent burnout and maintain motivation.

Why might someone feel like they are forcing themselves to do leisure activities when scheduling them?

Scheduling leisure activities can feel like forcing because it requires intentional planning and allocation of time, but it is actually about allowing oneself the time to enjoy these activities as part of a balanced life.

What does the example of the client who was starving and watching the same movie repeatedly illustrate about the importance of self-care?

The example illustrates that neglecting basic needs like proper nutrition can lead to a lack of energy and motivation, emphasizing the importance of self-care in achieving goals.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Overcoming Distractions in Studying

The paragraph discusses the common issue of distractions during study time and emphasizes the importance of setting clear goals to overcome them. It suggests that understanding the value of the task at hand can motivate individuals to focus and avoid procrastination. The speaker advises specifying long-term ideals and breaking them down into actionable steps, making them manageable and increasing the likelihood of commitment. The paragraph also touches on the idea of using a schedule to organize tasks and incorporate enjoyable activities to maintain balance and motivation.

Keywords

💡Conscious Intent

Conscious intent refers to the deliberate and conscious decision to perform a specific action or to achieve a certain goal. In the video, the term is used to highlight the contrast between the intention to study and the distractions that often interfere with that intent. The script emphasizes the importance of aligning one's actions with their conscious intent to avoid the pitfalls of procrastination and distractions.

💡Distractions

Distractions are anything that diverts attention away from the task at hand. The video discusses how distractions, such as fantasies, can be a significant barrier to achieving one's conscious intent to study. The speaker suggests that recognizing and addressing these distractions is crucial for maintaining focus and progressing towards one's goals.

💡Avoidance

Avoidance is the act of staying away from or not dealing with something. In the script, avoidance is linked to the reluctance to face the discomfort of studying or engaging in difficult tasks. The speaker points out that understanding what one is trying to avoid can be a key step in overcoming procrastination and taking action.

💡Goal Specification

Goal specification is the act of clearly defining what one aims to achieve. The video emphasizes the importance of specifying goals as a means to provide direction and motivation. Without clear goals, it's difficult to measure progress or to know when one has failed, which can lead to a lack of accountability and action.

💡Failure

Failure, in the context of the video, is the inability to achieve a specified goal. The speaker discusses the fear of failure and how it can lead to vague goal-setting to avoid the pain of recognizing failure. However, acknowledging and defining failure is important for growth and for understanding when one needs to adjust their approach.

💡Valued Goal

A valued goal is an objective that holds significant worth or importance to an individual. The video suggests that the more valuable the goal, the more likely one is to be motivated to take action. Valued goals energize and excite, making it easier to overcome obstacles and distractions.

💡Actionable Steps

Actionable steps are specific, concrete actions that one can take to move towards achieving a goal. The script mentions the importance of breaking down a large goal into smaller, manageable steps that can be scheduled and executed. This process helps in making the goal feel more attainable and less overwhelming.

💡Incremental Progress

Incremental progress refers to the idea of making small, gradual advancements towards a larger goal. The video script uses the example of reading a book for a school report, suggesting that even opening the book or reading the first page can be a step towards achieving the larger goal. This approach helps in maintaining momentum and building confidence.

💡Negotiation with Self

Negotiation with self is the internal dialogue and decision-making process one goes through to determine the next action to take towards a goal. The video script suggests that if a larger step seems too daunting, one should make the step smaller until they find something they are willing to do, illustrating the process of self-negotiation to ensure action is taken.

💡Scheduling

Scheduling is the act of planning when specific tasks or activities will take place. In the video, scheduling is presented as a tool for organizing one's time and ensuring that both work and leisure activities are included. It serves as a means to achieve goals while also allowing for enjoyable activities, thus preventing the schedule from feeling like a restrictive constraint.

💡External Jailer

An external jailer is a metaphor used in the video to describe a schedule or set of requirements that one feels compelled to follow, often out of fear of consequences. The speaker contrasts this with using a schedule as a means to get what one wants, suggesting that a well-crafted schedule should be liberating rather than punitive.

💡Diet Modification

Diet modification is the act of changing one's eating habits to improve health or address specific needs. The video script includes an anecdote about a client who was starving herself, leading to a lack of energy. The speaker advises modifying her diet to include more food, illustrating how addressing basic needs can be a foundational step in achieving broader goals.

Highlights

Confronting distractions and fantasies during study requires conscious intent and recognizing what you're trying to avoid.

The importance of doing something is rooted in the belief that it's worthwhile, which stems from setting specific goals.

Specifying goals is crucial to avoid vagueness and to know when you fail, which is often avoided due to the pain of failure.

Having a valued goal provides positive motivation and excitement about the day, making it easier to start working towards it.

Setting a long-term ideal as a unique individual helps in defining goals that make your efforts feel worthwhile.

Breaking down goals into actionable steps and scheduling them is a practical way to work towards achieving them.

Incremental steps are necessary to ensure that tasks are undertaken, starting with the smallest possible action.

Negotiating with oneself to find the largest step towards the goal that one is willing to take is key to making progress.

Familiarizing oneself with a scheduler or calendar is the first step in organizing and planning tasks.

Starting with simple tasks like setting wake-up and sleep times in a schedule can lead to a sense of accomplishment.

Scheduling enjoyable activities ensures that you allow yourself time for leisure and socialization, not just work.

A schedule should serve as a means to get what you want, rather than an external enforcer of punishment for deviation.

The story of a client who was starving herself and the importance of modifying diet for better energy and productivity.

The realization that eating properly can significantly impact one's energy levels and ability to work effectively.

The necessity of taking the smallest possible steps if larger tasks seem overwhelming, to ensure progress is made.

The psychological aspect of goal setting and how it influences motivation and the ability to undertake tasks.

The practical application of goal setting in daily life, including the use of calendars and incremental task completion.

Transcripts

if you're sitting down to study for

example your conscious intent is to

study but you know perfectly well that

all sorts of distraction fantasies are

going to enter the theater of your

imagination nonstop and annoyingly and

and then you might think well what is it

in you that's trying to avoid because

after all you took the damn course and

you told yourself to sit down why don't

you listen cuz doing nothing is easy you

just sit there and you don't do anything

that's real easy the question is why

would you ever do anything and the

answer to that has to be because you've

determined by some means means that it's

worthwhile okay number one specify your

damn goals cuz how are you going to hit

something if you don't know what it is

that isn't going to happen and often

people won't specify their goals too

because they don't like to specify

conditions for failure so if you keep

yourself all vague and foggy which is

real easy cuz that's just a matter of

not doing as well then you don't know

when you fail and people might say well

I really don't want to know when I fail

because that's painful so I'll I'll keep

myself blind about when I fail that's

fine except you'll fail all the time

then you just won't know it until You'

failed so badly that you're done okay

well what's the implication of that

better have a valued goal because

otherwise you can't get any positive

motivation working out and so the more

valuable the goal in principle the more

the micro processes associated with that

goal start to take on a positive charge

and so what that means is well you get

up in the morning and you're excited

about the day you're ready to go and so

as far as I can tell what you do is you

specify your long-term ideal you do that

in some some sense as a unique

individual you want you want to specify

goals that make you say oh if that could

happen as a consequence of my efforts it

would clearly be worthwhile once you set

up that that goal structure let's say

then you have to figure out how to

decompose what you want into actionable

steps right and those would be the sorts

of things that you could put in schedule

and then you need to break those steps

down into small enough increments that

you're highly likely to undertake them

so for example maybe you have to do a

report on a given topic for school maybe

you could go to the library one day and

just check out the library that might be

enough and then maybe you could go to

the library and take out a book and then

maybe you could open the book and look

through it those would be on different

days and then maybe you could sit down

and read the first page of the book and

if you can't do that then the first

paragraph you know you have to negotiate

with yourself and figure out what the

largest step you would take towards your

goal is that you would take and if you

don't do it then you make the step

smaller and smaller until you find

something that you would do the next

thing you need to do potentially is to

familiarize yourself with a schedu or

like Google Calendar so the first thing

to do is open it and then maybe to

figure out how to put in a task and then

a repeating task and might be a pretty

simple one to begin with like well why

don't you list waking up and specify a

time or going to bed and specifying a

time put in the schedule when you eat

and those are things you do every day

and so that's something you're pretty

likely to do and so that's a success for

you and then well then you can start by

putting in something small maybe you

need to read whatever it doesn't matter

what it is hopefully it's something you

want to do put it in the schle schedule

and you could start by scheduling the

things that you would like to do so you

could imagine well I like going out to

movies I like going to the mall I like

hanging around with my friends I like

watching TV well then schedule those

things so then you think well that means

I'm forcing myself to do them it's not

that it's that now you're you're

allowing yourself time to do them right

so the schedule becomes a means of you

getting what you want instead of an

external Jailer who punishes you every

time you deviate from requirement and

eat something in the morning I had one

client who was literally starving very

smart girl she there's very little that

she liked she kind of tried to subsist

on like half a cup of rice a day she

came to me and said I have no energy I

come home all I want to do is watch the

same movie over and over what like is

that weird and I thought well it depends

on how hard you work you know it's

little weird but whatever so I did an

analysis of her diet it's like you're

starving eat something you'll feel

better so modified her diet she had some

it's like yeah you got to eat

[Music]