Welcome to Issue 166 of 🍏Lunch N Learn with Lindsay🍏where you’ll find me procrastinating today!
I’m procrastinating over getting started with designing an inhouse Programme for a client and I’m finding all sorts of other things to do that are taking precedent!
According to www.dictionary.com procrastination is “The act …..of putting off or delaying, especially something requiring immediate attention”.
Truth-be-known, it’s something I’m pretty good at and, from that sheepish look on your face now, I guess you are too!
One of the main reasons for procrastination taking a hold is due to time inconsistency. You see, human nature is such that we favour immediate rewards over future rewards. This means there is a time inconsistency that leaves the door well and truly open to procrastination.
When we set goals we are imagining what it will be like when we have achieved that goal in the future. This satisfies our “future self” in valuing long-term rewards. However (and herein lies the challenge folks) only our “present self” can make a decision and take the action for our “future self”. And our “present self” favours instant gratification rather than a reward that’s way off in the distant.
The good news is there are things we can do and strategies we can employ. Right now, In the present. And here are three of my favourites for you to try:
1. Bring forward the negative impact of procrastination
So, I’m procrastinating about working out and visiting the gym. I have no excuse as a third of our “home office” is kitted out with gym equipment. I jokingly say to people that “I’ve been to the gym today” very quickly followed up with “…to dust down the treadmill and the exercise bike!!”. I know that the negative impact of not visiting the gym is a strained waistband and some of my favourite outfits not fitting – but my future self is overshadowed by my present self of course.
By putting the “Bring Forward” strategy into practice I could invite my daughter to join me in a regular weekly workout in the gym (with the double-whammy that this will contribute to her school timetabled sport/exercise). I would be much more likely to stick to this regime, rather than letting her down. I’ve brought forward a negative impact of this procrastination and my waistband can relax.
2. Temptation Bundling
This is attributed to Katy Milkman at The University of Pennsylvania. The strategy shares that “bundling” a behaviour that feels good in the short-term (or present) with a behaviour that is good for you in the long-run (or future) will stave off procrastination.
(When I first learned this strategy I realised I was already putting this in to practice. Every Sunday evening when I do my weekly ironing I make sure I have a glass of chilled Marlborough to get me through the “chore”!)
3. Employ the 10-Minute Rule
This is one of my favourite strategies as it’s really easy to put into practice – and it works!
This strategy acknowledges that getting started on a task is usually the toughest bit. Tell yourself that you are going to work on a task for 10 minutes (set an alarm bell on your phone or ask Alexa for her help….) then when 10 minutes are up you will then decide whether to keep going. More often than not, once you’ve got that initial inertia going you’ll carry on with the task beyond the 10 minutes….give it a go! When I’ve hit “send” on today’s Lunch n Learn I’m going to spend 10 minutes making a start on the inhouse Programme design.
