Procrastination, the antithesis of productivity. We have all been there, we’re trying to get work done when suddenly we’re browsing the internet with its endless source of entertainment. Technology is one of the major factors that lead us to forget our work but what is hidden deep within our brains that is causing us to lose track of what is truly important?

The Root Of The Problem

Meet the procrastination monkey, it lives inside all of our brains. Like any animal, it lives purely in the present moment. The only types of work that it cares about, are the ones that are easy and fun. This is a problem when our brain’s rational side tries to tell the monkey that we need to think critically and consider the consequences. Why do we even let this monkey have control of the wheel?

Instant Gratification

Procrastinators would rather have instant gratification than dealing with something unpleasant. It’s the same reason why we don’t explore new opportunities and experiences. We’re afraid of failure and the unknown so we tend to let the monkey lead us to where we are most comfortable. Instead of staying in the cage with the monkey, always try to get out and challenge yourself instead.

Priorities

In our minds, we have this list of priorities and it always seems like the most important tasks get left at the bottom. This is because the monkey only lives in the present; it does not care about what will happen, it only cares about those memes with the funny cats. When we catch ourselves doing this, we should try to reflect on why we choose to make this a high-priority task and if we need to lower its priority.

Positive Thinking

Being too positive can lead to our downfall. When we put so much pressure on ourselves to succeed and be amazing it can cause us to fear the act of failing. We become so worried about the outcome, that we go back to where we are most comfortable and learn nothing. A monkey may fall out of a tree and never climb it again, but as a human, we should learn from our mistakes and make it further than we did before.

Avoidance

Have you ever told yourself that you’ll “do it later” then never end up doing whatever it was? This may be due to how we view ourselves. We avoid doing things that threaten our identity. As an example, someone won’t work hard to get an “A” on a test because they don’t see themselves as a “nerd”. They see themself as lazy and unproductive. Therefore if we want to change our bad habits, we should first look at who we want to be. A monkey avoids important tasks, don’t be a monkey.

Default To Laziness

Letting ourselves be lazy and procrastinate once in a while is healthy. We are human, all we need to survive are food, water and shelter; so once we have all of these, our temperament tells us that we can relax. Unwinding after some hard work is great for our well-being. However, if we are relaxed all the time, we accomplish nothing. We want to feel in control of our lives rather than be strung by our laziness but what makes it so difficult is that laziness is our natural state. It is our default to lay in bed and doze off only to realize that time does not wait for us. To overcome our default to laziness. we need to start by changing the way we fuel our motivation.

How To Gain Motivation

“Motivation is like a fire—unless you keep adding fuel to it, it dies. Your fuel is your belief in your inner values.” - Shiv Khera

Piers Steel’s book called The Procrastination Equation gives a great visualization of how we can feed our motivation.

Variable Definitions

• Expectancy: The higher we expect the outcome will succeed.
• Value: The more value the reward has, the more importance we will put into doing the work.
• Impulsiveness: The higher impulsivity leads us to seek out instant gratification.
• Delay: The time it takes to receive the anticipated reward.

Increase Expectancy:

To ensure that we succeed at the task, we need to make sure it is manageable.

• Keeping the tasks easy to do
• Staying consistent

Increase Value:

We need to have our own version of a “carrot on a stick” to keep us motivated.

• Improving the reward
• Improving the experience itself
  • Make your work area clean
  • Listening to some study music
  • Turn the task into a game

Decrease Delay:

• Setting an artificial deadline
• Giving rewards more often
• Using the Pomodoro Technique
  • 25 min work
  • 5 min break

Decrease Impulses:

• Creating a productive environment where you are able to focus on the work.
• Writing down what is distracting us and deciding whether they are important or not
• Using social media blockers like:
  • Habit Lab
  • News Feed Eradicator

Conclusion

Procrastination affects all of us and it always pains me to see when others waste their potential by having a mundane life. I use to let my procrastination monkey take control of my wheel and it led me to play video games all the time and ignore the projects I actually wanted to work on. The way I overcame it, was by slowly staying consistent with my habits, reevaluating who I want to be and always reminding myself that life is short.

“If you live each day as if it were your last, someday you’ll be right. Every morning I looked in the mirror and asked myself: If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I do today?” - Steve Jobs

Resources

• Inside the mind of a master procrastinator : Tim Urban
• How To Stop Procrastinating : Mark Manson
• Procrastination: Crash Course Study Skills #6