Hi there 👋
Every Monday I'll bring you one idea. This week it's about the one habit that's been quietly working against you.
It was a Saturday afternoon. I had one task on my list. I looked at it. Closed my laptop. Was on my phone instead. Two hours later, nothing had changed except my guilt.
This is not the first time I've delayed doing a specific task by putting it off for later. The moment I decide to delay it, doesn't matter if the task is interesting or boring, the process of delaying just gives me some sort of instant relief. Like some AI Agent completed that task on my behalf. Lol.
I'm sure we've all done this. And we still do, across different areas of our lives.
Now that I think about it through the Here & Now lens, the problem doesn't stop with the act of delaying itself. It's the self-assessment that follows. We label ourselves as lazy, unmotivated or unorganized. We stop there, accept those as the reasons, and go on with our lives.
Research shows procrastination doesn't reduce stress. It just moves the stress forward with interest that's due. The interest we pay is usually decision fatigue, shrinking time or identity erosion, the slow belief that you are someone who doesn't follow through.
Take the example of filing annual taxes. Most of us don't get all the documents ready within the first week of the filing period. We take our own sweet time. Sometimes we don't even start collecting the documents until the last few days, until a final reminder has been sent by our accountant. Even though we know there's a tax refund coming our way, that's almost never enticing enough to speed things up.
The real reason we procrastinate is not lack of interest, lack of time, laziness or even conflicting priorities.
It's emotional regulation.
When any task feels threatening, boring, overwhelming, tied to a fear of failure or a need for perfection, the brain signals us to seek instant relief right now and keep the pending task aside for later. But the problem is our future self is not extra prepared for that delayed task either.
So by procrastinating we are actually training our brain to delay doing harder things. Next time anything unknown or energy taxing comes our way, the brain tells our system: "Hey buddy, don't start that yet. I have a better strategy. Keep that task for later."
My search for answers led me to something I didn't expect.
What's the actual cost of procrastinating?
You never find out what you're capable of.
This is the quietest cost. When you consistently bail before starting, you never get data on your actual ability. Fear stays in charge. Confidence never gets to grow.
The short-term comfort isn't free. It's just a bill we agreed to pay later.
I noticed something. The feeling I get when I finish an activity I've procrastinated on for a while versus doing the exact same activity that very moment the urge strikes, the reward hits so differently.
Nike said it right. Just Do It.
This week's nudge
Notice an activity you are about to procrastinate. Not something you've been putting off for days or weeks, we'll leave the past aside for now. Let’s catch this new one at the very beginning.
Just start the first step.
For example, if your goal is to get in one or two days of physical activity this week and tomorrow is day one, and you come home from work thinking "Ugh, I don't have enough energy to work out", at that instant just pack your workout gear. Nothing else. That’s it.
Then at the end of the day notice: did you end up working out or not?
If yes, what was the driving force?
If no, identify the actual reason. Label that instead of calling it procrastination.
Note: Action or Inaction produces Information and that information will tell you what the next step is.
See you next Monday ☀️
P.S. Know someone who needed to hear this today?
Please send them here 👉 Here & Now 🌿
Warmly,
Narman
Just a human who stopped negotiating with his future self.