Imagine yourself sitting in front of a laptop/book to write an article/study, and you feel like not doing it? It happens to many people. Many of them think that it’s because they are either lazy or demotivated, and, as a result, they will try extra hard and still make things unfruitful. Strangely, the difficulty lies in taking the first step in the task, rather than in the task itself. This is because our brains are wired for survival and not for productivity. But if we learn how our brain actually works, we can trick them to get things done.
The brain is fighting because it creates resistance in 2 predictable ways.
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Emotional pushback: The brain judges emotionally and not logically. So the bigger the task, the bigger the resistance. If we try to make the task a little smaller, consider it done.
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Ego protection: Resistance comes from your self-image, the story you will tell yourself about who you are. For eg, if you believe you are a perfectionist, starting itself will become terrifying because the 1st attempt won’t be perfect.
Recognising these patterns itself is the first step to beating them. Some of the ways these patterns can be changed are
- The 2-minute trick: The brain resists only big commitments, try doing smaller part to start with.
- Preparation: Before actually starting the work, try preparing things for the task you are about to do. That itself will remove the emotional resistance
- Make it fun: Try doing the difficult task with something you love. This will encourage our brain and make it more enjoyable.
- Think that you are experimenting: If you feel like you will fail, make it look like an experiment that will not hurt your ego even when you lose.
- Be a beginner: Make sure your brain knows that you are not a perfectionist, and it will make your brain try to do the task
What are your thoughts on this? How do you motivate yourself?
MBH/PS
