đââď¸ It took me 3 days to write this edition...
.... and it's all thanks to any creative's best friend; procrastination.
Approaching the end of the year, it feels like time is moving slower than usual, and somehow things are getting harder to get done. Project deadlines are getting closer and time is running out to tick off all the new yearâs resolutions we made back in January.
Contrary to popular belief, though, procrastination is not actually a time-management problem. Itâs an emotion-management problem.
Stop feeding the Panic Monster
In one of the most popular TED Talks on procrastination, Tim Urban breaks down the inside of a procrastinatorâs mind. One of his findings? A Panic Monster, the one who wakes us up when deadlines approach, and scares away the âInstant Gratification Monkeyââthe part of our brain that tells us to postpone difficult or more complex things. To get rid of the Panic Monster, we need to tune out the Monkey and let the Rational Decision Maker in us take the wheel.
Watch the full TED Talk to understand the inner workings of procrastination better here.
Empathy as procrastinationâs brake
There are many approaches you can take to limit the amount of procrastination in your life. One underrated contender is empathy. According to the Two Selves Philosophy, procrastination is a way for your Present Self to sabotage the success of your Future Self. This happens because most people, when thinking about their Future Self, have the same brain patterns as when they think about a stranger. Empathy towards your Future Self could help you see the bigger picture and choose procrastination less.
Read more about this philosophy and its correlation to procrastination on this twitter thread.
Looking at the bright side: âproductive procrastinationâ
At this point, it seems impossible to completely get rid of procrastination. Itâs almost like a human instinct. Rather than avoiding it, we can actually modify the way we procrastinate so that it works better in our favor. #1 Amazon Bestselling Author, Nils Salzgeber, shares his tricks: assign a value to each of your activities in a day. When procrastination strikes, do the second highest-valued activity instead. This way, youâre still getting things done, you feel less guilty, and may even build momentum to spiral upwards towards success.
More on the benefits and steps on achieving productive procrastination here.
With this Monday Mavens edition, may you find strength in fighting the Instant Gratification Monkeys and thrive for the rest of the week!