5 minutes is all you need to beat procrastination!
That's a big claim, I know, but in this video I'm going to explore a simple technique called
the 5 minute rule that will help you do this very thing!
Here, we're going to understand how to apply it and specifically...why it works!
Procrastination is often the biggest factor holding back the average person from achieving
their goals.
You know this, I know this and pretty much everyone and their dog knows this.
Yet despite this common knowledge, it is extremely easy to fall into the trap of procrastination
and fail to do the things that could change your life for the better!
As someone who has struggled with procrastination before, I'm as guilty as anyone of failing
to fulfil my obligation and completing the tasks I need to do, but I can equally say
that with the use of this technique, I've made significant progress in improving this.
One such example is when I create content for this channel.
It's hard work to create videos and it can be time consuming, so motivation doesn't always
come easily.
After all, it's a process of coming up with video ideas, doing research, writing out a
script to follow, recording the audio, editing that audio, editing the video, finding music
that fits with the content, adding sound effects and the visuals you see and then compiling
to check the end result, usually only to realise I've made a mistake after which I fall into
a moment of depression and then self annoyance, I then have an internal debate on whether
I should fix it that eventually leads to me spending another hour or two trying to correct
something that you get to see for the whole of 3 seconds!
As you can imagine, it's quite a daunting task and one of the biggest challenges I have
with running the channel.
So, in this process I wanted to try and understand how to rectify this problem, which lead me
to asking the question...
Why Do We Procrastinate?
It was in researching why we procrastinate that I came to see that procrastination is
a problem for most people and stems from the fact that our natural response in life is
to do what is safe or easy.
For example, in the wild this made complete sense, as our ancestors were in a state where
it was of absolute importance to act with safety as a priority.
In the off chance they didn't...well let's just say nature can be cruel sometimes and
you have to be on your toes to survive.
And this idea is explored in the best selling book, Switch: How To Change Things When Change
Is Hard by Chip and Dan Heath, where it is explained that our brain operates with two
systems, the emotional side and the rational side.
Whereas the rational side often recognises what is best for us, the emotional side can
be powerful and therefore override the rational side when you make decisions.
For example, I know that to maintain running this channel I need to create content, and
to do that I need to do the individual tasks I mentioned earlier to work through the process.
That...is the rational side of my brain talking.
However, where problems arise is that getting started on the tasks is often difficult.
This is because my emotional response to the task is that it will be challenging, I know
this both because I understand the scope of creating the video, but equally have the experience
to know how much work is involved in creating content.
The problem is the emotional response wins over my rational response and I fail to start
the necessary tasks to create the video.
In this instance the problem isn't that I'm lazy, though some people who know me will
certainly disagree with that, but rather it is a natural response from my brain.
After all, I know very well that not completing the task now isn't likely to lead to a life
or death situation, so naturally my emotions steer me towards the so called safe and easy
option, providing me with immediate relief from something I simply don't want to experience.
Fundamentally, it wires us for survival, not productivity!
Let's go back to our previous example in the wild, if you see the path you're on divulges
in two directions further ahead, when you come to choose which path to follow you'll
instinctively choose the safer looking path.
It's simply how the brain is wired, to choose the path of least resistence and threat, in
order to survive!
The problem is our rational side recognises that not dealing with the task at hand now
can lead us to further problems later down the line, for example I know if I don't do
the tasks I've set out for myself, work will pile up or I'll feel depressed at my lack
of productivity, sometimes even both!
However, the emotional side can often be overpowering in making the choice to take action, meaning
I choose not to take action even though I know full well it is best thing to do.
And it's here we look to apply the...
5 Minute Rule The rule is a simple idea, based on principles
of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, as we program ourselves to take small action to help us
overcome the biggest hurdle...getting started!
You see, the rule is to simply schedule yourself a 5 minute time limit to take action on a
particular task.
For the average person, that is easily manageable.
For example, if I need to create a video and need to write up the script, I'll go through
a process to identify a 5 minute block during which I'll write.
This is much more appealing than the hours I know it will actually take to complete the
script.
This comes down to me applying a simple hack on my brain to ease me into the process and
prevent my emotional side having reasons to stop me.
Now I know what you are going to say..."but Dev, 5 minutes clearly isn't enough time to
complete the task"...and yes, you're right!
Look, you have to remember the point here isn't that we're looking to complete the task,
we're looking to get started on it.
You see getting started is the biggest challenge, and often once you're started, you keep going!
This comes from the principle that just as our brain is a pain when it comes to creating
barriers to productivity, it is equally powerful in keeping it going once we start.
That is because through progress we tend to see the release of dopamine, giving us positive
sensations that help us keep going to get the same feeling again.
This means in most instances, we might put in 5 minutes to do a task, but we're happy
to keep going even after the timer stops!
Like when I create a video, as mentioned before I know full well that in 5 minutes I won't
get a huge amount done when writing a script.
However, I've made the start, and I've made some progress and that's usually enough to
keep me going and continuing progress.
In fact, it's exactly what I'm doing while working on this, I was actually meant to stop
half an hour ago!
So now that we understand what the rule is and why it works, let's look at...
How To Apply It The first thing you must absolutely do is
have a clear and specific task to do during the 5 minutes.
For example, going back to what I said earlier, in my case this might be to write the script
for some content.
However, it's not just setting yourself a specific task, but have a measurable outcome
you are working to achieve in that time.
For example, I know I'm not going to write a whole script, so instead I often choose
to set myself a target of just writing a paragraph or two.
Here is where the magic occurs, because now when you complete your target in the 5 minutes
and can see tangible results and progress in your work, the dopaminergic effect discussed
earlier kicks in and you will feel a renewed motivation to move onto the next 5 minutes
and the next target.
That's exactly what happens to me, I know I've passed the 5 minutes, but now that the
momentum has kicked in...I don't want to stop!
Here is where you get onto step 3 of the process, which is to build on this momentum.
You have done the hard part at this point by getting started and you are starting to
see wins, so now you want to maintain the momentum and keep going.
In my case, I do this by gamifying the process by seeing how many 5 minute blocks I can keep
succeeding on before I fail to hit my target.
If I fail...I start again, just like a videogame after you have lost all your lives.
Sure it's mildly frustrating, but your focus is on enjoying the process and continuing
progress!
This is precisely the reason that I'm able to keep up writing scripts on a frequent basis.
After all, the process can be a challenge, but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy it!
And the truth is the 5 minute rule is simple, but valuable in helping you tackle something
challenging that you may not otherwise have the motivation to do.
For me, it has worked wonders and continues to be a valuable technique to do the things
that otherwise I may struggle to complete.
So be sure to give it a try and see how it works for you and let me know what you find
down in the comments.
If you want further tips on being productive, be sure to check out the video on screen now!
Thanks for watching.