Start Now, Not Later

I recently had a minor health scare which forced me into making some adjustments to my life that I’d been planning for a while, but never actually incorporated. Why didn’t I ever start? This is my health after all. And for that matter, why do I put off beginning other things that I know are beneficial to me in one way or another?

There’s a post on James Clear’s website which—pardon the pun—clears this up. It’s called “Procrastination: A Scientific Guide on How to Stop Procrastinating,” and this excerpt in particular explains the science behind getting started:

. . . while the Future Self can set goals, only the Present Self can take action. When the time comes to make a decision, you are no longer making a choice for your Future Self. Now you are in the present moment, and your brain is thinking about the Present Self. Researchers have discovered that the Present Self really likes instant gratification, not long-term payoff.

So, the Present Self and the Future Self are often at odds with one another. The Future Self wants to be trim and fit, but the Present Self wants a donut. Sure, everyone knows you should eat healthy today to avoid being overweight in 10 years. But consequences like an increased risk for diabetes or heart failure are years away.

So there it is. Instant gratification.

Clear goes on to discuss the Procrastination-Action Line, the precise moment when we move from putting something off to actually doing it. And to get to that place you have to incorporate future results into the present moment. Not always an easy thing to do. This is why something like a health scare thrusting the potential future consequences upon me moved my inaction to action.

So how can you find that motivating factor without the consequences of an impending deadline creeping toward your present moment?

As I play catch up with this health issue I’m asking myself how I can avoid things like this in the future. Here’s what I’ve come up with so far:

Break Down the One Goal into Smaller, More Digestible Ones

This is simple Goal Setting 101, but it really makes sense. If your future goals aren’t fulfilling to your present self, find more immediate rewards to help you along. For instance: if you’re training for your first marathon, celebrate each time you run farther than before. These small moments are a great way to take a first step—and then another, and another—on a shorter journey that will seem less daunting. You’ll be more likely to begin when the goal doesn’t seem so far away.

Time Travel

If it’s hard to be excited in the present about a future benefit, put yourself at the end of the journey.

Visualization is an incredibly powerful tool, and by using it to see and feel the final result you’re after it will make present day you understand the benefits of the achievement. Once you have a taste you’ll find more motivation to start.

Remove Distractions

Setting up your environment in a way that’s conducive to starting and achieving your goal is super important. If you have distractions or temptations you’ll likely fall into the trap of putting off whatever it is you want to do. Going down an unexpected rabbit hole is a very common thing these days, whether it’s online or simply with everyday tasks. Eliminating that outside noise does wonders for staving off procrastination and getting focused.

For me this involved having “easy” foods around that weren’t exactly healthy. So instead of spending a bit of time making a dinner that I knew was going to contribute to my health, I’d grab something processed or not all that nutritious, even though they were plant-based. As I wrestled with getting started on a healthier diet I saw these foods as products of convenience after a busy or tiring day and relied on them when I could have spent just a little more time and energy on eating whole foods that would have helped me to avoid the issues I dealt with recently. Instead, I let those distractions in and as a result am a much shorter distance down the path than I’d like to be.

These are a few of the things that have worked for me over the past several weeks, but there are many more ways to stave off procrastination and actually get started on what you want to do. Here are a few more resources to get you going: