Summary

The author shares insights on overcoming procrastination by applying the "iPhone mentality," focusing on evolution, regularity, and mental comfort zone expansion over eight months.

Abstract

In a personal narrative, the author details their struggle with procrastination and how adopting an "iPhone mentality" has led to significant improvements. This mentality involves recognizing the mind's similarities to an iPhone, including the tendency to "overheat" or freeze when faced with new challenges. The author emphasizes the importance of action over planning and suggests that consistent evolution, rather than mere improvement, is key to meeting audience needs. They also distinguish between regularity and consistency, advocating for a gradual build-up to consistent habits that respect mental health. The journey is marked by a transition from excessive planning to actual writing and publishing, leading to a more productive and fulfilling creative process.

Opinions

The author believes that the mind's response to fear, such as overheating or freezing, is akin to an iPhone's performance issues before a new model release.
They advocate for talking less about plans and more about execution to overcome procrastination.
The author suggests that personal growth is not about adding years to a skill but about evolving to meet the needs of one's audience.
They posit that consistency in creative work is challenging without a rush of dopamine and that regularity can be a stepping stone to achieving it.
The author emphasizes that improvement in writing comes from trying new techniques, applying skills to new projects, and building a community, rather than simply writing more.
They recommend defining one's own regularity and using it as a foundation for building consistent habits, which is crucial for mental health management.
The author encourages readers to apply the iPhone mentality to their own lives and shares resources for further support in the creative journey.

I Applied iPhone Mentality (For 8 Months) — Here’s What Happened

My journey with procrastination.

Did you procrastinate today?

During the past eight months of 2023, I’ve procrastinated plenty. It’s been an uphill battle to get going on activities. But here’s what I realized. Your mind is like an iPhone. The sooner you notice it, the better your chances of handling your procrastination.

Cool, isn’t it?

There’s a bit of tech in each of us.

You know, the nervous breakdown of why bother? It crashes down on you the second you decide to take action.

When it’s your first-time writing, it’s hard to take continuous action. But this painful realization doesn’t just apply to writers. Do you create for someone’s eyes or try to improve your life? You will feel resistance.

I procrastinate daily. But I’ve gotten better at confining inactivity within a few hours. Rather than have it consume my 24 hours.

Let’s examine the iPhone principle.

Accept Overheating.

I’ve always heard iPhone users complain about one thing. Devices freeze or overheat whenever a new iPhone model is about to drop. It’s the reason you talk more about writing than you spend sitting in front of a keyboard.

How do you get over your brain overheating or freezing due to fear?

Realize your mental comfort zone is ready for expansion. Like the unease of sitting on an airport tarmac, the jitters are natural.

Step 1:

Talk less about your plans. Instead, speak more about your execution.

Step 2:

Repeat step one.

As a new writer, I became obsessed with writing better. Next, it was finding my voice and audience. All these focuses pulled me into analysis paralysis.

What I should have done was realize writing is the worthwhile. So, I went from saying I’d write to typing drafts. Then, from an overstocked draft folder to publishing. Afterward, I went from sending out one story whenever I felt like it to being consistent.

Change doesn’t look the way you imagine it. Even so it’s worthwhile. Once your mindset believes this, you’ll have fewer self-doubt thoughts.

What if you often get stuck in the planner stage? Whatever you’re doing, you can ask AI to be your planner. Or find someone online who has already outlined a plan, like I did below. It’s just for your action to start.

$2,000 Per Client as an Unskilled Beginner (Step-by-Step Plan)

It’s possible for you.

medium.com

Evolve > Improvement.

If someone worked as a secretary for 20 years, they played one role 20 times. But they didn’t (necessarily) improve.

Improvement requires change and challenge.

iPhone iOS upgrades don’t apply to all the older models. It is only a guarantee for the new device. You and I will improve. But it is not because you devote more years to writing.

How does one improve?

It will be because you tried new techniques.
It will be because you applied your writing skills to a new project.
It will be because you wrote the same. But shift your focus to building a community around your words.

1000s who prefer Samsung will say, the iPhone hasn’t improved — each new model only has new features. Here’s what essential. iPhones won’t necessarily improve. But the device evolves to meet audience needs rather than chase the undefinable idea of improvement.

Evolve to your audience needs.

You’ll spend less time wondering about how to get better at writing.

Regular > Consistent

I say the word “consistent” plenty. But let’s face it.

Consistency is hard without a rush of dopamine.

An iPhone isn’t released daily. The company regularly drops one every September. Doing so, for 5 years is their form of consistency. Consistency and regularity look different for everyone.

It’s okay to begin with regularity to construct consistency.

So, in the early days, when no one knows your online persona exists, choose regularity.

I picked regularity when I started.

It was easier on my mental health than showing up online every day. You go to the supermarket regularly. But you visit work consistently. You define your regular. It could be once per month. Or 1–3 times per week.

Capping your online appearances prepares your mental health for consistency.

Even if you aren’t an iPhone user, you and the device have a lot more in common than you think. And that’s my journey with the iPhone mentality. It’s helped me prioritize different goals to minimize procrastination.

Let me know what this mentality does for you.

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