Motivation Won’t Solve Your Procrastination — It’ll Make It Worse

Don’t fall into the swing trap

I’ll admit it — I’m writing this to procrastinate studying.

Kind of. I’m supposed to be writing first thing when I start work.

The real culprit is watching an episode of Netflix while eating brunch after I ate breakfast.

(I could’ve started writing earlier and thus, started studying earlier.)

I haven’t figured the whole ‘how to stop procrastination’ thing out, so I’ll keep this short. I’ll share what I’ve learned so far, though it’s far from complete.

“I Need Motivation to {Insert Activity}” Is a Myth

People always have a motivation for doing things, yes.

But no one waits to feel excited to go to work before, you know, going to work. They go to work even when they don’t feel like it.

Motivation is a feeling — which means it’s a temporary state.

Feelings come and go like the ebb and flow of the sea.

Believing that motivation leads to action is a dangerous path.

It makes you think you need to look for motivation — in YouTube videos, self-help books, etcetera.

It leads you straight down the rabbit hole of procrastination.

The Swing Trap

Imagine sitting on a swing.

The higher you push yourself away from the ground, the higher you’ll swing.

Gravitational potential energy translates to kinetic energy — so we try to push ourselves higher.

Motivation translates to action — so we try to look for motivation.

But this leads us straight into the procrastination rabbit hole.

What If You Don’t Need to Rely On Motivation?

The swing trap lures you onto the path of procrastination:

No motivation → Procrastination → Cheap dopamine

But if we don’t rely on motivation…

No motivation → Pattern interrupt → Action

If you don’t rely on a feeling to do things, you show up more consistently even if it’s hard.

At the end of the day, the results don’t care about how you feel, only that you showed up.

Pattern Interruption — How to Stop Procrastinating

THIS IS A PATTERN INTERRUPT!

Okay, back to regular typing.

Pomodoro method, block scheduling, Eisenhower matrix… these traditional methods work — sometimes.

But what if you’re procrastinating about starting a Pomodoro?

What if you’re so deep in the swing trap that you keep trying to push yourself higher and higher, watching motivational video after video, only to feel even more guilty and sad?

Evidently, they don’t address the root issue.

As I’ve said, I haven’t figured out the ‘how’. But I came across a Twitter Thread I really liked that may be useful to you too.

Here’s a takeaway of my favorite parts:

Poor emotional control is an overlooked cause of procrastination.

So the solution must be to get better at emotional control.

If you feel fear, recognize that this is a mental distortion.

• Break the task down into small, achievable steps. Take one step at a time.

If you feel paralyzed or overwhelmed, cut the tension by breaking the feedback loop.

• Take a shower.
• Go on a walk.
• Do push-ups right there and then.

Pattern interrupt!

I’m also trying out a new method to get better at emotional control.

To conclude, you don’t need to rely on motivation to take action. That’s falling into the swing trap.

Before you fall onto the path of procrastination, break the pattern by doing 10 jumping jacks and sprinting across your house.

Get off the swing.

Thanks for reading! If you liked this, you’ll like my free newsletter where you’ll transform book knowledge into life wisdom every Sunday (and get relevant book recommendations along the way).

P.S. A New letter on purpose is out tomorrow, don’t miss it!