Hacking Laziness: How to Outwit, Outsmart & Outmaneuver Procrastination

by Mike Buffington

I started reading everything I could find on procrastination. I spent hours each day contemplating the causes.

What exactly was going on? My extensive reading gave me some clues: I had a fear of failure; a fear of success; a lack of confidence.

This formula had four critical factors. By manipulating, or "hacking", these four factors, I could tip the balance from procrastination towards action on any activity I so desired.

It was the magic key that destroyed my lifelong habit of procrastination.

Hacking any system consists of two things: understanding and exploitation.

Procrastination itself can be thought of as a system, one that can be understood, and its weaknesses exploited.

We procrastinate because the thing we are procrastinating on is painful to us for various reasons, or at least not pleasurable enough to override whatever other activity may be at hand.

The four factors are like weights on a scale: when the scale tips towards action, we take action; when the scale tips towards procrastination, we procrastinate.

When that happens, the scale will tip towards action, and you will take action automatically. That's the best part – you won't have to force yourself to take action. Once the scale is tipped towards action, you will take action automatically.

Man gives much greater emphasis to pain over pleasure.

Pain, or the fear of pain, is the primary ruler of our actions.

"If you accept the pain, it cannot hurt you."

I found my cure for these ailments, and that cure was accepting full responsibility for everything in my life.

I may not have control over everything that happens to me, but I can control how I respond to what happens to me. I can't control how other people act towards me, but I do control how I respond to their actions.

Rita has taken full responsibility for the work, has owned it, and her fears are already much reduced.

She still isn't crazy about the idea of giving a speech, but knows it is her responsibility.

The difference was that Rita took personal responsibility for each step towards her goal, while Bob deflected accountability and cast blame every step along the way.

Taking responsibility reduces fear, as it gives you a sense of control. You are in control, not fate, luck or other people. And you don't fear that which you can control.

Hack: Take responsibility for everything...

You may not have control over everything that happens to you, but you can contro...

Taking responsibility will give you a sense of control, which leads to greater confide...

It's because they know what's coming, they've prepared themselves for what's to happen, and can easily handle it when it arrives.

They will discourage and criticize your actions. They will encourage and enable your procrastination. They will actively try to sabotage your efforts.

Why would they do this? They do it because it is human nature to resist change.

They resist change. Change is the unknown; change is dangerous. They fear for themselves and for you.

The image of your friends messing with you, laughing at your efforts can prevent you from even taking those actions in the first place.

The hack here is the same as for ruining the surprise party – to expect what's coming. Prepare for it. When you get the criticism, you'll be expecting it and can laugh it off.

It can be quite amusing to see these things play out when you're expecting them.

There's one more person who will attempt to sabotage your efforts. Who will criticize and discourage. Someone so close to you, you don't typically question their advice and actions. That person is YOU.

It's your own body sabotaging you as well

Hack: Expect and prepare for criticism, discouragement, and sabotage from yourself.

"Out of clutter, find simplicity."

The clutter around you has an energy-draining effect.

Most procrastinators don't live in a neat and orderly home.

Get your living space de-cluttered, and you may find an unexpected source of energy, the energy that was previously being drained by all the clutter.

Hack: Get rid of the clutter. Out of sight, out of mind.

Clutter isn't just physical, but mental as well. Every unfinished task takes up mental space and energy.

I get exhausted just thinking about it.

The best way to clear away this mental clutter is to get all those things done.

Get a folder, clipboard, or notebook, and label it "Future To Do's". Then, take a sheet or sheets of paper, and list out all those things that eventually need to get done. This list will drive your actions on a daily basis.

Each day, pick one and only one thing from the list to work on.

The important thing is to get all those unfinished tasks out of your brain, where they are taking up room and draining your energy, and onto a permanent list you can rely on.

When taking action, always think in terms of small, easy steps.

Procrastinators tend to be thinkers rather than doers.

Whatever small action you've determined needs to be done, mentally picture yourself doing it, successfully, over and over.

Everyone is different, so in whatever way you can picture or imagine yourself taking action, do so, and do it repeatedly.

One thing leads to another,

His secret is that he is the master of rituals.

By performing these little rituals, he prepares himself mentally and physically to take action.

We can create our own little rituals to kick-start our actions.