Four keys to do what makes you lazy

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We all have trouble doing certain things: a report, studying something or having that difficult conversation. We are experts in postponing the uncomfortable or in procrastinating, as it is said in a more precise way; and we entertain ourselves with anything, such as browsing the internet or checking WhatsApp in case there was a message in the last ten seconds. Well, the solution is to replace the habit of procrastinating with a healthier habit, according to Barbara Oakley, writer and professor at Oakland University. The objective is not to make a radical change of habits or to bury the old ones (among other things, because the old habits are not forgotten, like the good songs that remain in the memory until we listen to the music again), but to modify part of them. To achieve this, Oakley proposes to follow the following four keys:

First, we must identify the motive that leads us to procrastinate. This is the most difficult step, because we do not usually be aware of it. We get with the task that costs us and then it appears everything that entertains us, even if it is the flight of a fly. Well, this phase consists in becoming aware of what distracts us from our priority objective: is it the Internet? Are the calls from the mobile? Each one also has his favorites.
Second, we need to create a new routine. We insist: the old habits are not forgotten (and if not, they say it to an ex-smoker when one day he tries a puff). Therefore, as we can not stop our habit of wasting time on Facebook or YouTube or anywhere, we need to create something different for the brain to put the batteries. For this, a good plan is needed. It can be to leave the mobile in a remote place, disconnect from the internet (the world does not end up doing it) or repeat and repeat that simulacrum of conversation that costs us. This step may be the most difficult and the one that requires more patience until the brain becomes accustomed to the new.

Third, we need to reward ourselves. Let's accept it: procrastinating gives pleasure. Therefore, we need to compensate those cravings with other positive ones. The rewards must be set according to their tastes and achievements. If you manage to finish that report before an hour, you can eat some chocolate or make a gift. If what you get is very large, you can increase your reward. In those moments, it is not worth the stinginess because the neural connections are at stake. As your brain knows that something good is waiting for you when you finish a boring task, it will activate more quickly. So be generous with yourself and encourage yourself to achieve it.

And finally, we have to believe that we can. According to Oakley, self-confidence is a fundamental key. We are filled with a thousand and one excuses or justifications that prevent us from successfully meeting the objective. But we have to remember that our brain is plastic and that we are able to stimulate it with new challenges. One way is by finding support with other people or by challenging ourselves with others. This is the case with sports, for example. It's easier to start going to the gym when you go with friends, than when the goal is to go solo.

In short, stop procrastinating requires generating new habits, not abandon the old ones. The first steps are the most difficult, until our brain gets used to doing it. However, if we are able to identify the stimulus, create a plan to generate a new routine, reward us if we achieve it and believe that we can, we will be able to put our batteries and do what it costs us.