Completing Goals via "Temptation Bundling"
One cause of procrastination is the fact that while you desire a result that requires work, you may feel a stronger pull towards more immediate rewards than the later reward of doing work toward that goal. To put it another way, you would be far more open to a tangible reward now than a nebulous reward at some unknown point in the future.
While it is possible to have enough willpower to overcome this temptation, willpower is finite, and can often fall short of the needed level.
The way to combat this is to combine an immediate reward with work towards a future reward, also referred to as "temptation bundling" by the book Finish What You Start by Peter Hollins. This appeases the immediate desire for a reward with work towards a future reward. This reward helps bridge the gap in required willpower to do the work.
In fact, the less you have to rely on rewards, the better. If the rewards you use are finite in nature, such as watching your favorite tv series, then you will quickly run out if you use it constantly.
In addition, not all rewards are suitable for all tasks. For example, enjoying a foot spa while vacuuming your house is not doable, and watching your favorite tv show is not possible while doing tasks such as writing or programming. In a general sense, you should pair a non-thinking reward with a thinking task, and vice versa.
In Hollins' book, he suggests getting a piece of paper and dividing it into two columns: tasks to perform, and potential rewards. Once you have made both lists, pair up rewards with tasks that will not clash, e.g. a foot spa with writing or programming.
It is also important to choose rewards that you do not normally enjoy in your daily life. If you can't help but watch your favorite tv show whenever you feel the need, then it loses value as a reward. In contrast, if you are only allowed to watch that tv show when you are doing a task, then you will have more desire to do that task to get the reward paired with it.
As a personal example, I have a task to do two sessions of work on a project first thing. Once I am done with the first session, I make a cup of coffee to enjoy while I continue work. I do not have coffee unless I have done this task.
In the same manner, I have an anime series I like to watch. I am not allowed to watch that series unless I am working on decluttering my possessions in storage.
With temptation bundling, it is possible to connect the you in the future, enjoying the completed goal, with the you of the present, who has to do the work to complete the goal, but enjoys other rewards along the way. This can help overcome this particular kind of procrastination.
While it is possible to have enough willpower to overcome this temptation, willpower is finite, and can often fall short of the needed level.
The way to combat this is to combine an immediate reward with work towards a future reward, also referred to as "temptation bundling" by the book Finish What You Start by Peter Hollins. This appeases the immediate desire for a reward with work towards a future reward. This reward helps bridge the gap in required willpower to do the work.
In fact, the less you have to rely on rewards, the better. If the rewards you use are finite in nature, such as watching your favorite tv series, then you will quickly run out if you use it constantly.
In addition, not all rewards are suitable for all tasks. For example, enjoying a foot spa while vacuuming your house is not doable, and watching your favorite tv show is not possible while doing tasks such as writing or programming. In a general sense, you should pair a non-thinking reward with a thinking task, and vice versa.
In Hollins' book, he suggests getting a piece of paper and dividing it into two columns: tasks to perform, and potential rewards. Once you have made both lists, pair up rewards with tasks that will not clash, e.g. a foot spa with writing or programming.
It is also important to choose rewards that you do not normally enjoy in your daily life. If you can't help but watch your favorite tv show whenever you feel the need, then it loses value as a reward. In contrast, if you are only allowed to watch that tv show when you are doing a task, then you will have more desire to do that task to get the reward paired with it.
As a personal example, I have a task to do two sessions of work on a project first thing. Once I am done with the first session, I make a cup of coffee to enjoy while I continue work. I do not have coffee unless I have done this task.
In the same manner, I have an anime series I like to watch. I am not allowed to watch that series unless I am working on decluttering my possessions in storage.
With temptation bundling, it is possible to connect the you in the future, enjoying the completed goal, with the you of the present, who has to do the work to complete the goal, but enjoys other rewards along the way. This can help overcome this particular kind of procrastination.
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