Transform your Resolutions into Actions

How many times have you made resolutions and have failed to complete them?

More often than not, resolutions are feel good promises we make to ourselves. In most cases, they are statements like "I will exercise?more" or "I will give up on this/that" etc. What's lacking in these statements is accountability. So how does one?stay on track?

The science behind procrastination

First things first: We all procrastinate. From time to time, we all put things off.?In fact, the bigger the task,?the more likely we are to put it off. And it has nothing to do with being lazy. It's actually science - we're just built that way.

Most of the times, are actions are instinctive. For example, What do you do when you?feel thirsty? you drink. When you feel?scared? You hide. Or when you feel?attacked? You either Freeze or Flight or Fight.

About to do something hard or difficult? You simply put it off.

What makes you do all this ?

The limbic system?- is the part of your brain that helps control behavioural and emotional responses, and it plays a key role in survival adaptation. Even if the neocortex, the part of your brain responsible for higher functions decides that the task needs to be done... the limbic system takes over because its more powerful and wins...

It's not so much the task itself that makes it difficult. It's the dread of getting started as the brain incorrectly perceives?that the task requires herculean effort or intensity. We tend to overthink & overcomplicate the process which leads to putting off things and not deal with them at all.

How to overcome procrastination - Rewiring the brain

“Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into visible” - Tony Robbins.

Translate goals into actions

Firstly, translate the resolutions into actionable & measurable goals. Instead of saying " I will start a blog" define it "I will write 3 blog posts every month". Break it down further into what the topics for these blog posts will be and when will you post them. This will allow measurable accountability for your goals. As Peter Drucker rightly says “What gets measured, gets done”.

Get Started

It may sound like a no brainer, but getting started actually accelerates the process of getting things done. In fact there is a study that shows that in order for you to complete a task, all you need to do is start the task. This is because once the task starts,?the brain constantly nudges to finish the task and keeps reminding you of all the?unfinished tasks - This is called the Zeigarnik Effect studied by Russian psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik. The Zeigarnik Effect refers to our tendency to remember incomplete or interrupted tasks better than completed ones.

The brain does not naturally file tasks in any order, but mostly as random thoughts – so it needs structure to get work done. The simple act of starting can trigger your brain to want to keep going to the end.

Pie Task

When the task is perceived by the brain to be difficult the most common response is - procrastination. So what is?the solution?

Break it into smaller, more manageable bites.?If you have to write a 10 page report, the fact that it’s a 10 page report seems a lot to the brain (it may not be, but it’s perceived as that). However, if you break it down into for example - write one page every hour, it seems more doable. It’s that same task, but now it’s more manageable. A way to get this done is by using the Pomodoro time management technique. You allocate focused time into focused work which leads to increased productivity.

30-for-30

Consistency is key in order to get things done. For building a habit of being consistent,?consider incorporating Sahil Bloom's 30-for-30 plan.?

Here’s how to get started :-

1. Decide on what you want to achieve - Exercising, business planning , blogging : whatever your goal may be
2. Commit to putting in 30 minutes of focused effort every day for 30 consecutive days.
3. Add a little positive pressure, - get an accountability partner or a coach
4. Track daily execution with a calendar (There are multiple habit tracking apps that you can download)

30 days is not a lot, not also not too little.?- it sounds doable - Fair enough. According to bloom?- it creates a commitment "razor"

Why 30 minutes??As per Bloom it’s the right amount of time for "light intimidation" . We already know that large numbers are intimidating to the brain - 30 mins sounds fair to the brain, it doesn't seem like a threat. Hence, the chances of?the task being done are higher.

If you follow this consistently, at the end of 30 days, you would have put in 900 minutes of focused effort. In Bloom's Words - "Giant leaps forward are simply the macro output of tens, hundreds, or thousands of tiny daily steps"

In conclusion, everything you want to achieve can be done if you have accountability, consistency & intent.

"The only limit to the height of your achievements is the reach of your dreams and willingness to work for them."

-Michelle Obama