Why Do We Know What to Do, But Struggle to Act?

Most of us own an island called Someday Isle - someday I’ll. We beat ourselves up about not getting the things done. Much has been written about overcoming procrastination tactically; the real solution may surprise you.?

Tactical solutions like making prioritized to-do lists and tackling the least desirable tasks first while your willpower is still strong can help. Knowing your near-term outcomes by planning your day or week is another excellent tactic. But what happens when we fail to execute on these tactics? We berate ourselves, start making excuses, and blame outside circumstances for coming up short.?

90% of any solution is to identify the problem correctly?

The real problem is how our brains are biologically hardwired. For tens of thousands of years, until the onset of modern life, we only expended precious energy and calories to hunt, gather food, make tools, shelter, and avoid danger. Otherwise, we simply did not move.?

Likewise, today we sit unless there is a meaningful outcome to doing something. We are hardwired to be lazy. Things will sit until we see the immediate payoff for “someday I’ll” projects.

The solution is to attach more meaning to your accomplishments???

Commercial real estate brokers who frequently close ‘bread and butter’ deals have greater drive than their counterparts who make fewer deals, even if those are sometimes bigger deals. The solution is to create near-term, relatively easy goals. Long-term goals are also great but seeing the payoff now creates the desire to keep producing.?