“Yudin, a football will ruin you,” Kazimir Malevich chided good-naturedly to one of his students, who often put his brush aside to kick the ball in a vacant lot. Coach Leonid Krol offers to figure out if there is at least something useful in procrastination.
It seems to be the queen of the problems of the modern world. Thousands of articles have been written about her. And almost everyone already knows why and how we put aside the really important things and deal with all sorts of trifles. We know that we can suffer from a lack of motivation, or consider difficulties insurmountable, or, conversely, be afraid of success – then you will have to do even more, or spur yourself on rush jobs, or not be able to concentrate … We all know. This does not change the position. This is some kind of awkward pun: we do not have enough motivation to increase our motivation.
Pass the tests
- What’s stopping you from saying “no”?
Some researchers pessimistically hint that, perhaps, human culture or civilization does not need to increase efficiency at all, which is why it slows down, forcing each of us and society as a whole to “kick the bullshit”: sit and cut into tanks, communicate endlessly in social networks, or even just sharpening pencils. But maybe it’s not so hopeless after all?
Unnecessary things that we grab at to fill the time play another important role: they are a kind of soft drug. According to current understanding of neuroplasticity, many of us tend to deepen and reinforce the “ruts” in our brains, our habitual signaling pathways. In other words, to deepen and aggravate your habits, to change with difficulty, not to desire renewal and creativity.
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- Go beyond the usual
But this seemingly harmful model has enormous implications for our adaptation. Without it, we, free people thrown into the free world, would simply be eaten by anxiety or boredom. It is impossible to live in the modern world, especially in the city, being included in the environment every second and continuously experiencing it. Our psyche seeks to reduce the heat and at the same time get a light and constant, non-decreasing fuel, independent of external influences. So there are these ruts, paths, small obsessions, habitual ways to enter a light trance.
For procrastination is indeed a kind of trance, and it is a pity that we do not realize the full potential of this wonderful resource. After all, our small trance not only gives us stability. If you learn how to use it correctly, it turns into a real boon and, from a hindrance to creativity and novelty, becomes their ally.
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- “Hypnotic trance is a state in which you can do nothing”
Procrastination, which is used correctly, becomes an even background, a certain basic mode of functioning of thinking. In this mode, it is not so scary and difficult for us, which means that it is easier for us to make decisions. When part of the brain walks along familiar paths, it is easier for the other part to storm unknown worlds. This phenomenon is familiar to everyone who happened to “suddenly” in half-asleep recall an unfamiliar foreign word or come up with a new way to solve an important problem. Procrastination can also be a form of controlled half-sleep. But for this you need to be well aware of it, study it in yourself and learn how to manage it.
Let’s ask ourselves:
- What do we like to do instead of doing?
- How much time do we devote to this and what does it depend on?
- Which way do our thoughts flow at this time?
- Can we voluntarily start and end our conditional football and how does our emotional state change after it?
- Can we, in some cases, replace the usual type of distraction with something (for example, instead of another cigarette with colleagues or a cup of coffee, get into social networks and eat an apple)?
Maybe when we answer these and other questions, it will become clearer to us why we need this. Not to stop, but to do it better.
Leonid Krol’s training schedule for incantico by .