Ever wake up with a long list of things to do that aren’t very hard to do at all? Send a few emails, write down your thoughts, reach out to coworkers, do a few sit ups, clean your dishes, vacuum the floor. None of these tasks are inherently difficult, so then why is it so common for people to procrastinate these small tasks until time is limited or they get in trouble? Is it ADHD? Well, not quite. The way our motivation systems work, its likely that all of us will struggle with these activities at some point in our lives. 

The way our motivation circuits work is they are sensitive to the contrast of how good an activity feels. Meaning, boring tasks are only boring if there are more fun things to do. Which in our modern world, well… there are always more fun things to do. An infinite stream of videos on any topic is available to your disposal, algorithms that learn what you like, video games that are not only plentiful and also get regular updates, new restaurants to try, new friends to make, new memes to see, new news to get disturbed by. Which means that small less pleasant tasks in a world full of infinite novelty become that much harder to do. This is a phenomenon that anyone with a smartphone and internet access will eventually experience. Worst of all, we get used to the level of novelty: “What was a pleasant surprise yesterday, is what we feel entitled to today, is what won’t be enough tomorrow.” ~ Robert Sapolsky

So then what are we supposed to do about this? Are we all destined to struggle with these minor tasks of life? Well, to an extent yes, we will all face some frustrating moments with these. And, at the same time, we are resilient creatures capable of disciplining ourselves and adapting to the needs of the modern world. Here are a few tactics that we can utilize to bypass these pitfalls:

Frontload your work: Structure your day so that all of your most difficult or tedious tasks are done first thing during the day before you have time to play games, watch shows, or scroll on social media. A lot of us reach for our phones first thing in the morning. This can impact the pleasure gradient right away. The ideal thing to do is to wait to get on the fun apps and go prepare for your day and dive straight into work. This way all of there is less of a contrast within your day. You can save all of the entertainment for the last part of the day. 

Pair tedious tasks with positive stimuli: Hate washing the dishes or ironing your clothes? Hate writing emails? Pair a pleasant stimulus, like your favorite smell, show, or music with those activities. The key here is to make sure you only allow yourself to enjoy these positive stimuli in the presence of the less pleasant stimuli. Example, the author of this blog post is actually not a fan of writing. So what do I do? I listen to lo-fi beats whenever I have to write. I don’t let myself listen to them otherwise. This creates a very pleasant experience for me while I do something I typically want to stay away from. 

Imagine something worse: Start by imagining yourself doing something you hate more than the task you have to do. For this to work, you really have to pick something you hate doing or really don’t want to happen. Imagine this deplorable task or outcome and then immediately start the other option because it is likely a way better option. The key here is to daydream the horrible task/outcome for a few minutes to remind yourself of why you’re doing what you’re doing in the first place. Remind yourself that sending a few emails is better than looking for jobs. Remind yourself that planning a date is better than finding a date.  

Control your environment: If we eliminate distractions, specifically things we would rather be doing, it becomes easier to engage in things we would rather not be doing. This is often accomplished by going to work, but in a world where many of us work from home this becomes increasingly difficult. Here are a few ideas: Work in a public space like a cafe or a coworking space if you have work that can be done in public. Cowork online with friends or strangers, there are even discords set up for coworking. Work and play in separate spaces at home. Use different devices for work and entertainment if possible. If it is not possible, download apps and extensions that limit access to your favorite distractions. 

Good luck on all the things you have to do!