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Mentally Stronger with Therapist Amy Morin

322 — This 60-Second Mental Strength Play Will Help You Stop Procrastinating (And It Doesn't Require Willpower)

June 5 · 20 min · Episode 322
0:00-20:01

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Want more mental strength plays? Pick up a copy of The Mental Strength Playbook.

Do you procrastinate more than you'd like to admit? You've probably told yourself the problem is willpower, motivation, or self-discipline. But, procrastination usually has nothing to do with those things.

It has to do with trying to avoid an uncomfortable feeling. Fortunately, there's a simple mental strength play that can help you start taking action fast. And the best news is, in less than a minute you can get yourself working on that project. It's backed by science and it can help you get moving on those tasks you dread.

Some of the things I talk about are:

  • Why calling yourself "lazy" or "undisciplined" is the exact story that keeps you stuck—and what's really driving your procrastination.
  • How dread quietly turns a small task into a huge source of dread.
  • Why procrastination thrives in isolation.
  • The "Text a Motivation Buddy" play—and how I used it to finally edit the section of my book I'd been avoiding for weeks.
  • The three science-backed reasons a single text message can do what willpower can't.
  • How to run the play in five steps, including the specific way to word your text so it actually works.
  • The buddy you should never pick (the lovable friend who'll talk you into lunch instead).
  • The simple "time swap" variation that gets you and a friend both unstuck at once.

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