Unleash Yourself Out of Productivity Ruts by Mastering Your Most Coveted Weapon — MOMENTUM
Mindlessly scrolling through Instagram like a dead animal for the last umpteen hours…
With a half-open bag of chips on the sofa…
And dishes lined up on the kitchen sink…
Plus a whiteboard with To-Do lists from last Monday you can’t even bear to look at…
And your pals texting you for another round of drinks you can’t refuse since anything is better than staying at home frustrated with your own sense of worthlessness!
Feels a little relatable?
The Productivity Rut: A Downward Spiral
The phase you’re in, my friend, is a productivity standstill. You desperately want to get out of it but every attempt at getting up leaves you even more disheartened than before.
We have all been there. Forever trying to achieve that higher vision of ourselves but things ‘somehow never seem to fall in the right place’.
Until the day when it finally drops on you…
That the ever-persistent roadblock — the fundamental obstacle stopping you from progressing — is that very extreme vision of yourself!
Your own hefty expectations.
But hold on, hold on, back up a minute, how could having a monumental goal ever be detrimental to getting it??
The idea seems to go against every gem of motivational wisdom that has ever been dropped on our sensitive shoulders by countless experts and gurus, doesn’t it?
Well, not that having a strong vision in itself is wrong but actually getting there involves a completely different story.
The Secret Ingredient: Momentum
The secret that separates a Nacho-eating low self-esteem guy from going on with his Nacho-eating for the next 10 years OR actually achieving the Elon Musk-like productivity he aspires for is:
MOMENTUM.
And there’s a whole different art to building that momentum; something that can never just magically happen one day, something that your own hefty vision is constantly sabotaging.
So instead of always focusing on where you want to be in future, here are 5 crucial steps centered around mastering momentum that will get you out of the trenches now:
1. Changing Direction: Positive Procrastination
Over the years, one of the most powerful ways I have found of getting over an unproductive rut is to actually waste some more time!
Confused? Like what does that even mean?
Let me explain.
In a rut, we’re already in the habit of putting important things for later. It’s hard to shoot basketballs at 3 AM like Kobe Bryant from the very next day. What we can do instead, is to continue ‘wasting’ time but in better places.
Instead of doing things that add absolutely zero value to your personality, indulge in things that are still pleasurable but at least worthwhile in the long run. This way, you’ll teach your mind to move in a better direction. Gently.
Stop scrolling through TikTok like a zombie and watch some premium quality movies instead.
Watch Daniel Day Lewis’ breathtaking performances or Scorsese’s incredible storytelling.
Listen to The Doors or Led Zeppelin.
Or read The Catcher in the Rye again.
These things probably won’t help you clear your next SATs but they will surely inspire you towards greater things. Soon, you’ll find yourself shifting towards doing productive things. Naturally!
For a deep dive into this crucial first step in the process, read the story above.
2. Gaining Initial Velocity: Do Non-Urgent Important Things
Is there a lonely plant in your balcony that you have always wanted to give some company but ‘never had the time to do so’?
Are there friends you have always wanted to catch up with for months but ‘never could quite make it’?
How many things have you been putting off for years because they are not quite urgent yet ever so important?
Guess what, this rut is the best time to tick those boxes. Errands like these require much less fuel yet can be instrumental in giving your life a more productive, task-completing direction.
Plus, these chores are actually long-term investments that will inevitably benefit you. No wonder renowned author Stephen Covey recommends a separate section for these very tasks in his 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
Sharpening the sword, he calls it!
So get up and fix that old, rickety bookshelf of yours and see if you don’t feel highly energized for more work.
3. Starting Momentum: Aim Low
One of the dumbest mistakes people often succumb to while being in a rut is planning for the exact Utopian opposite of their current state. A fiery teenager playing Quake for 15 hours a day ultimately gets fed up with himself and decides to run a frickin’ marathon the very next day.
The result: He fails his expectations that very next day, licks his wounds on the 3rd day, and comes back to Quake for comfort on the 4th.
There’s a reason why Jordan Peterson has included the rule of ‘Aiming low’ in his phenomenal 12 Rules for Life. If you have a shitty life at present, you must cross some shitty hurdles first. It may seem too pretty and low for your grand image but that’s exactly where you are in reality.
So if you’re on Netflix 8 hours a day, getting off the phone after 5 hours the next day is a noteworthy win!
4. Building Momentum: Stack Your Wins
Once you start aiming low, chances are you will complete at least some of your defined targets.
The more check points on your To-Do list you have of little things, the more you’re going to strike off, and the more sense of accomplishment you’re going to feel. A practice that Oscar-winning actor Matthew McConaughey still lives by every day of his life. Makes sense!
The fact of the matter is that the human ego craves the feeling of achievement. Feed it with little wins and it will start craving for bigger things.
Next thing you know, you’re waking up in the morning filled with excitement instead of anxiety; ready to conquer your next big hurdle.
5. Leveraging Momentum: Shift Your Habits
Ask David Goggins and a drug addict why they live the way they do and both of them will say they can’t help themselves. Once a steam engine starts rolling in one direction, it becomes damn hard to stop. That’s how habits work as well.
With the fuel of momentum.
Once you begin rolling in the direction of productivity, DO NOT STOP.
Do not relax.
Do not take your fuel for granted. Keep exploring, innovating, and most importantly — turning up every single day.
Humans are motor vehicles of their habits. Make sure the right ones are in charge of your life!
Only a FAST Train Can Demolish Every Obstacle in Its Way
Momentum is crucial. It is the reason behind the rich constantly getting richer and the poor getting poorer. Both use momentum, but in polar opposite directions!
And even if you’re feeling nice and comfy in your current position, don’t think you’re not moving. ’Cause once you become stagnant, you start moving in the direction of stagnation.
Think.
What self-fulfilling prophecy is holding you back from becoming a roaring fast train?
