Procrastination

Introduction:

• Procrastination is related to Memory, even though it doesn't seem to be.
• Building chunks for long term memory takes time after building chunks for short term memory, and time will not be enough if we do it until the last minute.
• We already have a good way to focus at work with the Pomodoro method, there is another tool that help us to tackle the procrastination, which does not consume much will power, which is precious to us.

Summary

Tackling Procrastination

• Metaphor of arsenic 砷/ 砒霜
• Procrastination occurs when we are learning something hard, that causes us uncomfortable feeling.
• Procrastination is just like arsenic, by small dose of the drug, we will not feel uncomfortable and even being healthy, but the toxic chemical will take over among time, which is dangerous for us.
• We should not waste precious will power to against the procrastination because if it took much effort on this problem, we will not have enough will power to deal with the actual problem.
• Procrastination is all about habit, not skills, and habits are effortless. (habitual avoidance)
• If procrastination is improved, we might gradually benefit any other aspects of our lives.
• We always rationalize what we do, including procrastination.
• We could trick the inner zombies of ours to help us fend off procrastination when we need to.

• This is toxic and harmful in long term!

Zombies Everywhere

• Zombie mode is not entirely bad, it just mean we do the things without much awareness, just follow the flow
• Barbara used an example of driving car/ riding bicycle, there are much information that we had to take care of, and process, we might be overwhelm by them at the beginning.
• However, after we have built enough chunks, we could do it freely because we will barely need to think about it, our body can do it by itself.

The activation of zombie mode (Zombie Response) requires 4 steps (AKA the 4 components of habit)

• Cue
  • The signal or trigger point of the zombie.
• Routine
  • What the zombie does.
• Reward
  • The reward that will encourage the zombie to repeat the same routine.
• Belief
  • The mindset or belief that you have underlying believed.

Surf is Up: Process Versus Product

• Study found out that having painful experience is extremely common and most people will have this issue, even if it is the subject that you like.
• The non-procrastinator will just let these thoughts to go and concentrate on their current work.
• Comparing the Process and the Product, it turns out that the Product is what driving us back, making us want to procrastinate the work.
• It will be easier for the pain to go away if we focus at the process instead of the product itself.
• By focusing on the process, we could be relaxed, and relaxed boosts efficiency.
• Allow ourselves to back away from judging ourselves, like "Am I getting closer to finishing?"

Harnessing Your Zombie to help you

• The way to harness the Zombie, is to change our reaction to the 4 components of habits:

• Cue

  • Location
  • Timing
  • How I am feeling
  • Reactions

• Routine

• Reward

• Belief

Identify the cues

• Procrastination sometimes happen unconsciously, it will be helpful if we can identify the cues when it happens, and try to eliminate the factors.

Make a new plan

• The key is to rewiring our old habit (procrastination routine), concentrate on changing our action by making a plan.
• The plan is not about changing everything but start building something good on top of the old habit and override them.
• After making a plan, you need to assess whether it is executed well or poorly, to fine tune your plan.
• Do not change all your old habit at once, it is very hard.

Reward

• Try to set up a reward for yourself among your task.
• There is a latency for the reward to appear. Have belief in it and wait till the reward comes true if it is not self-initiated reward.
• IMO, the difference between rewarding yourself & running away is whether it is active or passive.
• We have to be the one who make the decision that having the reward, not the zombie told us to.

Belief

• Belief is the fundamental power of will power, the more you belief in it, the strong that power you have. This is also the most important part to fight procrastination.

Juggling Life & Learning

How to make a good plan for learning & living

• There are tasks those are Product-oriented. Meaning that you are certain about finishing them within a period of time.
• There are tasks those are Process-oriented. Meaning that you know it is only a small process among your time, you cannot finish it by the end of the day, but it is a process that you got to work on toward completion.
• Always make your daily plan before you sleep because it will remind the zombie to prepare to work on them.
• Always have a task list because if something is not remembering them for you, it means that you are wasting your valuable 4 working memory slot on it.
• Always have a quit time to make sure you work efficiently among the working hours.
• Always have a break time because you need to give yourself rewards and time to rest, also time to let the defused mode work (IMO for the last part).
• "Always eat the frog first", meaning always do the most difficult task for you in the morning, it will make the rest of your day more effective and enjoyable.
• When setting up a plan, make sure you have left enough time for other tasks, such as meeting and work.
• Other works or things that involves motion could also be treated as a defused break.

Memory

Summary

• There are two types of memory: Long term memory & Working memory.
• Long term memory is like a warehouse, once it is stored, it will be in there forever.
• There is always be a journey for the working memory to become long term memory.
• We can consolidate the working memory through repetition & recall.
• Creation and consolidation could not be happened within the same day, it takes several days to do so, we could do it by setting an interval.
• There are techniques that helps us to memorize them, including grouping learning materials, create visual images & mind palace or any memory tricks that you can think of/ find online.

Diving Deeper into Memory

Working Principle

• Memory is not the only part of learning but undeniable a very important part.
• Although writing is not developed long ago, comparing with the all the centuries that human were born. We have always developed a good space recognition system inside our brain, this explains why we are good at other senses' memory rather than word memory.
• Images, audio can stimulate that part of our brain and help us remember things.
• If we can unlock that potential power from ourselves, we will be able to remember the learning materials.

lesson example

• f = ma
• flying mule ass

Visual Image

• A good visual image can always stimulate your different part of senses towards the thing that you want to remember

Repetition

• Even a good metaphor or visual image needs to be repeated.
• Repetition is the only way to get something from short term memory into long term memory.
• You will always need to repeat the thing that you want to memorize, otherwise it will not be consolidated and be sucked up by the metabolic vampires.
• Remember not to repeat hundreds of time in a short period but each repetition should be spread longer and longer.
• Using tools like flash cards can help us to recall the

What is Long Term Memory

• Memory could be easily changed.
• Long term memory cannot be built without the hippocampus.
• Brain without hippocampus cannot perform consolidation.
• Each time the memory the recalled/ acquired, the piece of memory will finally be re-consolidated, hence, our memory could be wrong as we might have wrong alteration or blurs about the memory that we just acquired.

Creating Meaningful Groups and the Memory Palace Technique

• Meaningful groups are easier to capture and memorize things.
• The key is to be creative and stimulate more senses that you have.
• At first it might take time to remember them, but skills will be improved the more you do it.
• Another benefit of using mind palace is that as it requires much creativity, the more you use mind palace, the more it stimulate the creative part of your brain, which also increase the strength of your synapses.