Imagine the last time that you wanted to change something. How many people, in search of that spark of inspiration, wait for something external to light a flame within them?
It’s a familiar scene: waiting for that one video, that one book, to be the catalyst for our grand ambitions.
It’s easy to say, “I really want to get in shape, but today’s just not the day,” or “I’ve got this business idea, but I’m not feeling it today,” or “I’d love to paint again, but the inspiration isn’t there.”
We’ve all been there. Instead of tackling that looming dream or task, we dither. Why? Because stepping out of our comfort zone is… well, uncomfortable.
That hesitation, that pull to avoid what’s challenging, isn’t just laziness or lack of discipline. It’s science.
In its ever-helpful structure, our brain creates a conflict between the emotional and unconscious limbic systems, and the rational and conscious prefrontal cortices.[1] The limbic, always our protective guardian system, intervenes when the task at hand seems intimidating. It steers us away from discomfort and nudges us back to familiar territory. Here is the anatomy of procrastination.
Yet, here’s the thing: if…
