Hey there,
It's Day 04 of the How to Stop Procrastinating Mini-Course and you've learned a lot so far.
As we've already covered, most procrastination isn't about laziness—it's about discomfort.
The task feels overwhelming. The outcome feels uncertain. The effort feels exhausting.
So you avoid it… not because you don't want to do it, but because you don't want to feel what comes with doing it.
That's where emotional regulation theory comes in.
This theory says that when we're uncomfortable, we're wired to avoid the thing causing that discomfort, even if it's something good for us in the long run.
And the better you get at managing that discomfort—without numbing it, ignoring it, or letting it run the show—the less you procrastinate.
TODAY'S MINI-LESSON: Future You Knows Best
While doing something you'd rather avoid feels uncomfortable today, it also sets you up for less discomfort and more success in the future.
Most people try to talk themselves out of procrastination in the moment:
"Just focus."
"Just do it."
"Come on, man. Don't be a loser."
But that doesn't work. As we've already covered, beating yourself up only leads to more procrastination, not less. So instead, try talking yourself into it—but from the future.
After all, it's a future version of yourself you're screwing over when you put off important tasks that just bite you in the ass later. Isn't that the person who should be calling the shots?
TODAY'S ACTION PROMPT: The Time Travel Trick
Imagine your Future Self is the you who actually finished the thing.
He/she/they did the workout, wrote the book, competed in the marathon, took the walk, flossed every day–you get the picture. They got it done. They're on the other side of it.
For today's experiment, you're going to write a letter to yourself—from your Future Self.
What do they have to say to you, from their perspective?
What do they want you to know?
After they've said their peace, write a quick response to them from your Present Self.
And no, these letters don't have to be long.
Remember the MVA tool—just a few lines each is enough.
No one ever has to read this but you.
WANT TO TAKE THIS LESSON DEEPER?
Drew and I go into way more depth on how to stop avoiding the hard things and regulate your emotions in the How to Stop Procrastinating episode of Solved and the Solved Guide.
We also have an entire course on Emotions and how to regulate them inside The Solved Membership. So when you join, you won't just get an entire month's worth of action steps on solving procrastination—you can also dive deeper into emotions and uncover what most helps you name, manage, and regulate what you're feeling.
I've got one more tool for you to try out tomorrow, but if you want to become a Solved member, it's just $24.99 per month with a 60-day no-questions-asked refund policy and no commitment necessary—and you can save $100 if you join for the full year. (That's 4 months for FREE.)
>> Learn more and become a member here. <<
Tomorrow's our last day of the mini-course, and I'm sharing my #1 favorite procrastination tool.
See you then,
Mark
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