Forcing functions

We all have personal goals. These goals generally fall into two groups; ones with deadlines and ones without. 

We also all procrastinate. We delay or postpone action on our goals. 

When our goals have deadlines, we naturally overcome our procrastination. When the deadline nears, we panic and get it done. 

When our goals don’t have deadlines, we can allow ourselves to procrastinate forever. Sadly, these goals are often the most meaningful. It could be learning a new subject, exercising more, or writing a book. When we fail to make progress on these efforts, we experience regret and unhappiness.

Tired of procrastinating on an important goal? Try creating a forcing function. A forcing function is anything that requires you to take action and produce a result. When you create a useful forcing function, you indirectly coerce yourself into progressing your goal.

Want to learn a new subject? Commit to teaching a related class online or at a local university.  Or buy a bunch of books on the subject.

Want to exercise more? Schedule and prepay for 3 months of weekly personal training. Or join an exercise community and publicly commit to a weight loss goal.

Want to write a book? Sign a book deal with a deadline. Or start a weekly newsletter and market it publicly. 

Forcing functions work because they require you to risk your time, reputation, or money. This motivates you to take action to avoid loss. The size of the forcing function doesn’t matter; what matters is that it forces you to start progressing your goal. 

Want to accomplish a goal? Create a forcing function.