The Super Mario Method to beating Resistance
Everyone has a plan (resolutions and grand promises to stop procrastinating) until they get punched in the mouth (resistance aka that demotivated, 'ugh I just don't feel like it' feeling that hits you when you sit down to work).
Here's how I overcome it.
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It's Monday morning, despite coming off a super unproductive weekend (after an equally unproductive week), you feel okay. You're more or less able to shake off the dregs of the past and move on.
What’s done is done. Time to look forward and be better—time for some fresh resolutions.
No more slacking off. No more procrastination. No more wasting time on effing Youtube and Reddit and Insta. None of that.
From today onwards, I am going to spend [some reasonable number of hours] everyday doing [a repeatable task] towards [an ambitious goal].
Good. Great. Awesome.
So with all that, comes time to not just to talk about those promises, but to execute. To do. Here's how it goes:
Computer is booted up, time wasting site blocker is activated, Word is loaded and good to go. Check.
Piping hot coffee at arms reach. Check.
Desktop is clean and tidy, chhh—no wait the stapler is crooked. Ok, there—eck.
Seat is ergonomically positioned; posture is straight AF. All systems check.
Let’s do this thi—aaaaaaaaaand holy hell…. uugh… I. just. don’t. feel. like. it. I legit don’t fricking feel like it. What the actual hell…. !! Every time. Why?!!
*Proceeds to dick around on Reddit instead of work*
Sound familiar?
This, amigo, is called Resistance. That overwhelming-repulsion-to-work-that-makes-it-seem-like-the-task-at-hand-is-a-worse-idea-than-licking-the-damp-inside-corner-of-a-bus-shelter-while-setting-it-aside-to-browse-through-r /memes-the-absolute-best-idea-ever?…-Re-effing-sistance.
Resistance is a thing; and it will come to punch you in the mouth and sabotage you and your precious plans, promises and resolutions—just like it did last week.
(At this point, I need to give credit to Steven Pressfield and his epic book The War of Art, in which he coined the term Resistance and managed to describe this feeling and it's effects so perfectly)
So ok, what to do about?
Well, the way I see it, you have 3 options :
Option 1: Willpower through it with gritted teeth. Motivation is overrated: just will your hands to move and type, letter by letter, like you’re operating a finicky crane machine in an old arcade.
This is possible, but, like wading upstream of a swift current, my-oh-my is this exhausting. Productivity prodigies like, I don’t know…David Goggins?… they can enter the ring with the beast and box through all 12 rounds, but mortals like me and you just won’t have the stamina. No bueno.
Option 2: Do the opposite: indulge the craving for the vice in the hopes that the Resistance will pass and you’ll be able to return to your work session which a clear brain and a little more focus and motivation.
Lol at this method. It of course never pans out the way you hope, instead snowballing out to all-out binge. Anyway, again, obviously, no bueno.
Option 3: You can Super Mario the sh*t out of it.
This is what I do and it works. Allow me to explain.
So you’re 8 again and you’re playing Super Mario World in the basement. You enter a haunted house level (go ahead and play that eerie door hinge sound effect in your head). You advance a bit, when, out from behind you an angry ghost lurches forward. This makes you panic, but you mange to turn Mario around in time. Phew.
Here’s the thing. Looking at the ghost doesn't make it die or go away. There's nothing you can do to make Mario eliminate it. The only thing Mario can do is manage the ghosts.
With the ghost immobilized, you can take a breath and plan out your next moves. Ok, I’ll jump on that platform; hit that question mark block; run and duck under that flame, then turn around again and recoup. Ready?... ⋆exhale⋆… ok go...
In the same way, you can only manage Resistance. And this can only be done by facing it—by bringing it into your awareness, like it’s an outside thing happening that you can look at and observe.
Hmm… there he is again… ah yessss… Resistance…what a jerk.
Now, just like with Mario and the ghost, mindfully ‘facing’ the Resistance doesn’t make it go away unfortunately.
With the Resistance immobilized, you can however plan out your next moves, just as you would with Mario. Ok… I feel the resistance. I feel the overwhelm at how much work is involved with this project. It’s not pleasant, but it is what it is. Ok fine… now, first move: go through my notes and extract the first argument. Then, convert it into a paragraph, then, ok, I’ll pause and recoup. Ready?... *exhale*… ok go...
Then, just as you would playing Mario, with a super focused mental space (i.e. mindful and present to the moment), diligently, carefully, slowly perform the first tiny task. Then move on to the next, again, carefully.
If/when you feel the ghost of Resistance creep back towards; again, stop. Turn around. Look at it. Observe it. Feel it. Take a few breathes, then plan your next moves.
Then go forward some more.
String together enough of these ‘stop, observe, plan, go’ sequences and you’ll get through your work session unscathed. It might not be the quickest possible way to get things done—the quickest way to beat the haunted house level is to ignore the ghosts and sprint through non-stop—but it’s the surest way. For me, it’s been the only sustainable way to ramp up and maintain a solid and consistent work session habit.
So that’s it. Best of luck to you in your noble quest for higher productivity. And don’t forget: if you slip a bit and get nicked by the dang ghost again… don’t chuck the controller at your little brother as you did when you were 8… be kind to yourself and just use an extra life to start again… You got this ;)
- Simon ㋛