Procrastination — “putting it off”, as they call it in the States — has had oceans of ink spilled over it already. And we've read every one of those articles, all of us together. And our reaction was invariably: “from tomorrow, it all changes. Definitely.”
Whereupon, three days later, we had to concede that it hadn't quite worked out.
Or perhaps not at all.
Is it really such an illness, as some (social) media would have us believe? Or is it precisely those media that have sent it into overdrive? Worse still — is it not those very social media that stop us from actually realising our good intentions?
And what does it have to do with good intentions in the first place? What does psychology make of it all?
Is there a solution? And how do you even begin, to give yourself at least a fighting chance of success?
Good intentions — an introduction
Once again, plenty of good intentions were formulated on the 1st of January. Health-related goals in particular do well, although drinking less alcohol (a mere 20th place) and quitting smoking (only 14th) seem to have lost their status as traditional resolutions.
There is good news, and there is bad news …
The bad news is that fewer than one in five of those goals are ever achieved, and that it takes no longer than the 12th of January for most people to throw in the towel.
The good news is: it doesn't have to go that way.
This article is admittedly no miracle cure, unfortunately not — but whether you can distil one or two concrete tips from it, we'll both be happy, won't we?
"As a regular swimmer, I avoid the pool in the first two or three weeks of January, because every lane is full of good intentions."
A problem of our times?
Not really: four thousand years ago, the Babylonians were already promising their gods they would return borrowed objects and pay off their debts. And they did so … at the start of the year. So it's a habit that has, more or less, worn itself in — and, as will become clear, not a particularly good one.
Even so, it is only in the past few years that there has been an (almost) rampant proliferation of studies, blogs, and articles about “the human being's” inability to hold on to a handful of simple good intentions until the end of the year.
It seems to me, in fact, that amid that abundance, a number of (pseudo-)psychologists display a certain form of Schadenfreude. Which is rather cynical, given that we are, after all, programmed this way. According to Timothy Pychyl, professor of psychology at Carleton University, good intentions are essentially a form of cultural procrastination: 'People are trying to motivate themselves in this way, but they are not at all truly ready to change their bad behaviour.'
So it is only by dealing with the issue very consciously (and thus switching off our subconscious) that we will be able to achieve results.
But I'm getting ahead of the facts. Let's start at the beginning (I do hope you'll be a little less harsh on yourself now because that, too, is a success factor).
“Tell me quando, quando, quando …”
As already indicated, the moment chosen to formulate and/or realise good intentions is usually not terribly well picked.
Studies show that a quarter of people start at the beginning of the year, another quarter at the start of spring — and smokers get a second bite at the cherry whenever “Stoptober” comes around again.
All in all, it's fairly obvious that the three moments I've listed above all stand little or no chance of succeeding.
Another example: when I was a teenager, I had an aunt who would unfailingly say, “Monday I'll start my diet” — after which she repeated that same sentence every day from Tuesday through to Sunday.
What is the essential difference (in your own behaviour) between the 31st of December and the 1st of January? Between the 20th and the 21st of March? Or between the 30th of September and the 1st of Stoptober?
Or, for my aunt, between Sunday and Monday?
To quote Batman: zero, zilch, zip, nada, nothing.
And when there is no difference whatsoever in your own routines on a given date, you won't realise your good intentions from that date onwards either. Because that's precisely what it comes down to: changing your routines.
The bad news, therefore, is that you can't simply start at any random moment (“now” included).
The good news? It gives you the time to prepare thoroughly, with the tips, action plans and checklists I'll be giving you. With those building blocks, you create a solid framework for yourself, and you make sure you achieve your goals. And it doesn't matter which domain they sit in, how you phrase them or to whom you communicate them, or which tools you use to track your progress — there is only one thing that counts: turning those confounded intentions into good habits.
And we'll do that together, step by step.
To take away from this article
Plan the start of your good intentions carefully — ideally after your holiday, or any other "breakpoint" in your rhythm.
Realising good intentions is above all a matter of adapting your routines, and that is easiest at a moment when you have to get reaccustomed to them anyway.