Tricks of the Lazy Mind
Hey friends,
I spent a large part of this last week editing my first YouTube video in more than two years. Yep, it’s been a (very) long while. And it might well be an equally long one till the next video — fun as it is, YouTube still isn’t a priority for me.
Even so, it was an interesting exercise. Not only because I found my video editing skills to be a bit rusty but also because it produced a couple of insights I didn’t quite expect. And so I decided to share a few of them that I thought were the most peculiar.
#1. Our Minds are Very Good at Resisting Work
Perhaps the hardest part of getting that video done was to sit down and actually start on it. It did require quite a bit of self-convincing. It’s pretty amazing how inventive our minds get when trying to trick us out of something they perceive as unnecessarily complex.
— It’s been two years. I probably forgot how to even make a video.
— What’s the point, it’s not like I’m reviving the YouTube channel.
— Nobody is going to watch it anyway.
— It’s difficult and time-consuming and I’m tired. Perhaps I should just watch a movie.
These are just some excuses that popped into my head as I was contemplating the prospect of editing the footage I brought back from Switzerland. After all, why do anything if you can just… do nothing?
Whether this is just procrastination or there’s some evolutionary logic behind this, I’m not sure. What I do know is that this inevitably happens whenever I get an idea that requires a fair bit of effort to implement.
It’s almost like I want to do something but my own mind keeps resisting and pushing back on it. If you’re doing any creative work, I’m sure you’re familiar with the feeling.
Luckily, there’s an easy fix for this.
#2. It Becomes Easier Once You Get Going
The good news is that there’s a simple solution to this problem. What I noticed is that once I did eventually start on the video — that is, opened Premier Pro, created a timeline, and began playing around with the footage — the resistance was gone.
I believe the reason is that once my mind realized its ploy to avoid work was futile it abandoned the question “Do I really have to do it?” and began asking a different one instead — “Ok, how do I best do it?”.
This seemingly simple change had a tremendous effect. I was no longer wasting energy on avoiding something. Rather, my focus has shifted to producing a result and solving the problems that arise. Ideas started flowing and before I knew it, I was fully on board with the project.
And therein lies the trick. Instead of asking questions that aim to undermine your willingness to complete something, start asking yourself HOW to actually do it. It’s the how that gets the creative juices flowing. And it’s so powerful that it works even when you’re doing it consciously.
Or, in simpler terms, just follow the famous Nike slogan — Just Do It.
#3. The Satisfaction Is Immense
Perhaps I’m stating the obvious but the satisfaction from overcoming the inner walls and achieving what you want is huge. In the end, I had great fun editing the video and am extremely pleased with how it turned out (by the way, feel free to watch it and let me know your thoughts!).
So much so that I might even get back to doing occasional YouTube stuff every now and then. Because it’s fun and I enjoy it — despite my mind sometimes trying to convince me otherwise. I guess all I’m saying is that sometimes we just need a little push to get past our own laziness.
We’ll see how it goes but if anything, this simple realization alone is worth the hours I’ve put into making it happen. Had I succumbed to the tricks of a lazy mind, I might not have rediscovered this passion of mine.
Cheers,
– Alex
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