Why is want always stronger than should?

You have a big project that’s due in a month and should get started. But instead, you find yourself in front of the television watching TV. And the next thing you know, your project is due in a couple of days and you’re scrambling.

If you’re prone to doing this then you probably think you’re being lazy or unfocused. But the truth is that it’s about the reward.

The cognitive process behind this is hyperbolic discounting. This means that a smaller, more immediate reward is much more tempting than a more distant, larger reward. So sitting on the couch watching television looks better than the reward you’ll get from finishing your project.

This is one reason why people procrastinate. Their brain tricks them into thinking that their ‘want’ activity is better than their ‘should’ activity.

So you need to trick your brain into waiting. If you get past the immediate ‘want’ moment, then your brain can think more clearly and rationally.

So try promising yourself that you can watch an episode once you finish one small piece of work. By the time you’ve finished, your brain will be in a much more rational place. And use this insight to design a plan to help you overcome future temptations as well.

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