Overcome Procrastination and Regain Your Motivation by Thibaut Meurisse

In this motivating episode of *Mind Set in Stone Podcasts,* Dave and Poppy explore *Overcome Procrastination and Regain Your Motivation* by Thibaut Meurisse, a guide packed with actionable techniques to tackle procrastination and spark lasting motivation. They break down Meurisse’s insights into why we procrastinate, how to develop self-discipline, and simple strategies to stay focused on goals. Perfect for anyone feeling stuck or struggling to stay productive, this episode offers tools to overcome roadblocks and keep moving forward. Tune in for a practical, empowering discussion that will inspire you to take action and reach your potential!

Thank you for tuning in to this episode of Mind Set in Stone Podcasts. If you enjoyed our deep dive, be sure to subscribe and leave us a review! Share your thoughts with us on social media, and let us know which book you’d like us to explore next. Until next time, keep your mind set in stone and your curiosity open.

This has been a Big L Riz Media Podcast—where big ideas meet lasting impressions.

Transcript

Welcome to Mind Set in Stone Podcasts, where we dive deep into the most compelling books on the shelf. Join hosts Dave and Poppy as they uncover the stories, themes, and ideas that shape our understanding and inspire curiosity. Get ready to explore the big ideas that leave a lasting impact.

Let's get started.

Okay, so you know how sometimes like you've got that to do list and it just keeps growing? Like crazy. And it feels impossible to even like make a dent in it.

Totally. Like it's got a life of its own.

Exactly. Well, what if I told you this deep dive could help you finally like slay that procrastination beast? We're diving into immediate action, This Book by Thibaut Meurisse.

I love this book.

Yeah. And it's not like your typical self-help book. You know what I mean?

It's very practical.

Yes.

Super practical.

It's just refreshing. It is. Because I think most of us kind of know deep down, like procrastination isn't really about laziness.

Right.

But this book really digs into like the why, you know, the way our brains are actually wired. And then it gives you solutions based on that science.

Yes. And it jumps right into it too. Like day one.

He's like, all right, let's go. You're either going to tackle a big task that you've been putting off. Or you're going to just like clear out a bunch of smaller to do's.

Yeah, just get it done.

It's like he's saying, stop thinking, just start doing.

Have you found that to be true, like in your own life?

100 percent. Yeah. And there's a reason for that.

And it's actually neurological. Yeah. So, like when you take action, even if it's something small, it triggers this dopamine release in your brain.

Oh, interesting.

It's like you're giving yourself a little reward.

OK.

And then that motivates you to want to do more. He actually compares it to Stephen King.

Oh, wow.

Yeah. He's like, Stephen King doesn't wait for inspiration. He writes every single day.

Yeah. And the ideas, they come from that action.

So, it's like you're building momentum.

Exactly.

One task down. You're like, OK, I can do this. What's next?

Exactly. And you're retraining your brain to associate that action with something positive instead of dreading it, like we usually do with procrastination.

Totally. And then that leads perfectly into day two, which is all about figuring out your procrastination. Why?

Yeah, why do you do it?

Why? Like, what is it? You know, and he dives into all these different things like fear of failure, lack of clarity, even like too much stimulation, which let's be honest.

Oh my gosh.

This is a big one. Huge.

In our world today.

In this world.

I swear.

Yeah.

Even just the thought of like scrolling through social media can derail my entire morning.

Oh, yeah.

It's crazy.

He really hits on why that is, you know, why that overstimulation is such a productivity killer.

Yeah. Why is that?

Our brains are just not designed for this like constant influx of information.

Oh.

It's exhausting.

Yeah.

And it makes it so much harder to focus on like one thing.

Yeah.

Especially if it's challenging.

Which is probably why we end up procrastinating in the first place.

Right.

It's like our brain is trying to protect us in a way from being overloaded.

Exactly. And that's where day three comes in, which I think is super interesting. Because he digs into this whole present self-versus future self-illusion.

Oh yeah.

That we all plan ourselves. Like future me will be so much more focused, future me will be so much more motivated.

And organized.

Yes. But in reality, we're just giving ourselves an excuse to put it off today. 100% like, oh, future me have so much time to finish that project, even though I've got like a million things going on all week.

Right. And it's not going to happen. It's magical thinking.

Exactly. It's like, we think we're going to magically have more time.

Yeah. And he challenges us to ask ourselves, like, are we living to just survive each day? Just bouncing around from distraction to distraction?

Yeah. Or are we choosing to actually thrive?

I love that.

By, you know, taking on those challenges head on.

It's a good question to ask.

It is a good question.

Like, what are we actually doing here?

Yeah. Are you running from this or are you running towards something?

It's like we're on this autopilot, you know, just letting our, like, impulses and these old thought patterns totally run the show.

Totally. And that's where day four comes in. Okay.

Because he's like, okay, we need some clarity.

Clarity.

Yes. He makes this really good point that a lot of times we procrastinate because things just aren't clear. Like, we don't know why a task even matters.

Yeah.

We don't know what the end goal should look like. We don't know where to even begin.

It's so true. It's like trying to navigate in the dark.

Yeah.

You're just like, Oh my gosh. Where am I even go?

Exactly. You're just overwhelmed. You don't even know where to start.

It reminds me this one story in the book where this guy's like, I don't know, he's been putting off organizing his garage for months.

Oh, yeah.

And it just felt impossible.

Sure.

Like totally insurmountable.

Yeah. Who wants to do that?

Right. But then he's like, Okay, I'm going to apply this principle of clarity. So, he's like, what if I just tackle that one pile of boxes by the door?

Okay. And suddenly it felt doable. And then like that small win led to another and another.

It's amazing how that works.

It is.

But that's the thing, our brains, they love to latch on to any excuse.

Right.

When we don't have that clarity, they're like, toward too big. Let's just watch Netflix.

Let's do literally anything else.

Exactly. But if you have that why, that what, and that how, right, suddenly you're taking away all your brain's excuses.

It's like you're tricking your own brain, in a good way. Okay. So, we've decluttered the to-do list.

We figured out our why. We've gotten clear on what we actually want to do. What's next?

Focus.

Focus.

This is day five.

Okay.

He talks about this idea of creating a low stimulation environment.

Because.

It makes sense.

Our world is so noisy.

It's so distracting. Every notification, every peak, it's like everything is designed to just grab your attention.

It's not even just the external stuff. Like our own minds can be.

The worst.

Oh my gosh. Tell me about it. I can't tell you how many times I've totally lost track of what I was doing.

Because that little voice in my head is like, don't forget to buy cat food.

Oh yeah.

And I'm like, wait, what was I just doing? Totally gone. So how do we actually create that low stimulation environment?

Especially in the world that we live in.

Well, he suggests simple things.

Yeah.

You know, like turning off notifications, putting your phone on silent, maybe even like using noise canceling headphones.

I love those.

Yeah. It's just about like consciously designing your surroundings to minimize those interruptions.

That's so hard.

It is hard because we're so used to it.

We are.

It's like we're addicted to the noise.

Right. It's like we don't even know how to function without it.

Right. And that's why he says like you have to be really intentional about it. You have to make a conscious effort to like disconnect.

Have you ever done that? Like just completely disconnected.

You know, I actually tried this thing last week where I put my phone in a drawer.

Okay.

In a different room. Wow. I know.

And I turned off all my notifications for an hour.

And how'd that go?

You know what? I got so much done. Like more than I sometimes get done in like a whole day.

Really?

Yeah. Because I wasn't constantly getting interrupted.

Yeah.

You know? And it made me realize how much I'm usually trying to multitask.

Which by the way is a total myth. It is. Our brains just don't work that way.

They don't.

We think we're doing like all these things at once, but really, we're just like switching from one thing to another.

And it's exhausting.

It is. I mean, no wonder we're all so tired.

Right. We're not giving our brains a break.

So, you're saying like less is more.

Less is more.

When it comes to focus.

Yes. Give yourself permission.

Okay.

To just focus on one thing. And you will actually do it better.

That's good advice. Okay. So, we're getting somewhere.

We're like getting rid of distractions. We're focusing. What else can we do to combat this procrastination?

Well, day six is a big one. It's all about fear. Fear.

Oh gosh. Yeah.

Yeah. That feeling of like not being good enough. Or like failing before you even start.

Which is like the worst feeling.

It is the worst. But you know what? He makes this really interesting point in the book.

What's that?

He says that even Oscar winners.

No way.

Yes. Experience those same feeling.

Really?

Of self-doubt, of fear.

So, it's not just me.

No. It's everybody. It's human.

It's totally human.

Totally human. But the key he says, yeah, is to not let that fear control you.

Easier said than done sometime.

It is. But you know, it's not about pretending it's not there. It's about like acknowledging it, but not letting it call the shots.

I like that. So, it's like shifting how you relate to the fear, not pretending it doesn't exist.

Exactly. It's about recognizing that a lot of times fear, especially the fear of failure, it comes from a place of wanting to protect ourselves.

Makes sense.

We don't want to feel pain. Yeah. We don't want to feel uncomfortable.

Right.

But real growth, real change. Yeah. It often comes from pushing through that discomfort.

That's where self-compassion comes in. Yes. It's like we have to learn how to be okay with being kind of bad at something first.

Totally. Like give yourself permission to suck.

Yes. A hundred percent. Okay.

So, we're being kind to ourselves. We're facing our fears. What's the final piece of the puzzle here?

So, day seven is all about routine.

Routine. Yeah.

Building those habits that support all of this, that support taking action and basically making procrastination like a non-factor.

So, it's not about finding the motivation every single day because that's tough.

Yeah. Motivation comes and goes. It's like the weather.

Right. Exactly. Some days you wake up and you're like, let's do this and other days you're like, nope, I'm just going to stay under the covers.

Exactly. So, it's more about creating systems that support your goals, even on the days when you don't feel like it.

So, it's about taking control.

Yes.

And making those choices.

It's just showing up for yourself.

Okay. I like that. It's like you're not waiting for things to happen.

Right.

You're making them happen.

Exactly. The more you do that, the easier it gets.

Oh, that's good to hear. Because sometimes it feels like it's never going to get easier.

Well, it does. And there's reason for that too.

Okay. Tell me more.

It's like you're literally rewiring your brain. Oh, wow. Yeah.

Think of it like you're paving a new road. Okay. The more you travel down that road, the more you practice those positive habits, the stronger that connection becomes.

Oh, that makes sense. So, with each small step, we're changing the way our brains actually work.

Totally. It's amazing.

That is pretty amazing. Okay. So, I have to ask, what are some of those small steps?

What are some things that people can start doing today?

Well, you talked about the power of micro habits.

Micro habits.

Yeah. Tiny actions that when done consistently, can lead to huge changes.

Okay. Give me an example. Okay.

So, making your bed every morning.

Okay.

Seems really simple, right? But it creates this sense of accomplishment.

Interesting.

Like right away, you start your day off by doing something positive.

Okay. I liked it.

Then that kind of snowballs into other things.

So, it's like building that momentum.

Exactly. You're building that action muscle.

I like that. The action muscle. I'm going to start using that.

Right.

So, we're not just sitting around waiting for inspiration to strike or for the motivation fairy to come visit us.

You're taking charge.

We're doing the work. I love it. This has been so insightful.

Yeah.

It's a really great book.

It is.

And it's given us a lot to think about.

Definitely.

Yeah.

Hopefully some tools to actually use.

Exactly. Because it's one thing to understand why we procrastinate, but it's another thing to actually do something about it.

Totally. Knowledge without action is kind of meaningless.

I love that. So true. So, to our listeners out there, what resonated with you?

What's one tiny action, maybe even a micro habit that you can do today to start building that action muscle? Let us know. We'd love to hear from you.

We hope you're leaving with fresh insights and a spark of inspiration. Remember to subscribe, leave a review, and check back for more episodes as we dive into new worlds of thought, one book at a time. Until then, keep your mind set in stone and your curiosity open.

This has been a Big L Riz Media Podcast, where big ideas meet lasting impressions.