Boredom is best cured by curiosity, but curiosity has no cure. ✨
Are you all too familiar with this scene? You sit down to do some work like writing a paper because you have to. The deadline looms. But the moment you think,
“I need to do it… but I just don’t fucking want to do it. I don’t even know why!”
you suddenly find yourself scrolling on your phone or deciding it’s the perfect time to reorganize your entire closet. Before you know it, half the day is gone—yet your paper remains untouched.
Sound familiar? You’re not alone. The biggest myth we tell ourselves is that this procrastination is because we’re “lazy” or “unmotivated.” The real root lies in the discomfort we feel about the task and our mind’s instinctive scramble to escape that feeling—no matter how trivial or random the alternative might be.
In this post, we’ll break down why we procrastinate, what it really means, and how you can beat it using science-backed (yet super-simple) solutions. Let’s dive in!
The Procrastination Cycle: A Quick Story
I (like many of us!) often sit down to work—say, creating a video. It’s not my favorite task:
- When I record, my voice sounds off.
- When I do retakes, I sound either too stiff or too over-the-top.
- Editing each clip then drains my creative energy.
Faced with all that discomfort, I naturally reach for my phone. I open Instagram or YouTube “just to check.” Then I watch a few Reels or Shorts… and before I know it, an hour or two vanishes.
Annoyed with myself, I vow: “No more! Phone away!”
But do I jump back into work? Nope. I find myself cleaning my desk—which quickly morphs into cleaning my entire room. Then I stumble upon old memories, and boom, another day lost. The cycle ends with: “I’ll just rest today. I’ll start fresh tomorrow.”
But what exactly am I resting from? I barely did any work!
Sound familiar? You’re not alone. Let’s see what’s really happening here.
The quick answer? I’m escaping the discomfort of that dreaded task. It’s not about being lazy; it’s about avoiding a task that feels vague, difficult, or boring. And smartphones (or cleaning!) become an easy escape route from that feeling. Recognizing this is half the battle.
What This Tells Us
- Smartphones (and dopamine) aren’t the real villains.
If you’ve tried going phoneless, you might still end up doodling or reorganizing your bookshelf. Distractions themselves aren’t the root cause. - You’re not simply “lazy.”
If you were truly lazy, would you suddenly reorganize your entire room? Obviously, you’re willing to do something—just not the task you need to do.
The true culprit lies in the moment of discomfort before you begin. Understanding that moment is key to breaking the cycle.
The Real Reason We Procrastinate
Emotional Discomfort: The Internal Trigger
When a task feels vague, difficult, or boring, your brain experiences a spike of discomfort. It wants immediate relief—something that’s easy and instantly rewarding. Enter checking your phone or suddenly becoming obsessed with organizing your sock drawer.
In other words, procrastination = avoiding discomfort. Your phone (or cleaning spree) is merely an accessible “escape hatch.” So the issue isn’t just dopamine; it’s avoidance.
How to Overcome Procrastination
Now that we know procrastination is fueled by discomfort, let’s explore three proven methods to tackle it head-on.
1. Reframe Your Tasks With Curiosity & Novelty 🔍
If discomfort drives you away, let curiosity and novelty pull you in.
Researcher Ian Bogost calls “fun” the result of intentionally approaching familiar tasks in new ways. If you infuse your task with a creative twist, you’re more likely to start.
- Turn your writing into a micro-challenge: “Can I outline my introduction in five minutes?”
- Add new tools or methods you haven’t tried: a cool note-taking app, a voice-to-text tool, or an interesting brainstorming exercise.
- Find a playful angle: treat each section you write like a puzzle to solve.
By shifting from “I have to do this” to “I want to see what happens if…,” you reduce that initial discomfort. And as the saying goes:
“Boredom is best cured by curiosity, but curiosity has no cure.”
So lean into your curiosity whenever you sense boredom creeping in.
2. Break Tasks Into Tiny Steps 📏
We tend to set big, daunting goals (“Write 10 pages,” “Finish a massive report”). The bigger the task, the more discomfort it can create.
Solution? Aggressively break it down—and don’t be afraid to keep breaking it down further. For example:
- Starter Phase – The smallest action that triggers the habit.
- Example: Open your writing program (or drive to the gym if you’re exercising).
- Scaled-Down Action – A small but meaningful chunk.
- Example: Write one paragraph instead of an entire page.
- Even Smaller If Needed
- If “one paragraph” still feels overwhelming, commit to just one sentence.
- Full Action – Your main target.
- Example: Write one full page or complete your intended workout.
The key is to identify a step so small, you can’t help but do it. Once you’re “in the loop” and momentum starts, it becomes easier to continue.
Remember: for some people, the mere act of driving to the gym is enough to spark a workout; for a writer, typing one sentence can unlock the flow for an entire page.
On days when motivation is high, you’ll naturally do more. On days when you’re dragging, those tiny steps ensure progress—no matter how small.
3. Surf the Urge (Manage Discomfort) 🌊
Even after reframing tasks and breaking them down, you might still feel that itch to procrastinate. Instead of beating yourself up, try the 10-Minute Rule:
“I’ll wait 10 minutes before giving in to any distraction.”
This is called urge surfing—riding out that wave of discomfort until it naturally calms. Often, by minute 10, the urge to procrastinate subsides, and you feel more in control.
Dr. Andrew Huberman’s Dopamine Insight
Neuroscientist Dr. Andrew Huberman notes that our dopamine spikes before we get the thing we crave—whether that’s checking your phone or indulging in junk food. The instant you actually indulge, dopamine levels drop.
How do you use this to your advantage?
- Ride Out the Spike: Recognize the urge is at its strongest right before you cave. If you can push through that moment, the craving eases.
- Reward the “Hold”: Each time you resist temptation, give yourself a complementary reward—treat yourself to something positive that aligns with your goals. For instance, if you’ve been resisting junk food and lost weight, celebrate by buying new clothes.
This positive feedback loop helps your brain learn: “Not giving in to immediate urges can feel just as good—if not better—than indulging them.”
The Science Behind It: Fogg’s Behavior Model 🧩
I’m going to introduce a basic concept from Fogg’s Behavior Model, which is a highlight of this blog post. Dr. BJ Fogg founded the Behavior Design Lab at Stanford University, where he directs research and innovation.
Behavior scientist BJ Fogg illustrates that action depends on three factors:
Motivation, Ability, and a Prompt (Action Trigger).
In Dr. BJ Fogg’s Behavior Model, a prompt is something that triggers or reminds a person to take action. Even if someone has the motivation and ability to do something, they still need a cue, signal, or reminder to actually do it.
Imagine a graph:
- Y-axis (vertical): Motivation — higher at the top, lower at the bottom.
- X-axis (horizontal): Ability — tasks easier on the right, harder on the left.
- A curved “action line” runs across the graph.
- If a task is both hard (far left) and your motivation is low (lower on the Y-axis), you’re below the action line → Action Failure Zone.
- If the task is easy (far right) and your motivation is high, you cross above the action line → Action Success Zone.
Now, knowing this graph, shall we take video production, which I found difficult, as an example?
Because it’s uncomfortable, my motivation is low, and the task itself is hard.
If we plot this on a graph, it falls into the failure zone.
But what about smartphones?
- Since I want to escape discomfort, my motivation is high.
- On top of that, they’re extremely easy to use.
If we plot this, it falls into the success zone.
Is it any wonder that we can’t resist using our smartphones? Instead of blaming ourselves for a lack of willpower or motivation, we need to step back and analyze the situation objectively.
So, How Can We Succeed in Completing Our Tasks?
We need to increase motivation and make the task easier.
- To increase motivation, we inject curiosity into the task. We can also focus on the reward after completing it or consider the social impact it might have.
- To make it easier, we break the task into smaller parts. Breaking tasks down also boosts motivation at the same time, keeping us within the success zone.
If we continue operating in the success zone, what happens?
It becomes a habit.
On the other hand, if you’ve done all this and still find yourself getting distracted, what should you do?
You need to lower the motivation for distractions and make them harder to engage in.
Once you’ve added curiosity to your task and broken it down into smaller steps, your discomfort should have eased to some extent—so your motivation to check your phone drops.
Then make it harder to reach your phone. You can put your smartphone away in a drawer and lock it; placing it in a different space also helps. Some people even buy a physical locker to lock away their phone, vape, or snacks for a set period.
If that’s not practical because you need your phone for work, you can delete apps like Instagram or YouTube and only access them from your computer. There’s also a Screen Time app that lets you set daily time restrictions on specific apps, locking them once you reach your limit (iPhone: Settings > Screen Time) .
Check out extra tips in “Author’s Personal Tips on How to Make Social Media Use Harder.”
Another Science Hack: Leverage Our “Social Animal” Nature🐒
If you’re still having a hard time motivating yourself, remember that humans are social creatures. Sometimes, shifting your motivation from yourself to others can dramatically increase follow-through.
Consider these scenarios:
- Morning Run Meet-Up: If you only promise yourself you’ll wake up early to run, you might snooze your alarm. But if you agree to meet a friend for a morning run, you’ll feel guilty canceling—and more likely to show up.
- Writing a Paper to Inspire: Instead of thinking, “I have to write this paper,” think, “I’m going to create a piece of writing that inspires my team or my peers.”
- Practice an Instrument for the Audience: Picture how many hearts you’ll move with your music rather than just the repetition of practice.
- Study to Save a Life: If you’re studying to become a doctor, focus on the real people whose lives you might save, not just the daily grind of classes and exams.
When your goal aligns with helping or impressing others, your social instincts kick in, making it harder to slack off. It’s not just about you—it’s about upholding your word or contributing something valuable to people you care about (or even to strangers who may benefit from your work). As a popular TED talk once highlighted: tapping into our social nature can be the nudge we need to stay committed.
Extra Inspiration: “Design Your Future, Don’t Blame Your Past”
At Aloha Dream Life, we believe in building a wealthy, healthy, and happy life. But you can’t build the life of your dreams if you keep putting off the steps that lead you there. Whether it’s finishing that important paper, starting a business, or simply tackling your daily to-do list—designing your behavior is key.
Quick Action Plan ✅
- Identify the Task You’re Avoiding
- What are you putting off right now?
- Pinpoint the Discomfort
- Why does this feel uncomfortable? Is it unclear, boring, or overwhelming?
- Reframe with Curiosity
- How can you approach the task in a new or playful way?
- Break It Down Further
- If one page is too much, try one paragraph. Still too big? Try one sentence.
- Surf the Urge
- Wait 10 minutes before indulging in distractions.
- Reward Your Restraint
- Give yourself a healthy, goal-aligned treat when you resist a bad habit.
- Leverage Our “Social Animal” Nature
- Shifting your motivation from yourself to providing values to others.
Final Thoughts: Embrace Curiosity for Lasting Change 🌱
Procrastination isn’t about lacking willpower or being lazy. It’s about evading the discomfort that tricky or tedious tasks bring. By sparking curiosity, breaking tasks down, and managing discomfort, you can finally break free from the cycle of guilt and avoidance.
Next time you catch yourself saying, “I need to do it, but I don’t want to!”, pause and ask:
“Wait—what am I really avoiding right now?”
Recognize the discomfort, lean into curiosity, and take that small first step. Because, as they say:
“Boredom is best cured by curiosity, but curiosity has no cure.”
Let your curiosity guide you to action—and watch your procrastination fade away.
If You Found This Helpful…
- ⭐ Bookmark this page for a quick reminder when procrastination strikes.
- 🔗 Share it with a friend who needs a boost.
- ⏰ Start applying these tips today—don’t wait for “motivation” to magically arrive!
Aloha and happy creating! ✨
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