If you suffer from procrastination, you might be making this mistake.  It usually happens like this: you know you have something to do, but it isn’t something pleasant. Going to the dentist, exercising, paying the bills, have the “talk” your wife has been nagging you about, study for the exam.  Something you know that sooner or later you will have to do.

But since it’s something that isn’t pleasant, you leave it for later.  You want to avoid the pain, the negative experience. And then you put the other, more pleasant, less painful things first.  Like checking your Facebook, watching TV, eating a chocolate cake, going to the mall, reading the news… checking your Facebook (again), getting the latest update on your favorite athlete or sports team.

But that voice in your head, deep down, keeps reminding you: “You have that thing to do…”

The result of all of this in your life is stress, anxiety, restlessness, frustration, that feeling that you should be somewhere else, doing something else – and of course, without any progress with that task.

Finally comes the moment when you can’t delay it any longer. The tooth is aching, the pants no longer fit you, the bills are late, the wife already rejected you ten nights in a row or the exam is tomorrow.

Then you will feel the pain; go through the unpleasant experience anyway, but with an additional problem: it will be more painful than if you had dealt with it earlier.

Stop the madness.

Let’s use our heads.

Behavioral scientists have discovered that our brains prefer experiences that get better as time goes by and hate the ones that get worse.  For example, if you go to the doctor, the experience of sitting in the waiting room for 20 minutes is better than waiting for 10 minutes in the waiting room, then 10 more minutes in the doctor’s office waiting for him to arrive.  It is better to receive bad news first, then good news than the reverse.  The experience of going to a restaurant where you pay first, then eat and leave, is more pleasant than where you eat first, pay the painful bill and then leave.

What this means is that for us to better enjoy life, be more productive and happier in general, we have to create the habit of doing the unpleasant first.

Early in the morning, do that which you least enjoy and get it out of the way.  The rest of your day will go much more smoothly than if you leave the unpleasant for the end of the day.

Things aren’t going well in your marriage for some reason?  Resolve the problem immediately and don’t sleep until you straighten things out.  It will be better than if you wake up sulking the next day.

But this is nothing new. As always, scientists are almost a few thousand years behind the Word of God, Who once said:

Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, Bringing his sheaves with him. — Psalms 126: 5-6 NKJV

Make the sacrifice. Face the problem. Rid yourself of the unpleasant task putting it on top of the list.

And live better!

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