I get energy by following through and competing a task I have committed to. Strangely, it's often not about the result, but more about the discipline I used to tackle and finish something. It makes me feel good – and conversely, the inertia created by putting something off is an incredible energy thief, and strongly demotivating. 

So why is it so hard for many of us to start and finish tasks? And why is it that we focus on checking our emails and Facebook page, tidy the room, wash the dishes – in fact anything except actually start what we set out to accomplish? If we get energy and feel good from completing something, why aren’t we doing just that . . . ?

Procrastinators tend to think in the short term – and so tend to avoid tasks that are immediately unappealing, even though the completion of those tasks may bring significant future benefits. They also tend to be less into planning – which doesn’t mean they can’t plan, just that they don’t like it. 

There may also be a physiological reason why some of some of us tend to procrastinate more than others, and that relates to the release of dopamine (a neurotransmitter that regulates behaviour). There is a gene that, depending on which version we have, determines our baseline levels of dopamine. If we have low levels, it is often only stress that can boost the release of extra dopamine – which might help explain why procrastinators often need to leave things until just before a deadline when the stress kicks in . . .

I have just read an article entitled “How to stop procrastinating by using the two-minute rule”. The idea behind the rule, as outlined in the book Atomic Habits by James Clear, is that nearly every habit can be scaled down into a two-minute version. It’s all about starting a habit – and so if you want to do some yoga, your strategy is to get out your mat and lay it out on the floor. Or if your aim is to run five km, your strategy is to put your running gear on. 

The idea is that you can’t manufacture a perfect result from the start – the key is to show up. By making the first two minutes easy, it becomes a ritual and from there it’s all much easier. I mean what are you going to do when you are in your running gear, apart from going for a run . . .

I like this quote by Norman Vincent Peale: “The really happy people are those who have broken the chains of procrastination, those who find satisfaction in doing the job at hand. They’re full of eagerness, zest, productivity. You can be, too.”

A cup half full or half empty . . . A rainy day to snuggle inside or a rainy day to frustrate your plans . . . feedback which helps you grow or feedback that leaves you upset . . . ?

Humans have a leaning towards negativity. Our news media know that - and to sell space they broadcast stuff about corruption, crime, hate, scandal . . . Maybe it’s in our evolutionary genes where not so long ago, our survival depended on being able to react quickly to danger. But whatever the reason, bad news sells because we demand it.

Positivity is a choice we all have. And we have the power to make that choice many times each day. There have been many studies on the health effects of positive thinking. In short - if you are an optimistic person you are more likely to have greater resistance to things like the common cold, reduced risk of death from heart attack, better ability to deal with stress and depression and . . . you are likely to live longer.

So, you can see the obvious dilemma . . .  how to be naturally positive when human nature is to veer on the negative side. And so it’s not something that will come naturally – and like all things that are good for us, it requires conscious effort on our part.

You may have heard about “The Secret” which is simply the “law of attraction.” I don't like the marketing behind this concept – it’s overbearingly cringy (in my humble opinion), but the concept is sound. Essentially, whatever consumes your thoughts is what you will eventually get in life. 

You become what you think. Applying this concept means that you simply focus on what you want, and not what you don’t want. Because if you were to do the latter – the latter is what you will attract. 

Try it . . . and see whether the concept works for you.

Yesterday ​I was listening to an interview with Sadhguru. Sadhguru is an Indian yogi who founded the Isha foundation – offering yoga programmes around the world. He is a powerful speaker and has addressed audiences at the United Nations, the World Economic Forum and, of course, TED.

The interviewer asked the question – what should we do to be blissful, happy and aware? 

The answer was simple. We aren’t going to be here forever. So don’t take things for granted. Of all the people who went to bed last night, some didn’t wake up. But we did. And isn’t that wonderful . . . and isn’t this a fantastic day.

So many of us live with the idea that we are immortal. Or put another way, we aren’t conscious of our mortality. Because if we were, how would we have time to fight with somebody, to waste our time doing things that serve us little purpose, to think and act in a negative way  . . . ?

The point of the answer was not to bring us down by reminding ourselves that someday we will die. But rather to allow us to become more conscious of our mortality, and thereby live a life that helps us become the people we want to be. Life is a brief happening – so embrace this moment – right now.