The Secret to Overcoming Laziness: Promise Someone Something

How to Get Yourself Moving

For most people, the most effective way to get moving is to promise someone something.

For example, promise to finish a class, complete a task or attend an event at a certain time, or do a review within a specified period.

Just like at work, when the boss assigns a task that needs to be done by next week with consequences for not finishing, you usually have more motivation.

Don't overestimate your self - discipline. I'm the same. In fact, I have poor self - discipline. When I was a kid, I even bought the book Self - Control, but I didn't finish it.

How I Solve the "Motivation" Problem

Now, how do I solve the problem of "motivation"? On one hand, I have high expectations for myself and hope to keep growing, even if it's just a little bit.

So I don't like standing still and prefer to move forward. This makes me often think about what I need to learn and do now.

On the other hand, I'm used to making plans. I habitually make daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly plans. Also, writing short and long articles, posting on WeChat Moments, Xiaohongshu, and video channels, and running a community have become my daily routine.

Stepping Out of the Comfort Zone

But I also have my comfort zone. How can I step out of it and try new things?

My answer is still: promise someone something. For example, if I promise to work on a course or a training camp with an IP, then I have to write project documents, make courseware, prepare teaching materials, and even get ready for live - streaming. My motivation will naturally be sparked.

In this way, I can't be lazy because I don't want others to think I'm unreliable, irresponsible, or untrustworthy.

So, even if I'm really lazy, I'll finish things on time.

For instance, recently I promised Brother Tao to participate in an AI knowledge base practical project. Now I have to start preparing the content outline and think about the final delivery form, whether it'll be in text, video, or live - streaming.

The Most Effective Way to Take Action

Actually, if you really want to take action, the most effective way is to promise someone something.

Like I recently restarted my weight - loss plan and publicly set a goal, inviting everyone to guess how much weight I can lose in July.

I successfully lost 10 pounds this way last year. Most of us are ordinary people. There's no need to overestimate our self - drive. If there are external ways to get us moving and finish things, just use them boldly.

Setting Achievable Goals

When setting public goals, control the difficulty and number. If the goals are too high or you set too many, you're likely to fail, and you might just give up.

Whether it's a promise to yourself or to others, take every public goal seriously.

Once you start giving up, many methods may not work later because you'll habitually think you can't do it. So, don't assume failure. Believe you can achieve your goals and do your best.

Setting Achievable Goals and Maintaining Motivation

If you're afraid to set goals or make promises because you're worried you can't do it, start by reducing the difficulty. For example, set goals within your ability, with an improvement rate of no more than 10% - 20%.

If you used to post two articles on your WeChat official account every week, you can first aim for three articles a week instead of daily updates. This way, it's easier to keep going.

When signing up for something, choose the most basic and simplest option to avoid too much pressure.

Overcoming Fear of Action

Many times, we're afraid to act because we're afraid of losing face or failing. I often have this kind of psychology and dare not try new things. But later I found that many things aren't that difficult. Failing once doesn't mean you'll never get up again.

Just like the college entrance exam. Although there's only one chance a year, you can retake it. Most things in life aren't a one - shot deal.

Maintaining a Stable State

It's not advisable to hype yourself up too much. If your original state is at 10 and you suddenly jump to 80, it's hard to maintain. You might collapse after a month and drop back to 10 or even lower.

If you want to maintain a stable state, it's best to keep the fluctuation within 20% - 30%.

I've seen many people. Their original state was only 10% - 20%, but they suddenly reached 80%, 90%, or even 100%. But then they quickly disappeared.

So, take it slow and stay stable for sustainable progress.

I've seen too many such cases. These people can't keep going. Their bodies and minds can't take it. It's like over - using your energy.

Just like fitness, you can't suddenly push yourself far beyond your original state.

It's the same with motivation. You can't go from having no motivation to being extremely excited all of a sudden.

This kind of excitement not only consumes your body and energy but also creates unrealistic expectations.

Once you don't meet those expectations, the gap will be huge, and it'll be hard to regain motivation and resilience.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we can use external forces to push ourselves, like making external promises or commitments, but don't overdo it, and don't set the goals too high.

The goals should be within your ability, with an improvement rate of no more than 20%. Also, don't suddenly boost your state too much.

Only in this way can your actions really last.

Daily Reading & Writing by Xiaolu 2025.07.01 [Day 666]