Here’s a rundown of my typical morning: I’d wake up, make myself some coffee, sit on the couch, then just stare off into space while I finish the coffee. Once I’m done with that, I start exercising.
What usually happens during coffee time is me pondering the day ahead, thinking about what I’d like to achieve. But somewhere in the back of my mind—like Instagram running in the background on your phone—is me convincing myself that I deserve a break from working out.
I used to listen to that voice. A lot. Thankfully, through lots of trial and error, I’ve discovered a better alternative: to delay all my decisions until I’ve started on the activity in question. Hence this topic.
Wait till you’re in the thick of things
Like I said, I believe that the best time to make a decision is while you’re acting on said decision.
Not when you’re on the couch, nor during your rush-hour commute. Because what happens when you simply think to decide is your mind starts conjuring a thousand different scenarios—most of them being excuses.
And because there’s only space for one reality, you’d have wasted all your mental energy imagining the 999 other sequences of events. So why not do away with the assumptions and act before you think?
At least that’s how I got over my penchant for overthinking.
I told myself that when it came to exercise, I’d decide whether I’d complete the routine only after I’d worked up a sweat. Then, if I really need the day off, I’d allow myself to stop.
I never ended up quitting. Not once. Every time I was in the thick of things, the choice was always to continue. And that’s a pretty neat hack if you ask me.
The spirits that govern you
You know the angels and devils that bicker over the characters’ shoulders in cartoons? That’s how I see the decision-making process. You get two people telling you whether or not you should do something, and you’re stuck in the middle listening to them argue.
The evil spirits of inertia don’t care about your hopes and dreams. They just want you to remain where you are. Don’t swim upstream. Don’t even lift a finger.
Conversely, the benevolent spirits of momentum are always rooting for you, and they’ll keep you going once you start. And that’s the most important bit: starting.
That’s why it’s good practice to decide only when these benevolent spirits are around. How do you summon them? By being in their world. The world of action.
Don’t really work out? You can apply this to any other discipline too.
Say you want to finish your novel. Draft a couple hundred words, then quit if you really want to. Eat your healthy meals first before reconsidering that doughnut. Saw open your patient’s skull before deciding if you’re really in the mood for brain surgery.
Okay, maybe not that last bit. Wouldn’t want to get ‘a head’ of ourselves. Hee hee.
The minimum guarantee
What I love most about this method is that even after the tiniest investment, and even if I choose to quit after I start, I’ll still have something tangible in hand.
Because writing 250 words a day becomes a full manuscript by the end of the year. Doing 50 push-ups nets you 18,250 in the same timeframe. Meditate for 10 minutes and you’ll end up having spent 3,650 minutes exploring your mind.
Those aren’t rookie numbers too. But get this: they come from rookie effort. Let’s factor in the days when you actually choose to continue, and you’ll easily double—or triple—that amount.
It’s beginning to sound like a great deal, huh? Well, not so fast.
A quick disclaimer
I actually wrote this post using this method. I wasn’t feeling it today. In fact, with work being so hectic, I wasn’t feeling it the entire week.
But I wouldn’t allow myself to decide until I wrote the first paragraph. And look where that got me. I’m currently 700 words in. Not bad for a ‘one paragraph’ effort.
The flip side is that now that I’m here, I’m ready to call it a day even though I’m like 500 words shy from my usual word count. But this is me making that choice now because I can.
And that’s the reality of it. Despite the benevolent spirits’ best intentions, there are days when you’ll just have to throw in the towel. So here’s me practising what I preach on both fronts—to decide only after I start, and to be okay with quitting once I’ve given it a chance.
Because whatever the results, it’s way better than overthinking yourself into oblivion and not knowing what could’ve been.
And you know what they say: nothing great is ever achieved on the couch.
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Stuart Danker 
I’d love to hear your thoughts!