I'll bet you feel horrible when you procrastinate.

You do?

Good. That means that this podcast may be the most important episode you ever hear.

Look, procrastination is a reality. And falling prey to it is understandable.

Especially if you're a doer.

Here's what happens:

Many times when we start a new activity, we experience an initial rush. And everything seems not only possible, but nothing can go wrong. A feeling erupts that says you can conquer the world in a single day.

But before you know it, that energy drops off. And then the resolve drops off. And before you know it, you start sabotaging yourselves by finding excuses that take you away from moving forward.

Again, it's understandable.

But it doesn't have to be this way!

Especially not when you're using the Magnetic Memory Method.

But even then some people fall off the path. For example, you might come across a challenging word. But instead of popping it into a well-designed Memory Palace … it's time to do the dishes.

Or attend to the laundry.

Or play games.

Or check email.

Anything but the work of memorization.

Yet we all know one important fact.

That fact is this:

If you want to memorize a lot of vocabulary, terminology, math equations, or whatever it is that floats your Magnetic boat …

You've got to actually engage in the key activity of using the Method of Loci in your Memory Palaces.

Luckily, this isn't work as such (more like play), but it still trips a lot of people up.

The question is why.

The answer is often simple.

It's fear.

People fear a lot of things when it comes to success. There are two in particular:

1) The fear of failing

2) The fear of succeeding

People usually address the first fear by never getting started.

Crazy, but true.

And in some ways, it's a pretty rational approach to avoiding failure. After all, if you never take action, you cannot fail.

Only problem is that not taking action is the biggest failure of all.

Fear of success is its own kettle of fish.

It's connected to the fear of change.

After all, if you achieve one of your goals, you'll have power.

Great power.

And with power, as the comic books and Superhero movies tell us, comes great responsibility.

Think about it.

If you were to use the Magnetic Memory Method to gain massive boosts in French fluency, for example, you would have to use the language.

You're not going to be fluent in a language you're not using, after all. No matter how much you use a Memory Palace or general mnemonics.

And just imagine what would happen if you aced all your exams?

You'd be morally and ethically obliged to study even more and even teach so that others could enjoy your knowledge.

You'd have to become a superhero.

Success has consequences. And that's why so many fear it.

Here's another weird reason that people fear success:

They don't believe they deserve it.

And without self-worth, even bigger negative believes sail in.

They are the seeds of weeds that start growing and distributing even more seeds.

Before you know it, no machete will get your through the jungle.

What are some of these beliefs?

That other people are:

* Faster * Smarter * Better

Could be true.

In fact, it will almost always be true.

But it doesn't matter!

There's always room for another drop in the ocean.

And the next time you're by the shore, take a drop away and see what happens. (I'll leave that as a riddle for you to think about.)

Finally, some people fear that success is impossible.

A lot of this comes from the fact that they haven't defined what success means to them.

If you don't know were to find Eden on the map …

Good luck finding it on the ground.

Look, there's a Golden Rule when it comes to what is achievable and what isn't. That rule is this:

If someone else can do it, you can do it too.

And if that's the case, then there's no reason to fear that it's impossible.

So long as the evidence behind it having been done is solid, then it can be done.

And as I talk about in the podcast, you can even achieve impossible things without being the doer. Like if you're a sports coach, for example. You can be the conduit, the strategist, the inspiration.

And perhaps in this case, it might be true that some things are impossible. Because without you at the helm, they would never get done.

So, now that we've got all these issues cleared up, make sure that you listen to the podcast episode. This will help ensure that you understand how to overcome these fears and turn procrastination into a tool.

There's simply no reason to let procrastination get in the way of using mnemonics, your dedicated Memory Palace strategy and all the ways you approach the Method of Loci in combination with the memory techniques you know.

So be sure to check out the resources mentioned in the podcast before you memorize another single unit of the valuable information that will bring meaning, value and positive change to your life. Because if you're going to procrastinate, these resources will be a powerful diversion indeed.

Talk soon!

Sincerely,

Anthony Metivier

Further Resources

BBC article on concentration and focus

Tim Ferris on "Productivity Hacks"

The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

Do This One Thing And Stop Procrastinating (From Psychology Today)

The post Defeat Procrastination And Memorize More With These Tricks appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

Episode 483: Barry Donakey, Gay Latter-day Saint