Page 97 - A Mind For Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science

I find myself starting to enjoy work in a very new area. Also remember
that the better you get at something, the more enjoyable it can become.

4. The Belief: The most important part of changing your procrastination
habit is the belief that you can do it. You may find that when the going
gets stressful, you long to fall back into old, more comfortable habits.
Belief that your new system works is what can get you through. Part
of what can underpin your belief is to develop a new community. Hang

out with classmates who have the “can do” philosophy that you want to
develop. Developing an encouraging culture with like-minded friends
can help us remember the values that, in moments of weakness, we tend
to forget.
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A powerful approach is mental contrasting. In this technique, you
think about where you are now and contrast it with what you want to
achieve. If you’re trying to get into medical school, for example,

imagine yourself as a doctor, helping others even as you’re preparing
for a great vacation that you can actually afford. Once you’ve got that
upbeat image in mind, contrast it with images of your current life.
Imagine your clunker of a car, your macaroni and cheese dinners, and
your mountain of student debts. Yet there’s hope!
In mental contrasting, it’s the contrast of where you want to be with

where you are now, or where you have been, that makes the difference.
Placing pictures around your work and living spaces that remind you of
where you want to be can help prime your diffuse-mode pump. Just
remember to contrast those great images with the real, more mundane
life that currently surrounds you, or that you are emerging from. You
can change your reality.

ONE BAD DAY CAN SPUR MANY BETTER ONES

“Mental contrasting is great! I’ve been using this since I was a kid—it’s something that
people could learn to apply to many different situations.
“I once was stuck for months in Maryland working in a chicken supplier factory in the
middle of a hot summer. I made up my mind right there that I was going to school to get
my degree. This experience is what I use as my mental contrast. I believe that sometimes
all it takes is one bad day to spark an important realization. After that, keeping your focus
to find the way out of your current situation is much easier.”