How I Beat My Inner Slacker (Kind of)

There’s a version of me that exists only in my head.

• Wakes up at 5AM.

• Does yoga.

• Eats a protein-rich breakfast.

• Checks off a Notion to-do list like a motivational YouTuber.

And then there’s real me:

• Snoozes 3 alarms

• Opens Instagram before brushing

• Adds “make to-do list” to the to-do list

• Suddenly remembers deadlines at 8:57 PM

I’m not lazy. I’m just… selectively efficient.

But over time, I’ve picked up a few hacks to outsmart my own slacker brain — even if it fights back.

1. Fake Deadlines Are My Realest Friends

• I once told myself a report was due Friday (it was actually due Monday).

• Finished it by Friday evening and spent the weekend feeling like a rockstar.

• Moral: your brain doesn’t care what’s true. Trick it.

2. The 10-Minute Lie

• Tell yourself: “I’ll just work on this for 10 minutes.”

• Next thing you know, it’s 40 minutes later and you’re deep in flow.

• It’s how I trick my brain into writing long emails and starting decks.

3. Make Laziness Inconvenient

• Logged out of Instagram on my laptop.

• Put my TV remote inside a drawer.

• Uninstalled Swiggy. (Okay, reinstalled. But it’s the thought that counts.)

• If your inner slacker thrives on ease, make slacking slightly harder.

4. Make a To-Don’t List

Mine looks like:

• Don’t open email before breakfast

• Don’t attend back-to-back calls without at least 1 meme break

• Don’t start new side projects at midnight

• Sometimes not doing things is the real productivity win.

Final Thought:

You don’t have to become a productivity monk.

You just have to find one trick that works on your brain today.

And if not?

Congrats. You’re just human. With a slightly dusty to-do list. And that’s fine too.