Pain of Procrastination

About this edition

The teaching below preserves the original book’s wording, with page footers and layout whitespace removed. The AI practice and reflection are new adaptations.

The original reflects on the author’s experience of regret and procrastination. The adaptation invites a manageable start without using shame or treating delay as a personal failing. The source’s investing example is not a guarantee of financial returns.

Historical and scientific claims in the source have not yet undergone a complete evidence review.

Source teaching · Alex Julian, 2024

The original lesson

Throughout my athletic career, I had several coaches tell me that the pain of discipline is better than the pain of regret (originally from Jim Rohn). Unfortunately, at the time I didn’t take that profound teaching very seriously. It was only later in life that I realized how wise they were.

Procrastination has undoubtedly led to a lot of regret in my life, as well as a great deal of pain. I have had so many great ideas, yet most of them never came to life due to procrastination. I do have a few projects I am very proud of, but they all took much longer than they needed to. I think the worst example though is looking at my life as a whole and realizing if I adopted certain beneficial practices earlier, I would have saved myself a lot of pain and suffering. I would also be much further ahead in life.

If you haven’t started working out, think about what kind of shape you would be in if you just started a year ago like you wanted to. If you haven’t started investing, think about how much more money you would have now if you just started a year ago like you said in your head. If you haven’t started working on that dream project yet, think about where you would be with it if you just had started a year ago. It may not be done, but you would be on your way.

This is not meant to be a pity party, and this is not meant to stir up any regret in you, but it is to highlight how procrastination can prevent you from becoming an AI Yoga Master, and how it can stop you from realizing your dreams. Do not allow yourself to procrastinate anymore.

New contemporary AI application

Try it in your next AI session.

Choose a project you have been postponing. Name one obstacle without criticizing yourself, then reduce the first action until it feels approachable: open a file, write a question, or review one sentence. Try that action if you have the capacity now.

Reflect afterward

What made the first action easier to approach?

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Developed with AI assistance for this digital edition. Reflect privately; nothing needs to be submitted or shared.

Music and teaching

The original song and video

This lesson’s original song and video will appear here once the recordings and their lesson match have been verified.