The Ripest Tomato First: Overcoming Habitual Procrastination
Have you ever found yourself putting off the best part for later? Maybe it’s that last piece of candy, your favourite meal, or the most exciting part of the project.
I remember being about eight when my older cousin asked why I picked a candy that wasn’t my favourite. ‘The best ones should be eaten last,’ I explained, thinking that was common sense. Little did I know, this mindset of saving the best for last could bleed into other areas of life, leading to a habit that’s hard to shake — procrastination.
Eat the Ripest Tomato First
‘Let me tell you a story,’ said my cousin, and shared a tale that’s stuck with me ever since:
‘Two birds were taking off from a farm after eating the vegetables on the ground. One bird asked the other, “Why do you never touch the ripest tomatoes? Aren’t they the juiciest?”
“I leave them for la…” the second bird began, but got hit by a truck before she could finish.’
The Common Pattern
There’s a common pattern, often linked to what’s known as Delayed Life Syndrome. We promise ourselves we’ll start things later: we clean our place to work in a productive environment, we plan to lose weight before booking holidays, and we decide to go on a diet before joining a gym. Do you recognise this phenomenon? It’s called procrastination.
Flip the Script
To overcome procrastination quickly, we need to swap things around. Yes, it might be tough because it means taking instant action, but that’s the only way to achieve rapid transformation and lasting results — through breaking patterns that hold you back and introducing new behaviours when you’re in the right frame of mind. Whenever you catch yourself saying, ‘When I achieve so and so, then I’ll do that,’ STOP. And DO ‘that’ NOW. There might be no need for ‘so & so’ afterwards, saving you time and effort.
Think about the Pareto Principle, which says that 20% of effort is responsible for 80% of outcomes. Why bother with the remaining 80% if it doesn’t significantly impact your goals? Life isn’t absolute, and sometimes it takes years to reach a dream job or achieve a milestone. But what I’m talking about here it’s about excusing our inaction through unnecessary actions.
Everything and NOW
For instance, we all know that diets are rarely effective and can be harmful unless dealing with clinical obesity. Yet, it’s easier to spend hours reading about instant weight loss miracles than to take hardcore, inconvenient actions like balanced eating or regular exercise. Instant gratification often leads to nothing but more procrastination.
How about changing your mindset for gradual, consistent change and a sustainable lifestyle? Introduce new behaviours and stick to them. It takes discipline at the start, but the results will be far more fulfilling. And whenever struggling to commit — remind yourself about your ultimate reason to pursue your goal and apply new behaviour.
Choosing Suffering over Fulfilment in Favour of a Perfect Moment
‘I hate my job. Once I hit six figures, I’m quitting.’ Even if that person does exactly that, imagine the number of miserable mornings they’ll endure beforehand.
‘I hate my partner; he or she is abusive and we’re in a toxic relationship.’ Leave. There are billions of people in the world. Apart from other interior motives whether recognised or not on a conscious level, it’s the fear of not finding someone else as well as unwillingness to make an effort often holds people back.
‘Once I earn enough, I’ll become a full-time writer.’ You’re either a writer, or you’re not. Earning enough has got nothing to do with that. The same as happiness has nothing to do with becoming rich or meeting ‘the one.’ Stop creating conditions. Do what you would do, become who you would be if that condition were met, or abandon that promise altogether because it’s not your priority.
Masking excuses behind seemingly convincing and comforting stories does nothing other than deteriorate the quality of your life.
The timeframe of life is ‘today’ and ‘now.’ ‘Once’ is a myth. That time doesn’t exist.
Simple Rules for a Fulfilling Life
- Treasure the Moment: By the time you say ‘NOW,’ it’s already gone. Celebrate the moment with meaningful actions.
- Act Without Limitations: Most limitations are in your head. Working in the kitchen can be as tough as building a space shuttle, choose what you prefer to dedicate your life to.
- Transform Your Mindset: First, become who you want to be in your mind. The new self-identity will give you the courage and belief to take a step forward.
- Prioritise Your Interests & Top Standards: Eat the tastiest bit of the meal first, before you’re full. Wear your best outfit now, before it’s out of fashion. Address the most important part of projects while you have a fresh mind and strong focus. Enjoy yourself while health and opportunities allow. This shift in mentality will change your life quality drastically.
- Do the Hardest yet Most Rewarding Task First: Often, the most rewarding task is the hardest. Yet, doing it first often can save you from unnecessary work and boost your productivity, skyrocketing your progress.
The Power of Now
Ready for a change? Go for it. Want something? Do it now. There’s only one time when a tomato is ripest — leave it too long, and it spoils. Life is the same way. Opportunities come unexpectedly, and acting on them immediately is crucial.
We have various areas of our lives, and momentums across all of them aren’t always synchronised and don’t happen simultaneously.
Feeling that it’s not the right time or you haven’t deserved a reward yet, is like waiting for a perfect moment that is never guaranteed to come. Swallowing a gone tomato defeats the purpose of goal-setting altogether.
Yet, balancing effort and rewards is key. If you never put in the effort and only enjoy the rewards, one day you’ll find nothing left to enjoy.
While waiting for the right time that might never come is futile. Life is happening in this exact moment, and fulfilment is based on the strength of these moments.
Embrace the Top Items First
Experiment with starting from the top of your list. You’ll find that starting with the most rewarding and meaningful tasks transforms your life, making every moment count.
Also, remind yourself about your top priorities and values, and do what you would do if you had already achieved your goal. If you want to feel joy right in this moment — there’s no need to wait for a paycheck. Remember, fulfilment isn’t a destination, it’s a journey built upon moments.
