Multitasking for motivation

The most important tasks often don’t feel urgent, while the least important tasks often do. This has to do with time-to-gratification. We want to do tasks with low time-to-gratification. But we should do tasks with high time-to-gratification.

Watching Netflix provides you with immediate gratification in the form of entertainment. So, you want to watch Netflix. Exercise provides you with long-term gratification in the form of physical health. So, you should exercise.

To maximize performance, we must learn to prioritize important tasks despite delayed gratification. One way to do this is to self-impose a technique called “temptation bundling”.[1] With temptation bundling, you combine a task you should do with a task you want to do. This multitasking causes you to associate both activities with the immediate rewards of the one you want to do. 

By bundling Netflix with exercise, you make exercise entertaining.

There are many potential temptation bundles. The best way to find one that will work for you is to write down two lists. Create a list of your “wants”, or the activities with low-time-gratification. And create another list of your “shoulds”, or the activities with high time-to-gratification. Then, build bundles by pairing a task from each list. The trick is to find combinations that support multitasking.

Notes:

[1] The term “temptation bundling” was originated by Katherine Milkman. For more on the science, check out the research.