Have you ever cleaned your room or house while still having a bunch of work to do and a deadline around the corner? I sure have.

This morning at 6:45 am, I convinced myself that I should go to Sainsbury's to do my shopping instead of writing this newsletter. There were plenty of logical reasons why:

• If I go early, I will deal with fewer people and get it done quicker.

• Leaving the house first thing in the morning is always a good thing.

• I did not want to go to my local shop halfway through the day to buy some low-quality snacks and more expensive groceries.

You might think that these are perfectly fine reasons, and you would be 100% right.

If you've read my previous newsletters, you might be familiar with the concept of "Resistance." It's a concept that Pressfield has popularized, but others before him have also identified, using different names such as monkey brain, shadow self, Satan, etc. You get the idea. It's the thing that pulls us away from doing the “good” stuff.

One way to look at rationalization is to think of it as a shape-shifter. This shape-shifter knows us better than we know ourselves and has dedicated its whole existence to studying us. It knows what traps we easily fall into, our guilty pleasures, our weaknesses, and our strengths.

Rationalization doesn't act abruptly; it plants its seeds without us even knowing about it.

Here is an example that has recently resurfaced in my life.

I cooked myself a nice dinner and felt pleased that I had finally put some effort into a decent meal. I felt good and relaxed. I thought about doing the dishes, but then I noticed Mr. Rationalization grinning and rubbing his hands together in excitement behind me. He smelled an opportunity.

He whispered in my ear, "Hey Koko, you did so well cooking yourself a delicious meal. You deserve to lay down and watch some YouTube."

This guy is so good at distracting me that he won't even mention anything about not doing the dishes. He knows that if I realize I haven't done them, I will feel ashamed of being an incapable adult and will probably end up washing them. Instead, he knows how to butter me up and make me forget until I wake up the next morning and see plates still on the dining table. Now he has another bullet to use against me during my day. As soon as I start struggling with a task, BOOM, I go and do the dishes and spend another 30 minutes avoiding the task. Before I know it, an hour has passed and I haven't made any progress on the task.

And just like that, rationalization loads its gun and keeps it pointing at us at all times.

This might seem insignificant. And it is, on its own. However, it won't be just the dishes. There are an unlimited number of perfectly logical things to do instead of putting in the work. And each one of these logical tasks is a bullet in the gun of rationalization.

Last week, I spoke about the traps of life and how we fall into them. One thing I missed out on is rationalization. There is no one easier to lie to than ourselves. The classic "I'll do it tomorrow" must be the most commonly told lie in the history of humanity. Everyone believes their own bullshit.

The all-knowing Mr. Rationalization has unlimited deceiving tricks up his sleeve. Distinguishing between a good rationalization and a bad one is almost irrelevant. Yes, we must go and do our shopping, fix our car, clean our flat, and look after a loved one if they are in need of support. However, this does not change the fact that we have to continue pursuing our calling.

And that's why it is so important for me to have routines, rules, and systems in place. Those are the only weapons I know that are capable of beating "resistance" and "rationalization."

During my four-hour work session in the morning, I know for a fact that anything not work-related that pops into my mind is an attempt by my monkey brain to distract me from. No matter how logical the attempt is, I know the only real reason it's there is to distract me from what is actually important.

Another thing to mention is that "motivation" and "willpower" are never enough, as they are both expendable and unpredictable. I have tried to rely on them before, and every time I have failed miserably. The more options rationalization has to use against us, the more power it has. That's why during my four-hour work session in the morning, I block out as much stuff as possible. I cannot access any social media on my computer or phone. And if I am feeling particularly distracted, I turn off my internet. I cannot keep all distractions at bay with willpower alone.

At the end of these newsletters, I always feel the need to provide some sort of solution. However, I do not feel qualified enough to do so, and I also do not believe that there is a single "holy grail" solution. What I do know is that the first step to fighting is recognizing who your opponent is. Because once you know, you can start studying him: what his tactics are and what you can do to dodge his punches.

Lots of love,

Koko :)

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