We’ve finally made it to 2023 and boy, let’s hope it goes better than 2022.
For the vast majority of my friends and acquaintances, 2022 was a difficult year. Lots of growth! I can definitely say that last year was one of the hardest ones of my life, where I was challenged beyond my “self” and was forced to grow into something else.
Nonetheless, I managed to be insanely productive last year. I completed several books, created numerous websites, built products, wrote articles, courses, etc – and all the while being a stoner.
This proves that cannabis and procrastination isn’t intrinsically connected, irrespective of the fact that it’s far more fun to procrastinate stoned. However, in my personal life, I have found that when I learned how to use cannabis more efficiently, I was able to overcome procrastination. This is because it has nothing to do with the weed and much more to do with the self.
Procrastination is the act of delaying or postponing tasks or activities. It is a common problem that can lead to stress, decreased productivity, and feelings of inadequacy. There are many reasons why people procrastinate.
One reason is fear of failure. People may be afraid that they will not be able to complete a task to their satisfaction or that they will not be able to meet the expectations of others.
Another reason is a lack of motivation. People may not find a task interesting or rewarding, so they put it off. Procrastination can also be a coping mechanism for stress or anxiety.
Instead of facing a difficult task, people may engage in activities that provide immediate gratification or avoidance.
To overcome procrastination, it is important to identify the root cause and develop strategies to address it. Setting specific and achievable goals, breaking tasks into smaller steps, and seeking accountability can all help to overcome procrastination.
Furthermore, seeing that we’re in the beginning of the year and there are many people going to be doing their “New Year’s Resolutions” – I thought it would be good to work on how you can actually achieve the goals you have set up for yourself!
What are common reasons people don’t achieve their new year’s resolutions?
Before we can advance, it’s important to understand why people fail. This is irrespective of whether you smoke weed. In fact, people who smoke weed tend to do the things they like anyhow, and therefore, when you can align your “tasks” with something you like to do – it becomes much easier to follow through.
However, I think it’s probably in our best interest to explore the reasons why people fail their new year’s resolutions. These include:
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Lack of planning: Many people make resolutions without a clear plan or strategy in place to help them achieve their goals. Without a specific plan, it can be easy to become overwhelmed or lose motivation.
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Unrealistic goals: Some people set unrealistic goals for themselves, which can be difficult or impossible to achieve. This can lead to frustration and ultimately give up on the resolution.
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Procrastination: Putting things off until later can be a major barrier to achieving resolutions. People may be tempted to put off tasks or activities until a later time, leading to a lack of progress or even giving up on the resolution altogether.
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Lack of accountability: It can be helpful to have someone to hold you accountable for your actions and progress towards your resolution. Without someone to check in with, it can be easy to become sidetracked or lose motivation.
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Limited motivation: Many people struggle to stay motivated when pursuing a new year's resolution. Without a strong reason for achieving the goal, it can be easy to lose focus or give up.
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Lack of support: Having a supportive network of people can be crucial in achieving new year's resolutions. Without a supportive network, it can be more difficult to stay motivated and on track.
As you can see, none of these elements have anything to do with weed and it’s important to be able to focus on these elements to set yourself up for success.
We’ll talk about how to overcome these issues a little bit further. But I want to reiterate the fact that when it comes to achieving ones goals – everybody struggles until they have addressed these issues.
What are the best tips to achieve your New Year’s Resolutions according to Science?
Since everyone is all about the “science” these days, I decided to let “Science” help us out in solving the issues listed above. Therefore, I simply went and looked at the common problems and did some research and this is what I found.
Here are some tips that may help you achieve your New Year's resolutions based on scientific research:
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Make specific, achievable goals: Research has shown that people are more likely to achieve their goals when they are specific and achievable. Instead of resolving to "exercise more," set a specific goal, such as "exercise for 30 minutes at least 3 times a week."
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Write down your goals: Studies have found that people who write down their goals are more likely to achieve them compared to those who don't. Writing down your goals also helps you clarify what you want to achieve and helps you track your progress.
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Use positive self-talk: Positive self-talk, or telling yourself that you can achieve your goals, can increase your confidence and motivation. Instead of saying "I can't do this," try saying "I can do this!"
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Find a support system: Having a support system, such as friends or family members who can encourage and motivate you, can make it easier to achieve your goals. You can also seek support from a coach, therapist, or other professional.
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Be consistent: Consistency is key to achieving your goals. Make sure to take consistent action towards your goals and don't give up when you face setbacks.
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Set small, achievable goals: Setting small goals that are easy to achieve can help you build momentum and increase your motivation. As you achieve small goals, you can gradually increase the difficulty of your goals. This is not the same as the first point on “specific and achievable”. This is about the “magnitude” of the goal. For example, “I need to finish 100 of X vs I just need to finish 10 of X 10 times…it provides shorter dopamine feedback loops helping you stay motivated.
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Reward yourself: Celebrate your progress and accomplishments by rewarding yourself. This can help you stay motivated and keep moving forward towards your goals.
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Don't be too hard on yourself: It's important to be kind and compassionate to yourself. Don't beat yourself up if you don't achieve your goals immediately. Instead, focus on making progress and learning from your mistakes.
The fact is that in all likeliness you’re going to be failing at some of your goals. Some people punish themselves for failure – but when have you ever really “learned anything” when you were being shouted at?
Odds are that you didn’t! Therefore thinking that scolding the self for failure is a way to make you fail less is folly. Rather, accept that sometimes things won’t pan out the way you want – and that it’s not always your fault either.
It’s best to focus on the things that you can change, the things that you can impact, and from there, keep on fueling the fires of motivation instead of trying to stomp out whatever isn’t going the way you want it to!
How to use Cannabis as a motivational force for getting shit done?
Cannabis doesn’t necessarily enhance or detract from your ability to achieve. However, depending on your physical and emotional condition, it can provide some benefits to you as a person.
These positive side effects can help you achieve your goals especially if you are physically impaired by disease or some psychological issue.
There are several potential positive effects of cannabis on a person, including:
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Pain relief: Cannabis has been found to be effective in reducing chronic pain, especially neuropathic pain.
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Decreased anxiety: Cannabis can help reduce anxiety and stress, making it a useful treatment for anxiety disorders.
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Improved sleep: Cannabis can help improve sleep quality and duration, making it useful for people with insomnia or other sleep disorders.
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Improved mood: Cannabis can help improve mood and reduce symptoms of depression, making it useful for people with mood disorders.
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Increased focus: Cannabis can help increase focus and concentration, making it useful for people with ADHD or other cognitive disorders.
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Increased creativity: Cannabis has been found to increase creativity in some people, making it useful for those in creative fields. This despite the recent study that claims its “all in your mind”.
As you can imagine, “pain” is a very potent distractor and if cannabis can help mitigate the experience of pain, it will open up some bandwidth to “get shit done”.
Similarly, some people are paralyzed with anxiety about doing “things”. Therefore, smoking a hit or two of weed can jostle the mind enough to allow you to turn the anxiety into excitement. When we’re more relaxed and able to “get into the moment”, we can get things done.
Similarly, by increasing sleep, mood, focus, and creativity – we can utilize these elements to help us achieve the things we want.
However, perhaps there is a way we can use specific strains to help us achieve more focus, energy, so we can use that as fuel for getting things done?
What are the best cannabis strains for focus and energy?
While there are thousands of different strains, we’ll take a look at the general overview of strains and you can use this to choose your own approach. Of course, I’m not a big fan of the semantics I’m going to use in this following section, as they are not descriptive enough about the particular pheno. However, since most people think about weed in these terms, I might as well use their language to get my point across.
Having said that…
There are several cannabis strains that may be helpful for increasing focus and energy. Some popular options include:
Sativa strains: These strains are known for their uplifting, energizing effects and are often used to increase focus and productivity. Some popular sativa strains include Green Crack, Durban Poison, and Super Lemon Haze.
Hybrid strains: Hybrid strains can have both sativa and indica characteristics and may be helpful for increasing focus and energy while also providing some relaxation. Some popular hybrid strains for focus and energy include Jack Herer, Pineapple Express, and Jillybean.
High-CBD strains: CBD is a non-intoxicating cannabinoid found in cannabis that is known for its potential to reduce anxiety and stress, which can increase focus and energy. Some popular high-CBD strains for focus and energy include Harlequin, ACDC, and Cannatonic.
As mentioned, this is a very rudimentary way of looking at cannabis. However, in “principle” the information is good. You’ll want to focus on high Sativas which will allow you to have the energy and creativity you seek, but to balance it out with some CBD – so you’re not entirely zonked out of your mind.
Ultimately, you’re going to need to experiment with different strains and different quantities in order to find the sweet spot. You also need to know “when to smoke” and “when to abstain” in order for it to work in your favor.
Conclusion:
As mentioned in the beginning. Cannabis doesn’t necessarily “help you achieve” or “not achieve” your goals. This all comes from within. But this doesn’t mean that you can’t use for this purpose. You simply need to get clear on what it is you want, know when to consume and what to consume – and then keep on going forward.
I also recommend to not work on too many goals simultaneously, rather – focus on a few solid ones that will have the most impact in your life. When you begin achieving these, you’ll get addicted to achieving…and then nothing can stop you!
BEING A PRODUCTIVE WEED USERS, READ ON...
