This content originally appeared on HackerNoon and was authored by BenoitMalige
\ I’m sitting on the back of a motorcycle Uber in Medellín, Colombia, zipping through the city’s winding streets.
\ Suddenly, out of nowhere, I feel it. A cramp in my thigh.
\ You know the kind. The kind that makes you want to leap out of your seat and stretch until it’s gone.
\ The kind that demands action right now.
\ Except, I’m on the back of a bike. And by now, we’re on the highway. There’s nowhere to go. No stretching, no adjusting, no fixing.
\ I’m stuck. And for a few moments, it’s excruciating.
\ My first instinct? Panic. Every part of me is screaming, Do something! Move! Fix it!
\ But I couldn’t. And that’s when it hit me: there was nothing I could do.
\ So I did… nothing. I stopped fighting it.
\ And here’s the funny thing—it went away. The cramp just…disappeared.
\ So it got me thinking…
\ We all have moments where we feel we have to act, have to fix, have to do something.
\ But what happens when you realize you can’t?
\ What happens when you stop fighting and accept that, in that moment, you have no choice?
\ Something shifts. Not just in your body, but in your mind.
\ It wasn’t just the cramp that disappeared. It was the urgency, the need to act, that vanished.
\ So then I thought: What if we could harness that kind of focus and energy by putting ourselves in situations where we have no choice?
\ Think about it.
\ When do you usually get the most done? Not when you have all the time in the world, but when you’re up against the wall.
\ Remember that school assignment you had two weeks to finish? You put it off.
\ And what happened? The night before it’s due, you suddenly have no choice but to crank out two weeks of work in a single evening.
\ And somehow—you make it happen.
\ Or imagine this: If I told you right now, “Go make $100,000 this month,” you might just laugh it off.
\ But if I told you that your family was being held hostage and the only way to free them was to make that $100,000?
\ You’d find a way. Wouldn’t you?
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Your Plan B: No Plan B.
When you have no plan B—no escape route, no safety net—your brains kick into a different gear. It’s survival mode, but for success.
\ Now, I’m not saying you should go out and quit your job tomorrow or start holding your family hostage for motivation (unless you really want to, but I’m not legally advising that). But seriously, think about it.
\ Why do we only seem to get things done when we have no other option?
\ Because we remove the fluff. We stop overthinking. We get laser-focused on the one thing we have to do. It’s like procrastination’s weird cousin, efficiency.
\ But what if you could tap into that on purpose? What if you could create those “no choice” moments where you’re forced to act—without waiting for a life-or-death scenario?
\ When I launched my Real Estate firm in 2018, I didn’t exactly have a cushy fallback plan.
\ I had four months of savings. That was it.
\ If I didn’t make it work, I was pretty much f*cked.
\ And you know what? I made it work. Why? Because I had no other option. No Plan B.
\ So, instead of waiting for desperation to push you into action, why not build it into your life?
\ No, I’m not telling you to live recklessly (I’m already on enough thin ice as it is). But what if you strategically removed the safety nets that keep you in your comfort zone?
\ So how do you actually do it?
\ Simple. You remove the excess. You strip down your options, so there’s no way out but forward.
\ Take something as basic as deadlines. We think deadlines are the enemy, but they’re secretly our best friend. You ever notice how when there’s a deadline breathing down your neck, you suddenly become a productivity machine? That’s because you’ve cornered yourself in action. There's no escaping it.
The Neuroscience of No Choice
When you're in a situation where you have no choice, something happens in your brain. There’s a switch.
\ And no, it’s not like flipping a light switch, although that would be convenient.
\ It’s a literal shift in how your brain processes information.
\ You move from what's called the Default Mode Network (DMN)—the part of your brain that activates when you're daydreaming, overthinking, or contemplating why you suddenly need to reorganize your closet at 3 AM—into the Direct Experience Network (DEN), the part that kicks in when you’re focused on the present moment.
\ You know, like when you’re laser-focused on not missing your flight because that boarding gate is not waiting for you.
In the DMN, your brain is like a computer running too many background processes—so many tabs open, it’s a miracle anything gets done. It’s burning energy evaluating options, replaying past events, or projecting future scenarios. That’s why overthinking feels so exhausting.
You’re stuck in “what if” mode, weighing every possibility until you’re too paralyzed to act.
\
But when you’re forced into action—when there’s no choice—your brain enters the DEN. And no, this doesn’t involve meditating in a cave with a guru (although, if that helps you, go for it). In this mode, you’re not thinking about alternatives. You’re just doing. The DEN is where focus and decision-making happen. It’s like closing all those extra browser tabs in your brain, leaving only the one you need.
And this isn’t just theory.
\ Research backs this up. A study from Stanford—the Marshmallow Experiment—showed that children who could delay gratification, even when presented with tempting alternatives, had more success later in life.
\ The reason? Fewer options create the mental toughness to push through challenges.
\ When you take away the easy outs, your brain adapts and strengthens its resolve.
\ In the same way, when you limit your choices, your brain focuses more effectively on what needs to be done.
\ This is what neuroscientists call cognitive efficiency: A state where your brain is no longer overwhelmed by choices. Your mental energy is entirely focused on solving the problem in front of you. Nothing else.
\ It’s kind of like how athletes describe being "in the zone" or achieving flow state.
\ When the pressure is on, they don’t stop to think about what might go wrong. They’re
\
Fully engaged,
\
Relying on instinct and muscle memory
\
Laser focused.
\
This heightened state of awareness comes from that same brain shift—from DMN to DEN.
\ The key here is that the DEN isn’t just reactive. You can trigger it on purpose by limiting your options—by creating environments where you can’t afford to overthink.
\ This forces your brain into action mode, where productivity and creativity thrive.
\ This kind of forced focus is actually a form of laziness in disguise.
\ By stripping away unnecessary choices and distractions, you're not just making life simpler—you're turning laziness into a weapon for productivity.
\ It's not about working harder; but tricking your brain into doing more by giving it less.
\ Less choice, more efficiency 🙂
How to Practice Activating the DEN
So, how can you intentionally trigger this brain shift without waiting for a crisis or deadline?
\
Set Hard Constraints: Limit your time or resources on purpose. For example, if you have a week to finish a project, pretend you only have three days. Your brain will shift into action mode to meet the tighter deadline.
\
Create “No Choice” Environments: This could be as simple as turning off your phone or locking yourself in a room until the task is done. By removing distractions and alternatives, your brain gets the signal that there’s no escape—only action.
\
Use Visualization: Athletes use mental imagery to prepare for high-pressure situations. You should do the same by imagining yourself in a “no choice” scenario. Picture what you would do if failure wasn’t an option, and your brain will start operating as if that’s true.
By practicing these methods, you train your brain to enter the DEN on demand, leading to faster decisions, better focus, and ultimately, greater results.
\ But I get it—you're probably thinking, "Sure, sounds great in theory, but how do I actually put myself in a 'no choice' situation without giving myself an anxiety attack?"
The "No Choice" Playbook
Well, the good news is, it’s not about signing up for a hostage negotiation or throwing yourself off a cliff.
It’s about using small, strategic moves that force your brain into action mode—without the cold sweats. Here's how:
1. Set “No Choice” Deadlines
Give yourself less time than you think you need. If you have two weeks to finish something, pretend it’s due in three days. Trick your brain into urgency. It sounds ridiculous, but trust me, nothing motivates like the clock ticking.
2. Commit Publicly
Tell someone what you’re going to do—bonus points if it’s someone who will absolutely call you out on your BS. It’s like setting a trap for your own laziness. The embarrassment of not following through is worse than the task itself.
3. Burn the Escape Routes
Cut off distractions. When you sit down to do something, leave your phone in another room. Close the tabs. Disable the notifications. We let ourselves get pulled in 10 different directions because it’s easier than staying locked in. Don’t give yourself the option to wander.
4. Put Yourself in a “Sink or Swim” Situation
Remember when I quit my job with only four months of savings? I wouldn’t recommend the exact same level of recklessness (unless you like that kind of thrill), but the principle works. Put yourself in a situation where you have to make it happen. If you want to start that side hustle, tell your boss you’re cutting back hours—or put money on the line. You’ll be amazed at what you can do when there’s no way to back out.
5. Use Small-Scale Stakes
It doesn’t always have to be a big life-altering situation. Even in everyday tasks, add a little pressure. Bet your friend $100 that you’ll finish your project by Friday. Or tell your partner you’ll handle all the dishes for a week if you don’t meet your deadline. Whatever makes you squirm just enough to stay focused.
No Plan B, No Excuses.
So, what’s your cramp-on-a-motorcycle moment? What’s that thing you’ve been putting off, waiting for the “right” time or the perfect plan B to magically appear?
\ When you really think about it, waiting for the right moment is just an excuse. You already know it. If you had no choice—if there was no escape route—you’d make it happen.
\ And that’s what I’m asking you to do.
\ Burn the escape routes. Tear up the plan B.
\ Think about the moments when you’ve accomplished the most. It wasn’t when you had endless time, or a million options. It was when your back was against the wall, and there was no way out but through.
\
So why not create those moments?
\
Why not force yourself into action now, instead of waiting for the next deadline to hit or the next cramp to appear?
\
You don’t need to wait for desperation to make your move. You don’t need a life-or-death situation to finally get off your ass and do what needs to be done.
\ You just need to remove your options, burn the bridges, and step into a life where there’s no way out but success.
\ Join the 'Plan A or Nothing' Club—where success isn't optional, it's inevitable.
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Until next time,
Benoit
This content originally appeared on HackerNoon and was authored by BenoitMalige
BenoitMalige | Sciencx (2024-10-24T19:00:15+00:00) Why Laziness is a Superpower. Retrieved from https://www.scien.cx/2024/10/24/why-laziness-is-a-superpower/
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