08/18/25
I can get obsessed with fantasy football.
At times, it’s unhealthy lol.
It’s the time of year right before the draft, and I find myself wanting to listen to podcasts, read articles, and rank the players I want to draft most.
I’m aware of this tendency, and some days it gets the best of me.
What I’ve learned is that if I allow myself to act on every impulse, I would waste hours each day on fantasy football.
So what I do is make fantasy football my reward for being productive.
Rather than giving in to the impulse, I have a conversation with myself.
It goes something like this…
“I know you want to prepare for the draft, and you can; it’ll be fun! BUT, we need to get work done first. So, let’s make a deal. If you complete everything on your to-do list for today, you can enjoy fantasy football prep without guilt or restrictions. Let’s get this work done first, okay?”
What ends up happening is that fantasy football ends up being the reward for getting my work done.
I’m essentially tapping into the habit cycle that rewards a specific behavior (in this case, completing my work).
The lesson here is to have these “internal conversations” with yourself when you’re feeling the impulse to act on a desire.
If you have a higher priority item that needs to get done, but you’re feeling pulled into instant gratification, negotiate with yourself.
Don’t fight, argue, or resist.
Instead, engage in a way that creates compromise between the side of you that wants to be productive and the side of you that wants gratification.
Now that I’m done writing this newsletter…
Time to prepare for my draft!
Rooting for you,
Jay (encouraging you to engage in internal compromise)