Some people adore olives, but not me. They have a taste I simply cannot abide. For that reason, if I ever encounter one – unexpectedly – in a plate of pasta or a Greek salad, I’m less than thrilled. A quick retrieval usually follows and, if one is followed by more, a small Hadrian’s Wall of whole or sliced olives will quickly form along the perimeter of my plate.

Truth be told, this rarely happens now because I’m hyper-vigilant about avoiding these bitter little pills. And that’s all you need to know to understand this blog. If you’re having an olive party, count me out!

Having said that…

Despite the staunchness of my attitude, I should confess that olives have previously been a friend to me. No friend of my tastebuds, to be clear…rather, a friend to my mindset, in a very particular way.

Like most of us, I have some history with procrastination. A tendency to – if weary, lazy or disinterested – avoid doing things that would be better not to avoid. An inclination to ‘leave it until tomorrow’, ‘get to it soon’ or ‘take care of it later’. As most people know, this type of self-talk can be tormenting, and seriously limit our effectiveness.

However, I shouldn’t be too hard on myself. I’m about as prone to procrastination as anyone. You might say I’ve had a moderate dose of it – not quite enough to engage a Freudian psychoanalyst, but just enough to be occasionally irritating and keen to find a remedy.

A different sort of behavioural scaffold

About 15 years ago I was giving a lecture on the application of cognitive-behavioural theory (CBT) to everyday challenges. Towards the end of the lecture, a student asked a question about procrastination and a chuckle of recognition rippled through the class. An engaging discussion quickly ensued, with people describing the feelings of dread that can accompany certain personal tasks, like doing tax returns or decluttering the spare room, and/or professional tasks, like applying for promotions or giving feedback to colleagues.

After 10 minutes of discussion (that helped to normalise these experiences), I explained the principles of cognitive restructuring - using the classic ABCDE model - and worked through a couple of procrastination examples. From what I can remember, a few students left the class with an intention to live more proactively.

As I drove home later that evening, I reflected on the lecture and had a disquieting realisation. I felt I was procrastinating more than I was happy to admit. Always keen to ‘practice what I preach’, I decided something needed to be done. By the time I got home, I’d decided to trial a behavioural circuit breaker that I thought might help reduce my avoidance of ‘dreaded tasks’.

Somewhat strangely, I decided it would involve eating olives!

My secret pact

Why exactly, given my stated distaste for them? Well, it was precisely because I dislike them…so much that I scan Greek salads and pasta dishes hoping to avoid them, lest I inadvertently munch on one and pull a face Jim Carrey would be proud of! The set up was simple. It involved a pact with myself that, whenever I was in a social situation (e.g. at a dinner or party) and olives were put in front of me, I had to eat one. Immediately…without hesitation, without rumination. Take it, eat it, deal with it and move on.

With that, olive eating became a metaphor for all the dreaded tasks in my life, and a training tool for developing a preferred behavioural response.

There were several things about this plan that I liked. First, it was highly relevant. The thought of eating an olive was enough to induce a powerful feeling of ‘I-don’t-want-to-do-this’ within me. Second, it was a private matter. No one knew what I was doing and the olive eating would pass unnoticed by others, but never by me. Third, it was completely random. With no way of knowing when an olive would appear in front of me, I had no time to prepare and was always challenged to respond in-the-moment.

Olives did become my friend (…sort of)

I ate olives in this way for about 8 years. In that time, I estimate that I put away – without hesitation or rumination – between 50 to 60 olives of all colours and shapes. What I found was each bitter snack always produced a short period of reflection. Completing one dreaded task (eating an olive) naturally led to questions about other dreaded tasks:

What was I procrastinating about?
How long would it take?
How bad was the task really?
How would I feel after it was done?
What would I need to do to get it done?
When could that be?

I found this quick and simple reality check worked extremely well. Almost immediately I become less avoidant and more prepared to act with purpose towards the less exciting or more daunting aspects of my life. For tasks that were more complex, it also helped me to identify when I needed extra support or resources, and prompted me to then go and seek it.

In this way olives became a ‘friend’ (of sorts), helping me to scaffold proactive action. Although I stopped the ritual around 5 or 6 years ago, these proactive impulses remain. I’m less of a procrastinator than I was before and, if I’m ever gripped by feelings of dread, it’s not unusual for me to pause what I’m doing, give myself a ‘hall pass’ and go off to do something I might’ve been tempted to put off until…whenever.

Surprise, surprise

Whilst my ritual was never about trying to acquire a taste for olives, there is an interesting little side note to add. That is, to my total shock and disbelief, I discovered that I dislike some olives less than I dislike others. By applying a 1 (yuck) to 10 (yum) rating scale, I came to understand that not all olives are the same! Whilst I rated most olives a 1, 2 or 3 on that scale, on two memorable occasions the rating reached an 8/10…AND I even went back for another (on both occasions for olives stuffed with feta).

So, not all olives are the same! Go figure!! A small victory for more complex thinking on my part & a marvellous secondary benefit!

Health activation and ‘olive moments’

Health change is a domain of personal living that’s prone to procrastination. Too tired to go to the gym today? Too busy to go for a ride?

Thoughts like these have the potential to trigger procrastination. Sure, they may reflect firm realities – you may simply be too busy or tired – but it’s also possible that thoughts like these are surface markers of some fear and vulnerability within you, that leave you dreading something you’d previously wanted to do (i.e. go to the gym, or cycle).

For example, your too-tired-to-workout feeling may be a reaction to not feeling good about your body shape, and concerns you’ll be judged by others during work outs. Similarly, your too-busy-to-cycle feeling may be a reaction to an upcoming ride you know will be tough, and concerns you’ll not finish it and embarrass yourself.

Like most forms of negative thinking, self-talk like this is riddled with ‘thinking errors’ – mindreading, generalisations, catastrophising – the dark imaginings of an overactive mind. As such, if we want to get past it, we need to entertain the possibility that what we are telling ourselves is fiction rather than fact: a more mindful engagement with our thoughts and feelings.

Finding your circuit breaker

So, consider developing a circuit breaker. Some sort of ritual or tool you can use to trigger proactive action, whenever reactive inaction seems more likely.

While I used olives, that may not work for you…especially if you actually LIKE olives. But something else may work, something that raises awareness of your avoidance and gives you a moment of choice. It could be something that helps you remember what your health goals are and why they are important. Maybe a visual cue of some kind. Some written or graphic reminder that what you’ve committed to doing is important and carries a meaningful benefit for you, and/or others you care about.

This is where I think an experimental mindset helps. A willingness to try different things, to be playful or quirky in your approach. Something that feels right for you, helps to keep your interest up and, most importantly, helps keep you honest!

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