Professional Documents
Culture Documents
BEDS-M - ICanStudy
BEDS-M - ICanStudy
BEDS-M
00:00
1x
The BEDS-M will guarantee you to eliminate procrastination only if you use it entirely. The only people that
fail to eliminate (or at least seriously reduce) procrastination are those that choose not to implement the
entire BEDSM system.
BEDS-M
Originating from Hernán Cortés, the 15th Century conquistador, and even referred to in the timeless “Art of
War” by Sun Tzu, the burnt ships strategy is to burn your transport ships after using them so you have no
path of retreat. This is setting consequences for failure for simple tasks. These consequences have to be
strong enough to really put you off from failing a goal.
// ENVIRONMENT
Take Notes
https://icanstudy.com/lessons/bedsm/ 1/23
6/16/23, 8:51 AM BEDS-M - iCanStudy
If there is a cookie jar in front of someone who loves cookies, it takes a lot of motivation and willpower to
refrain from eating that cookie. Even someone who feels so-so about cookies may be tempted to eat them.
Controlling your environment can remove the need to even use motivation and willpower to control any
procrastination. You must make your environment conducive to success, which requires you to remove
anything that may cause procrastination. Removing distractions is much easier and more productive than
resisting distractions using your willpower.
This is an area of significant research recently in behavioural science and now the modern industry-
standard for behavioural suggestion and modification is based predominantly on environmental
adjustment. We will introduce further techniques at Base Camp that build on this.
Have a piece of paper next to you while you are studying. Whenever you become distracted while studying,
write that distraction onto your distraction cheat sheet. Then when you are setting up the environment, you
refer to this cheat sheet to eliminate any new distractions.
// SCHEDULING
Please go back to the scheduling lessons and make sure that you have created a schedule.
These are the easiest and most achievable goals that need to be set up before you accomplish larger goals.
So take larger goals and always keep breaking it down into smaller achievable goals.
Task
Implement the BEDS-M checklist straight away with the downloadable PDF. Remember, you need to get
good at this first in order to use the techniques at Base Camp correctly!
Take Notes
https://icanstudy.com/lessons/bedsm/ 2/23
6/16/23, 8:51 AM BEDS-M - iCanStudy
An idea means nothing, the value is in the execution. Have you completed the
task?
105 26 3 8 4
{} [+]
Ying-Chun Lin
1 year ago
Hi Ashton/Justin,
Is Burnt Ships Strategy like pushing us to achieve the goal by adding fear into the process? Because we
are too afraid of the consequence to fail. It’s adding more stress to our life, which is already very
stressful. Will this strategy make us burn out more easily? Or how can we better design the consequence
of failure? Take Notes
https://icanstudy.com/lessons/bedsm/ 3/23
6/16/23, 8:51 AM BEDS-M - iCanStudy
34 Reply
James Liu
2 years ago
Isn’t the burnt ship strategy also relying on motivation? Right now I see it as motivating me to succeed
just to avoid the consequences
3 Reply
And that is very different from motivation to succeed without consequences. We are not getting rid of
motivation. We are removing the failures of relying solely on motivation and willpower.
Burnt ships strategy removes the needs of relying on your own intrinsic willpower by introducing an
extrinsic stimulus.
6 Reply
Ilie Zacon
1 year ago
0 Reply
Ilie Zacon
Reply to Ashton Sheares 1 year ago
Yes sir, It’s quite interesting trying to trick your brain into just doing the bare minimum without
making it expect more.
Essentially out-witting your lower-self.
Take Notes
https://icanstudy.com/lessons/bedsm/ 4/23
6/16/23, 8:51 AM BEDS-M - iCanStudy
Wonderful stuff!
3 Reply
Ahmed Al-Akrawy
1 year ago
About the “Distraction cheat sheet”, what if the distraction is mental, in the form of an intrusive thought?
Should I write the thought down, to save me from thinking about it or should I become more resilient to
such thoughts? I’d ask the same question on daydreaming, ’cause that tends to happen a lot after
reading something interesting – not only when I’m studying – which does annoy me a bit…
2 Reply
Mara Deknudt
Reply to Ahmed Al-Akrawy 9 months ago
Same I was doing this distraction cheat sheet before this course to just write my intrusive thoughts,
but since I last deep cleaned my desk I accidently put away my distraction note block. For a few days I
didn’t understand how I was so unfocused while studying. I would find myself neckdeep into some
weird spiral on how to deal with bear encounters to proper running form. The distraction cheat sheet
is back and I finally have a place to remove these intrusive thoughts and keep on studying.
2 Reply
You still need to write it down, even if it’s a thought that triggers the distraction.
3 Reply
Dhanik Samarakoon
Reply to Ashton Sheares 3 months ago
Hi Ashton,
If we’re writing the thought down on our distraction cheat sheet then how are we meant to
remove it from our environment the next time around?
0 Reply
https://icanstudy.com/lessons/bedsm/ 5/23
6/16/23, 8:51 AM BEDS-M - iCanStudy
You try to think of ways to experiment with improving your environment. Don’t expect
things to be fixed immediately, however, the more aware you are of distractions, through
more optimisation using BEDSM, you will find that things will improve.
0 Reply
Corey King
2 years ago
To those who want to get rid of all the attention grabbing elements of youtube, the extension “Unhook”
is really good
1 Reply
Can also just ban youtube using your router settings or study without internet. Using “Unhook” would
only stop recommendations, which may be a bit weak for some people as they can still go into
youtube.
0 Reply
Manning Whitby
Reply to Ashton Sheares 1 year ago
DF Tube (Distraction Free for YouTube) is another extension. It has many different control
options including:
Hide feed
Hide Trending Tab
Hide Subscriptions Bar
Hide Related Videos
Hide comments
9 Reply
Andy Jeong
2 years ago
Take Notes
https://icanstudy.com/lessons/bedsm/ 6/23
6/16/23, 8:51 AM BEDS-M - iCanStudy
Hi Justin,
So are we setting the MVGs in our mind or writing it down? And do these MVGS differ from what we set
in the scheduling the night before? For e.g. you set 2h study session on the scheduling app, but you have
all these MVGs to get to the two hours?
0 Reply
Please write down the MVGs down to begin with. You can and should set these goals the night before
but also don’t be afraid to set them during the day before dealing with larger tasks.
Indeed for your example, 2hours is a bit too long. Try to break it down even further to 30min blocks.
1 Reply
Hasnain Bhurawala
2 years ago
Hi Ashton,
Would you still have to write the MVGs such as sit down w/ books and the MVGs before that, if we
already are used to it but instead have trouble going for long periods of time and maintaining the study
mindset by where we should write the MVGs down for that?
0 Reply
I suggest that you do, just to make sure that you are actually doing it properly. Long periods of time is
just short periods of time that consists of many MVGs. So please stick to the strategies shown here and
make sure you have consolidated them and it is a part of your practices.
1 Reply
Chloe Hoang
2 years ago
do you have any tips/apps to burn the ship because I am finding it hard to find someone who can
monitor me and I always have a way out of the consequences by lying.
0 Reply
Take Notes
https://icanstudy.com/lessons/bedsm/ 7/23
6/16/23, 8:51 AM BEDS-M - iCanStudy
Then you need to make sure your burnt ships are actually burnt. The idea of burning ships means that
the consequence can not be taken back in case of failure. So if there is a way for you to escape the
consequence by lying, then that is not the burnt ships strategy. You need to have a consequence that
you can’t lie out of.
0 Reply
Corey King
2 years ago
Hey guys,
When I study I often end up doing more passive learning if I am in poor focus or low energy. So, instead
of putting high energy into learning a topic, Ill watch a khan academy video.
Is this a good thing – as its the low input little/no motivation required habit building kind of learning, or is
it a kind of distraction from studying properly?
0 Reply
No, it is never good to think that passive learning will benefit when learning is something very active.
Watching a video is fine as long as it is in line with your learning objectives in your study session. But
ensure that you are actively paying attention to it and not being distracted by other things.
2 Reply
Aaryan Singh
2 years ago
Do we also schedule our breaks? And how often should these be? Since in briefing we were
recommended to take a break every 30 minutes, I was wondering won’t this make it harder to come
back to our work and avoid procrastinating?
0 Reply
https://icanstudy.com/lessons/bedsm/ 8/23
6/16/23, 8:51 AM BEDS-M - iCanStudy
Yes you do indeed schedule your breaks. You will find that it is not harder to come back if you have
schedule things as you will be focused on what to do through your schedule.
It is more dangerous to NOT schedule and arbitrarily take breaks that might actually drag on for a long
time since it is not scheduled.
0 Reply
Aaryan Singh
Reply to Ashton Sheares 2 years ago
For our length of breaks, should we just use the pomodoro technique shown in briefing for now.
As in 30 minute chunks with 5 minute breaks in between. I think we’ve gone through avoiding
procrastinationg and scheduling but in terms of breaks are we still following that briefing
format?
0 Reply
Yes, you can go with that. I do recommend that you go back to the lesson “focus” in the
briefing and follow the instructions there.
Remember these are the basics and later down the track we will introduce a more robust
Rest system.
0 Reply
Zachary Tang
1 year ago
Would we use the burnt ships strategy for all tasks on a specific day (big or small), or just on the higher
priority tasks we aim to complete that day?
0 Reply
It should be used for the higher tasks that should not be postponed and should be done on that day.
2 Reply
https://icanstudy.com/lessons/bedsm/ 9/23
6/16/23, 8:51 AM BEDS-M - iCanStudy
1 year ago
Would you recommend setting our MVG’s on the calendar or on a separate document?
0 Reply
0 Reply
Arsh Huda
1 year ago
hi ashton. what if one of your distractions is getting lost in your thoughts – start thinking about
something else while working. how would you remove that distraction
0 Reply
You need to find the cause of your thought and remove that. So keeping a distraction cheat sheet will
allow you to realise what you are thinking about. Then you can find the source of that and remove it.
2 Reply
Andrew Collishaw
1 year ago
Very interesting. I understand what this lecture is about and appreciate the points for sure, and will
implement during the times I can. But a lot of my study / reading etc is done at work sometimes
distractions are inevitable.
Q: Just wondering if you have any tips when I have small windows of uninterrupted time (eg: 10 – 30
min). I know it’s not ‘ideal’ but how can I optimise the little bursts of study I do?
Q: As I am writing this, I realise I have an assumption that ‘real’ study can only be done with effective
study periods for EXTENDED periods of time, not short bursts. Please comment.
Many thanks, Andrew
0 Reply
Take Notes
https://icanstudy.com/lessons/bedsm/ 10/23
6/16/23, 8:51 AM BEDS-M - iCanStudy
Hi Andrew, Studying and working should be considered differently unless if your study is your work. In
which case, there should be ways to set up your work environment so interruptions don’t disturb you
when you need to study. If it is inevitable there are distruptions at certain times, then you just need to
schedule your study outside of that time. Aside from that you can have a study activity that can work
around those disruptions (these little bursts that you refer to). Indeed if you are learning something for
the first time, it’s not ideal to do it in short bursts. Instead you can leave the short bursts for revision
like recalling a mindmap or using flashcards. We will… Read more »
0 Reply
Andrew Collishaw
Reply to Ashton Sheares 1 year ago
0 Reply
Hannah Williams
1 year ago
Hey Ashton, what do you do when you schedule a 2 hr block (or a long block of study) that you need to
do but you want to use the MVGs? Since MVGs is tricking our brain to think we’re just studying for 15
minutes but then in our schedule it has that we need to study for a few hours, wouldn’t that make the
MVG almost pointless? How do we deal with this in terms of scheduling?
0 Reply
You break down your studying block into other studying blocks.
So in the beginning, before you have formed your good habbits, you will defintely be wanting to break
down the larger studying blocks into smaller MVGs, so that the whole block of study will abide by
BEDSM. Remember that scheduling has the purpose of making sure you have time during the day
dedicated to doing tasks that align with your goals. This is different from the purpose of MVGs, which
controls more of what you do with that time. They complement each other.
0 Reply
Take Notes
https://icanstudy.com/lessons/bedsm/ 11/23
6/16/23, 8:51 AM BEDS-M - iCanStudy
Mithil Dixit
1 year ago
Hey Ashton/Justin, I tried to do the BEDS-M techniques yesterday and found a very interesting
observation through my kolbs. It is easier for me to get myself to study if I begin with tasks which are
deemed easier and more exciting for myself. This way I am able to get myself to get used to the flow of
studying and once I begin to realise that I am being productive, this enhances my motivation to keep
going, thus I should keep the most tedious and difficult tasks towards the middle of the day ( just before
lunch). I know this might sound motivation dependent but I haven’t really achieved a routine yet so that I
can become motivation enhanced, I’m… Read more »
0 Reply
Hi Mithil, usually it’s better to do the hard tasks in the beginning. But psychology is not an exact science
and some people may perform better in other ways from the norm.
The best way is actually what you have done, which is to use Kolb’s on your experiments in order to
deem what is best for you.
0 Reply
ANG LI
1 year ago
Tomato potato
0 Reply
Cole Beathler
1 year ago
Does Justin know about Dr. BJ Fogg and his work with Tiny Habits? absolute
game-changer
TakeinNotes
behavior
https://icanstudy.com/lessons/bedsm/ 12/23
6/16/23, 8:51 AM BEDS-M - iCanStudy
0 Reply
0 Reply
Keith Tolentino
1 year ago
Hi,
With the Burnt Ships strategy, would be smarter to start with a small consequence but something that
you know you would do to build to the habit of following through with consequences then building up to
larger consequences rather than something that is incredibly devastating off the bat or would that be
disadvantageous since in a way your setting up the habit of accepting failure?
0 Reply
The habit of accepting failure is actually higher when your consequences are ‘acceptable’. The point of
the burnt ships strategy is to make the consequences so off-putting that your important tasks become
a self-imposed urgent task. There is a less liklihood of failure when your consequences are more
severe.
1 Reply
Matthew Marinic
1 year ago
Justin mentioned a web blocker that would notify a friend when it was turned off. Is this is an actual
application or a concept that he made up?
0 Reply
It is a concept that can be made real. Simply way is to just give someone else
the unblock
Takepassword.
Notes
https://icanstudy.com/lessons/bedsm/ 13/23
6/16/23, 8:51 AM BEDS-M - iCanStudy
0 Reply
Heston Warr
1 year ago
Are MVG’s something we should write out and plan for, or is it more of a mindset to use when we’re
really not feeling like doing a certain task?
0 Reply
It’s definitely a mindset, writing them out on a whiteboard or paper may be a tool that you want to
utilise to engage in this mindset in the beginning stages.
2 Reply
Pierpaolo Paparo
1 year ago
Hi, If I schedule into the diary 9:00 open the book, 9:05 – 9:30 read chapter 6, but then I sit and only read
for 5 minutes. should I still apply the burn the ship consequence?
Or, if I just manage to sit at 9;05, Will the consequence still apply?
0 Reply
After each session, you should review all of BEDSM (not just the B) to see if there are any parts that can
be improved to help you further with your focus.
0 Reply
Pierpaolo Paparo
Reply to Ashton Sheares 1 year ago
Hi Ashton. My question was about understanding when the Burn the ship condition is triggered?
For example: If I sit at the desk and just open the book, and I do nothing eslse, do I need to burn
the ship?
0 Reply
Take Notes
https://icanstudy.com/lessons/bedsm/ 14/23
6/16/23, 8:51 AM BEDS-M - iCanStudy
Burnt ships should be applied for the failure of the entire task.
So if you sat down for 5minutes and still finished your task, that should be fine. However
that would probably mean that you need to readjust how long it takes to complete a
similar task in the future.
If you did not finish that task within the time period set, which was “read chapter 6”, then
the Burnt ships will apply. Of course, you should be abiding by scheduling guidelines.
0 Reply
Pierpaolo Paparo
Reply to Ashton Sheares 1 year ago
Hi Ashton. This leaves me confused. From the video the MVG strategy are small
steps increments to allow me to sit first and open the book (the most difficult part)
and then build up gradually from 5 mint to 10 min etc.. I believe Justin said that for
people who procrastinate 5 minutes is already a victory. The main idea is to build
the habit. if I apply the burn the ship strategy to the planned 30 minutes task, than
the MVG feel and it is just fake. Worse, if I do not manage to finish the task in the
allocated time, should I still burn the ship? This seems to me just a failure of the
scheduling process I… Read more »
0 Reply
Yes, minimum viable goals are small steps to help you complete the overall tasks. It
is a victory to build good habits. But why do you feel MVG is fake if burnt ships are
not used on it?
Using burnt ship stradegies on MVG is inherently an incorrect application of MVG. If
you needed a burnt ship to accomplish your MVG, it means that your MVG was not
minimal enough.
Failure to do a MVG is not execute your burnt ships strategy but rather it’s to find
something that’s even more minimal that can be your MVG.
0 Reply
Gallon
1 year ago
Take Notes
https://icanstudy.com/lessons/bedsm/ 15/23
6/16/23, 8:51 AM BEDS-M - iCanStudy
I have tried implementing the burn-ship strategy on wake-up time but it simply stresses me out. I am
able to wake up at the planned time and yet feel tired and stressed the rest of the day. Which part is
wrong in my implementation?
Also, I find it difficult to distinguish between the creating of real consequence for failure and the concept
of extrinsic motivation (i.e. external stimulus/ punishment/ reward). Are they the same thing?
0 Reply
It’s probably the sleep time that you need to use BEDSM on too. Feeling tired and stressed out can be a
result of not getting enough sleep.
We recommend you aim for 9 hours of scheduled sleep. We do have more lessons on sleep later on in
the course, but for now, try to get 9hours.
0 Reply
Shaker Marawi
1 year ago
Regarding the cheat sheet, is overthinking considered as a distraction? If yes, how to solve it?
Kind regards,
0 Reply
1 Reply
Randima Godigamuwa
1 year ago
Hey Justin/Ashton, what was the name of the website mentioned at 30:11? I am very interested in
installing this
0 Reply
Take Notes
https://icanstudy.com/lessons/bedsm/ 16/23
6/16/23, 8:51 AM BEDS-M - iCanStudy
You can search for “website blockers”. There are many out there that have this function.
0 Reply
Santiago Sanchez
1 year ago
Should I apply the MVGs even if I don’t have problems with starting? I’ve used it and it’s pretty good but it
makes me feel impatient because I want to study 2 hours but setting the MVGs is like kinda unnecessary
(for most things)
0 Reply
If your current MVGs work, then there’s no need to break it down even more.
0 Reply
Sidney Nova
1 year ago
Burnt ships doesn’t need to be used if you have done the other things to prevent procrastination.
It is tool to make important tasks more urgent but if you are already hitting your tasks/goals and not
using Burnt Ships, that is actually ideal.
0 Reply
https://icanstudy.com/lessons/bedsm/ 17/23
6/16/23, 8:51 AM BEDS-M - iCanStudy
11 months ago
Hi. It was asked earlier, but from different POV: So i am not sure, how Burn Your Ships and MVG do
corellate: taking example from lesson: 20:00: Learning Math for 2 hrs (but it could be learning 2
chapters). According to MVG, every progress is victory, because it helps you build good habit(which I
agree with). But if you learn only for 1 hr (what is still great success in terms of fighint procrastination),
you technically didn’t accomplish your goal, which was learning 2 hours. How do we interpret that in
context of Burn Your Boats? Because while we create habit of starting, we still do not accomplish final
goal,
0 Reply
Hi Michal, each of the letters BEDSM is a different technique to help in a different aspect to combat
procrastination specifically.
We’re not quite targetting good habit building specifically, please refer to the higher ground series for
more on that topic.
1 Reply
Michał B
Reply to Ashton Sheares 11 months ago
Thank you Ashton for response. Maybe I wasn’t specific, what I mean: It is said, that we should
use all BEDS-M techniques, but achieving MVG, which is learning, for example, 1 hr, is a violation
of Burn Your Boats, where we are supposed to finish task completely (learning 2 hr).
0 Reply
Burn the boats are meant to be used on “tasks”. These tasks are what are scheduled into
your schedule.
MVG are the minimum goals that you can set to help you get started with the task.
Please do not burn the boats for failing MVGs. If you fail an MVG, you should be setting an
even lower MVG that is more achieveable.
0 Reply
Hi Ashton!
Is it important that we use pen and paper to create our distraction sheet or is it okay if we only use a
word document or something like that?
0 Reply
0 Reply
Bern Magodora
8 months ago
one of my major distractors was the mobile phone.i have since dealt with it by leaving the phone on
silent in another room and it is absolutely working very well for me to get more focused.another
troubling distractors is “wondering thoughts”Like all of a sudden you start to think about family or start
to think about business etc.How do you deal with thoughts as distractors?
0 Reply
Using the distraction cheat sheet is useful for ‘thoughts’. It is also talked more about in Live Clinic 16.
0 Reply
Nathan Lang
8 months ago
If you are procrastinating everyday, you need BEDS-M together to deal with procrastination. ‘Burn the
boats’ is one of the systems that can be applied to deal with procrastination.
Take Notes
https://icanstudy.com/lessons/bedsm/ 19/23
6/16/23, 8:51 AM BEDS-M - iCanStudy
0 Reply
Alexander Hopster
7 months ago
I can recommend the browser extension “unhook”. That enables you to remove suggested videos from
youtube with some other features.
0 Reply
Katarina Claes
7 months ago
The incognito mode for youtube was really helpful, few months ago I first deleted youtube off my phone
so I actually have to use willpower on my phone to get to it (bad habit deleted), then on my pc I changed
my exe from my chrome to automatic incognito.
Also, I have adhd, and for some reason I never think about using the distraction cheat cheat next to me
even tho it’s next to me, but what I do instead is, when I notice that I’m distracted, I automatically setup
my envirement to remove that distraction atm it self, which is probably good enough too
0 Reply
Konstantin Ristic
6 months ago
Is it okay to start using BEDS-M for two daily high priority tasks first?
0 Reply
0 Reply
Needing to set up the “burnt ship” means that your set goals are by themselves not “minimum viable
goals”, because you need to rely on extrinsic motivation to complete them.
0 Reply
That’s correct, but it still helps with the issue of procrastination so if someone is procrastinating, they
intrinsically have issues with doing an assigned task. Burnt ships is one tool but as you have noticed,
Minimum Viable Goals is a better tool by comparison. However, a compounded effect is gained by
using more than a single tool to help.
0 Reply
Toan Truong
2 months ago
What should I do if I am getting distracted and I know the MVG to do, but my brain just said meh and
continues with the distraction?
Should I make the MVG even smaller, ỏ should I look to optimize the other areas ò BEDS-M?
0 Reply
You can make your MVGs more minimal and you should be using the rest of the system to help. Seems
like you already know what you should be doing
1 Reply
Sean Chang
2 months ago
Hi Sean,
I think you are misunderstanding minimum viable goals (MVGs). It is used to combat procrastination,
so they should be used any time you don’t have enough motivation to jump directly into doing a task.
After completing an MVG, it should chain on to the next MVG and keep chaining to the next MVG until
you do start doing your task, thereby overcoming procrastination.
0 Reply
Sean Chang
2 months ago
I do not understand your question: “Is Burn ships contracted to having plan B?”
Contracts are not involved with Burnt Ships. Are you able to reword your question and possible add
more detail to what you are trying to ask?
0 Reply
Gerald Tan
1 month ago
Do I need to fully implement BEDS-M if I don’t struggle with procrastination? Its why I skipped this lecture
in rapid start. I have intrinsically implemented E-S-M prior to the course and don’t have trouble studying
2-3 hours even after 8-10 hours of a working day.
0 Reply
If procrastination is not an issue, then you don’t have to work on BEDSM as there is no problem to
solve with BEDSM.
0 Reply
Take Notes
https://icanstudy.com/lessons/bedsm/ 22/23
6/16/23, 8:51 AM BEDS-M - iCanStudy
Take Notes
https://icanstudy.com/lessons/bedsm/ 23/23