Victor Hugo’s “House Arrest Strategy”: How to Beat Procrastination and Finish Anything You Start
In July 1830, a young twenty-eight-year-old named Victor Hugo, struggled with procrastination, and almost gave up on writing his book. Here’s what he did next.Victor Hugo was due to submit the book to his publisher by April 1829, but he missed the deadline.
You Are Under House Arrest
Hugo bought a woolen body-stocking that covered his body from head to toe, a new bottle of ink, and locked his clothes in the wardrobe to prevent himself from leaving the house.
- According to Hugo’s wife, Adele Hugo, “[He] entered his novel as if it were a prison.”
- Each day, from dusk till dawn, Hugo would write his book, and only leave his working desk to eat, sleep, or read the drafts of the book to his friends.
How to Beat Procrastination Using the House Arrest Strategy
Write down a deadline in the near future
- Create negative consequences for inaction
- Use “stakes” or negative consequence, to punish yourself if you fail to meet the deadline
- Design your desired future action
- Put something in place today that will ‘lock in’ your actions tomorrow
Motivation Isn’t Enough
Use the house arrest strategy in three simple steps: write down a deadline, create negative consequences for inaction, and design your desired future action
- The franc was the equivalent to 0.2903225 grams of gold in 1830
- Today, the price of gold is approximately $1240 per ounce, so one franc is worth about $12.70 today
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