To Defeat Procrastination, Lock Up Your Pants!!

 ​Long ago, I read the book on a train journey. But today, the real protagonist isn't Quasimodo(The hunchback of Notredame); it's Victor Hugo's sheer, glorious, self-imposed insanity. The real plot twist isn't in the book; it’s in the author’s extreme, almost hostile approach to his own procrastination.

Hugo had committed to the book, but like all of us who have stared at a blinking cursor for three hours, he got caught up in the glorious chaos of distraction: parties, socializing, learning new things, and generally enjoying life. His energy was high, but his productivity was zero.

His publisher, driven to the end of their quill, issued an ultimatum: six months to deliver, or face the consequences.

Did Hugo buy a self-help book? Did he invest in a fancy ergonomic chair? No. He understood that to kill the urge to procrastinate, he had to make going outside a physically unappealing, socially humiliating nightmare.

The Lock-Down Strategy: A Shawl and a Pen

Hugo’s solution was legendary in its simplicity and sheer dramatic flair:

He gathered all of his clothes—every shirt, every sock, every pair of velvet pants—packed them into a large trunk, and had his assistant physically lock the chest away. He was left with only a thin, drafty shawl to cover himself.

The Logic: You cannot leave the house without clothes. The Parisian winter was brutal. The prospect of facing society half-naked and shivering instantly became a more powerful deterrent than the difficulty of writing the novel.

He essentially placed an enormous, immediate, and embarrassing penalty on procrastination. He made the effort of writing—the mental grind—a lower cost than the discomfort of his current situation.

The Unconventional CEO

This is the ultimate lesson in mandatory focus. We often try to find focus by adding motivation (rewards, positive affirmations). Hugo succeeded by removing comfort and adding mandatory discomfort.

It’s a humorous, highly effective hack. It reminds us that sometimes, the only way to get the critical assignment done—whether it’s finishing a book, starting a new project, or tackling a daunting financial analysis—is to set the stakes so high that inaction becomes socially, physically, or financially impossible.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to figure out how to lock away my phone without actually having to pull out this stunt.