Need Some Advice - Procrastination

[Audiophile]

Hey guys, I've recently noticed one of my biggest problems is procrastination. I've recently made a huge effort to overcome this problem, but I seem to get distracted way too easily. I don't have ADD or any nonesense like that, I just get put off track easily. I've tried taking away my computer/anything that distracts me, but I've noticed that even when doing that, I still manage to find a way to stop focusing on the work, which makes me think that I need to tackle the root of my procrastination, whatever it may be.

Most of the time I notice I don't want to do something because I believe that I can't even do it, or that it would take too much effort. I know this is bull****, but I can't convince my brain to stop since it's become a habit. I always get advice like "sit down and do your work", and while this is seemingly good advice, it's very hard to follow. I'm not looking for any magic pill that will take away this habit, I just want to see what you guys have to say on the subject, maybe some of you have gone through the same thing.

 

[f283000]

The only advice I can give you is to get help. Procrastination has ruined my life i'm a far worse procrastinator than you are. It's a serious issue that you need to seek some counseling on.

The only thing I suggest is to try not to do as much. My problem comes from being involved in a hundred little projects rather than focusing on 1 thing. I don't know if this is your case as well but if it is look into it.

 

[JT7890]

I go through it EVERY DAY, it's not something that can be cured honestly because when you are about to do something "painful" or "difficult" or that "requires a good amount of effort" it's only natural for your lazy bug to kick in to try and avoid that process.

So I have had it for years, what I do is WILL myself despite of it. What I notice is that after I "will" myself to start doing it, and once I'm doing it, I no longer feel like "not doing it" if that makes sense.

 

[Drdeee]

Your head is f*cking with you buddy. Example: I once wake up at 5 and decide to lay on bed and just relax. Then I take a shower, get dressed, eat breakfast, go to my car, warm it, and start driving to work. Then I notice camera angle all of a sudden has changed, I'm seeing myself from the side as I drive. I wake up, and laugh my ass off. Brain has a tendency to f*ck things up. To get through procrastination you have to realize that your head does love f*cking with you. Then just create routine and schedule.

 

[Cry For Love]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1WC6hNTONg

Long story short: People procrastinate, because as children they are treated as slaves.

 

[Atom Smasher]

Use a timer.

When you have a task to do, set the timer for say, 10 or 15 minutes and work the project for that long. Take a breather and set the timer again.

Instant structure. It works great for me. All of a sudden the task at hand seems "possible" because it has a solid beginning and end and moves from the ethereal to the concrete. Try it.

 

[Cry For Love]

Use a timer.

When you have a task to do, set the timer for say, 10 or 15 minutes and work the project for that long. Take a breather and set the timer again.

Instant structure. It works great for me. All of a sudden the task at hand seems "possible" because it has a solid beginning and end and moves from the ethereal to the concrete. Try it.

That reinforces the same slave mentality created in childhood by parenting though. It is artificially creating an atmosphere of compulsion as a way of stimulating progress.

 

[synergy1]

it just comes down to discipline. If you have work to do, do it before you reward yourself with anything else. When I was in college, I made it a priority to finish work before putting on TV, playing sports, video games or going out. Not only did this mean you get your **** done, but it was more rewarding knowing you had finished everything and had some time to play. However, not all assignments are created equal so you need to know that sometimes it'll take you the span of days - in that case simply take periodic breaks or know when it 'call it for the day'. There is nothing wrong with stopping when your level of productivity goes down.

For examinations, I would typically start studying a week in advance, maybe more. Depending on how long it took to understand the material, I usually would be done studying 2-3 days before the exam took place. While my peers often were cramming the night before, I was socializing or playing sports at the rec center. Class averages on many exams was in the C range, I usually got A's and B's. The kids who got higher were the ones who could have cut it at MIT, and they never even studied.

 

[EA Gold]

ok heres a tip.

Find something that you don't want to do it at all, lets say its cleaning the bathroom or exerciscing for an hour.

Now tell yourself, that if you don't do what your supposed to do wither it is studying or something else, then you have to clean the bathroom or exercise.


Basically your taking the less of the two things you don't like. This is a good way to stop smoking or any other unhealthy habits.

 

[ChalengeGuyFan]

Use a timer.

When you have a task to do, set the timer for say, 10 or 15 minutes and work the project for that long. Take a breather and set the timer again.

Instant structure. It works great for me. All of a sudden the task at hand seems "possible" because it has a solid beginning and end and moves from the ethereal to the concrete. Try it.

Funny thing: ever since I heard about the timer technique I procrastinated applying it. :rock:

I really like that video, Cry for Love.
Every time I HAVE to do a certain thing I will delay doing it, even if I usually love doing it.

That video is really insightful on the topic.
Thanks for posting it!


I'll reinforce f283000's post:

The only advice I can give you is to get help. Procrastination has ruined my life
Check!
I came all the way down from being a top student to the very bottom of the class and an underachiever in life in general.
i'm a far worse procrastinator than you are.
Check!
-I procrastinated doing my thesis, which ended up in delaying it by 3 months and missing out on a whole summer, plus a lot of stress
-I procrastinated learning in college, so I could have not gone at all, as I have very little knowledge left in my head. I'm reaping the results now: I have to work all day long.
-just the other day I procrastinated doing a project until the last fking hour. I eventually pulled it off, but that was a nasty experience.
-I am procrastinating now, as I write this, lol.
-the list goes on and on and on
It's a serious issue that you need to seek some counseling on.

The only thing I suggest is to try not to do as much.
Me too! I always wanted to do a thousand things at the same time, which ended up in using more time to manage my thoughts rather than doing actual work.
My problem comes from being involved in a hundred little projects rather than focusing on 1 thing. I don't know if this is your case as well but if it is look into it.

I now have really desirable goals which I work for and that helps eliminate Some of the procrastination.

 

[Atom Smasher]

That reinforces the same slave mentality created in childhood by parenting though. It is artificially creating an atmosphere of compulsion as a way of stimulating progress.

So it is better to do nothing at all?

I'm a slave when I find a way to handle the demands of life and get things accomplished? I think you're placing WAAAY too much stock in that theoretical video.

Since starting to use the timer, I have broken out of my prison of procrastination and am free.

 

[ArcBound]

Use a timer.

When you have a task to do, set the timer for say, 10 or 15 minutes and work the project for that long. Take a breather and set the timer again.

Instant structure. It works great for me. All of a sudden the task at hand seems "possible" because it has a solid beginning and end and moves from the ethereal to the concrete. Try it.

^Atom Smasher is right on this. I wore a wris****ch and told myself, OK I have to finish this project in 45 minutes...etc.etc. By putting a time limit on myself I eventually started to do things not only faster but more efficiently.

 

[Audiophile]

Just tried the timer thing out today, a 5 minute break every 20 minutes seems to be the best for me, works really well so far. Thanks for all of the advice guys!

Haven't watched the video, my computers sound system is messed up, so I can't hear anything.

 

[MainDroite]

Okay. First off, let me say that I'm a huge procrastinator. I'm a very lazy person. I hate working; but I still get things done. How?

I'd say it has to do with my love of procrastinating: I basically live for that ****... and it actually gave me a lot of energy that I was able to muster up and use in order to, for example, learn to play the guitar well enough that your average Joe would be incredibly jealous. I also taught myself a language by procrastinating (people who hear my german think I'm a native speaker)... and, yes, sometimes I fall into the dangerous world of online gaming while procrastinating. It's all good; I learned to not beat myself up for it (because our religious society actually coined some really stupid catchphrases meant to condemn laziness like "Idle hands are the devil's tools", "time is money", etc...).

I don't remember who said that, but there is ONE key to accomplishing much: "Human beings will accomplish a lot of things IF there is no OBLIGATION to do it". It basically sums up my point.

I know I'm breaking away from at least 90% of what's been written so far in this thread: I hope you people won't mind me stating my opinions. There is actually some pretty good litterature on the subject, my favorite book about it being "How to be idle" by british Tom Hodgkinson. The follow-up "How to be free" is also worth the read.

Hope that helps you not hate yourself for procrastinating.

 

[Groovy]

I sometimes have problems with it too, but only temporarily. You must use LOGIC if you ask me.

The more you study, the better results in test you're gonna have.

"Oh, I'm just gonna go to youtube a little while". NO. I want to do this a lot of times, you know. Or a friend tells me: "Hey you wanna go out?" Naah, I'll get worse grades if I do. So no, sorry. I sometimes think: "It's cool to go out with friends, social life is important".

The brain has an area just to throw suggestions at you. That's what they are, suggestions, that you got to accept or not. That's what you guys are saying by "The brain likes to mess with you?" Hmm, I don't like that really much... Because as you know the brain is a machine, simply put.

While it is not easy, and you may not feel like doing it, do it anyway. That's all that there is to it. Belieave me when I tell you, the BEGGINING is the TOUGHEST part by faaaaaaaaaaaar. Then it only gets easier, your brain, in the example of studying, if you don't feel like doing it, but you start, it probably adapts itself to the thing you are doing. Makes sence, doesn't it? It maybe releases some chemicals or something to make it easier. Because when I don't feel like doing something, but I do it, it becomes very much easier and I feel awesome with myself for doing it. I feel like crap when I procrastinate, having that in mind, it's easier for me not to procrastinate.

I wanna say a couple more things, it's easier when you are organized, and when you do things in a responsible way. For example, if I want to study for a exam that it is in 7 days, it's going to be a little hard for me. But if I have been studying for the whole semester for it, since the first day of school, then voilá, it's going to be easier for me. I got motivation since I've been doing it right from the beggining! Do these kinds of things, from the beggining be careful with the things you got to do, don't let them drag, "oohhh, I'm gonna spend this weekend partying and then study twice as hard in the next". Study maybe just a little bit, like 1 or 2 hours, and then go partying. I think you can understand more or less what I'm talking about.

You know, learning the things the hard way sucks. But if you procrastinate and screw yourself over, you're digging a hole for yourself that is going to be harder and harder to get out of. You will, however, learn that you must NOT procrastinate. Will you, however, find the will to get out of that hole or not?

 

[Nygard]

Personal advice, worked for me:

1- Divide the task into many smaller steps, then do it one by one.
2- plan ahead. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
3- Use an egg timer, and then try to beat it by not releasing focus. To be honest, any kind of timer will work.
4- Recondition yourself : Take a wristband and try to go 21 days without procrastinating badly, plan to give yourself a rewarding gift for when you make it. For every time you procrastinate, snap it against your wrist and move it to your other hand.

Let me know how that helped. I go straight to the point, no lengthy wah wah. Just do it, no emotion involved.

-SDK