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Ask HN: How to do that you need to do but not motivated at all?

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Re: Ask HN: How to do that you need to do but not motivated at all?

#11

Post by CoastalCoder »

Not sure if this applies to you, but in case it's helpful:

I think my procrastination comes from some combination of ADHD, low-level depression, and existential dread (i.e., does anything really matter anyway?).

If you think ADHD is part of your issue, you might find some videos by Tracy Marks [0] useful. (And if you're not sure about ADHD, you might consider getting tested for it.)

[0] https://www.youtube.com/@DrTraceyMarks

Re: Ask HN: How to do that you need to do but not motivated at all?

#13

Post by Ilasky »

One way to do these things is to do them with someone else! This idea is called "social facilitation"[0] (it's also called body doubling in some communities).

Essentially, when doing a task with someone else, we are more likely to focus and perform that task better. There are tools like Double [1] that are built just so you can pair up with others to do these activities and get that motivation to start!

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_facilitation

[1] https://doubleapp.xyz/

Re: Ask HN: How to do that you need to do but not motivated at all?

#16

Post by giancarlostoro »

Sounds like fixing your sleep might help significantly. I have also heard that for men, exercising does wonders. More energy if you work out consistently everyday (try 30 minutes to an hour) you don't need to get super insane about it, just make it a simple routine.

Re: Ask HN: How to do that you need to do but not motivated at all?

#17

Post by ilikecakeandpie »

Making a list of the things I need to do helps me stay on track and doubles as a memory aid. I have to remind myself as well that the work/tasks need to be completed regardless how I feel about the situation.

Motivation ebbs and flows, but if one is not completing at least some tasks, it makes it that much harder to create momentum

Re: Ask HN: How to do that you need to do but not motivated at all?

#18

Post by Shermanium »

"At dawn, when you have trouble getting out of bed, tell yourself: “I have to go to work — as a human being. What do I have to complain of, if I’m going to do what I was born for — the things I was brought into the world to do? Or is this what I was created for? To huddle under the blankets and stay warm?” Marcus Aurelius

Re: Ask HN: How to do that you need to do but not motivated at all?

#19

Post by owlglass »

I procrastinate as well. What I find has been working for me lately is not making it about the thing itself, but about who I'm becoming by doing it (and doing it early), as described here: https://www.neelnanda.io/blog/become-a-person-who-actually-d... (the rest of the blog is fantastic if you want to check it out, there's many posts on personal improvement)

I was also pointed to this resource by Neel, you could use to it to re-frame the goal of the task (e.g. instead of "do well on exam" -> "pass exam with as little effort as possible"): https://mindingourway.com/half-assing-it-with-everything-you...

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