21–30 of 49 posts
I have serious respiratory problems. I'm quite sensitive to environmental factors. The sudden improvement in air quality is making me extremely tired.
I think of it as being a little like drug withdrawal, if that makes sense.
--> Use pomodoro technique to get something done in 25 minutes.
--> Take 5 minutes break
--> Repeat
You have a never ending set of goals. You sound like a classic goal oriented person, but you don’t derive satisfaction from discipline which is the only strategy that works for continuous goals. Shift your strategy and aim for the simplest possible task, it’s gonna hurt your ego but you have to do this if you’re seriously asking: Pick the easiest thing on that list (reading that book for example) and aim to read 1 pa…
A technique I use is to use the thing I'm avoiding to make progress on the 2nd thing I'm avoiding. It's strange, but if I'm overscheduled and REALLY don't want to work on my taxes, somehow I have a lot of energy to clean up the garage. I've also found that if I work on something and finish it, the next day I bumble around when getting started. But if I stop right at some obvious place in the middle, the next day I im…
This is called structured procrastination.
> I've also found that if I work on something and finish it, the next day I bumble around when getting started.
And this one is called Ovsiankina effect.
There might be some pent up trauma in your mind (could just be something totally mundane like not feeling heard when you were 5 years old, or could be something more serious). Somehow that trauma may be associated in the mind with the idea of things you 'have to do' or whatever, and the procrastination is a subconscious defence against having those feelings bubbling to the surface.
Do an experiment: can you close your eyes and find something in your mind to think about that makes you feel negative emotion? Try find something, maybe cry or just let yourself feel those feelings for say 20 mins. Having done that, do you feel more able to complete or organise your tasks? If so, something like what I'm talking about might be going on.
The road to really getting there might be long, but just realising this connection can be a big help and lead to more and more improvement as long as long as you can keep not shying away from those negative emotions.
Many good tips answered already like chunking tasks. But like a few people have mentioned the might be a deeper problem. There might be some pent up trauma in your mind (could just be something totally mundane like not feeling heard when you were 5 years old, or could be something more serious). Somehow that trauma may be associated in the mind with the idea of things you 'have to do' or whatever, and the procrastina…
You need to decide whether you're procrastinating, or you have a deeper problem like being a loser.
If you have finished substantial projects in the past, and are taking a break, for whatever reason, that's fine.
If you really haven't accomplished anything in life and are still fantasizing about doing something, you're a loser. All those dreams are just noise in your brain. I'd suggest setting those aside and focusing on things you must do, like your job.
I can give you an example. I knew a young guy who seriously dreamed of joining the Army, but was 300+ pounds. I said to him, "Have you ever exercised in your life?" His answer was no, so I said the Army is not the right place for you. None of his friends was willing to offer objective advice.
The old school way to get things done is with a todo list. By writing down 5 - 10 tasks and then turning to that as your boss, you add structure (discipline) and reduce your internal debate over what to do and instead turn your energy into action.
Try a todo list for a couple weeks and if that doesn't help, then embrace the fact that you're a loser, and focus on necessary things.
Also, two of the hardest things to do are learn guitar or build an airplane. They both take about 2 years part-time to make substantial progress. The best advice I've heard for both is the same: every day, pick up the guitar, or the airplane plans or parts.
> What can I do to improve my attitude toward useful areas of my life and convince myself to stop wasting time? You need to decide whether you're procrastinating, or you have a deeper problem like being a loser. If you have finished substantial projects in the past, and are taking a break, for whatever reason, that's fine. If you really haven't accomplished anything in life and are still fantasizing about doing somet…
This video helped me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41HYjV8IxiI
So here are 10 time management tips from Seneca. 01. Treat time as a commodity 02. Don’t invest your time preparing for life 03. Live life for your own self 04. Practice Premeditatio Malorum 05. Make long term rewards immediate 06. Make the most of your free time 07. Spend time reflecting on your past 08. Stop wasting time in life’s trivialities 09. Invest your time creating new memories 10. Invest your time in philosophies
> What can I do to improve my attitude toward useful areas of my life and convince myself to stop wasting time? You need to decide whether you're procrastinating, or you have a deeper problem like being a loser. If you have finished substantial projects in the past, and are taking a break, for whatever reason, that's fine. If you really haven't accomplished anything in life and are still fantasizing about doing somet…
I will accept this advice of "embrace being a loser" as good advice only if you can claim to have done it successfully yourself. Paradoxically I suspect it's really hard to do without losing all hope.