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Ask HN: How do you guys deal with laziness?

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Re: Ask HN: How do you guys deal with laziness?

#31

Post by [deleted] »

alimw wrote: post #28
redis_mlc wrote: post #27

> 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.

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: How do you guys deal with laziness?

#33

Post by badpun »

Does any of the subjects on your list excite you REALLY? I know that, if I don't have such thing, I'm having hard time to motive myself to do much (and also, am grumpy).

On the other hand, if I can work on something which is genuinely exciting for me, I often literally cannot wait till I start engaging with it. I think this is the state in which we should be in our personal projects, otherwise they're just another chore.

Also, one piece of wisdom from Jordan Peterson (I wish I heard it ten years ago, it would have saved me a lot of wasted time): you cannot make yourself like something. You like what you like, each one of us is an individual with unique sets of likes and dislikes.

Re: Ask HN: How do you guys deal with laziness?

#34

Post by nehagup »

One of the things that was making me less productive was - ending up scrolling social media every-time I was taking a call on phone(android). What I did to boost it? I used an app that let me make/receive phone calls on my Mac. :D (the app I use is called "Connecton")

Re: Ask HN: How do you guys deal with laziness?

#37

Post by op03 »

It could just be your personality - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revised_NEO_Personality_Invent...

Some people are open, curious but not disciplined(Conscientiousness). I know cause I fall into that group :) So if discipline doesn't come naturally, or it evaporates when obstacles are hit, then a little extra energy is required to handle those situations.

To get that energy you have to be aware of what kinds of events/people/triggers have produced energy in you to act in the past.

Try to create conditions, put yourself into situations, where those things happen everyday.

For me I know there are certain people in my life I need to be around, when I am low on energy or require extra energy that produces discipline. I make sure they understand why. And I make sure I am contributing back to their lives, needs and well being in someway.

Also be very aware of what drains your energy and root it out or actively reduce it. Its not easy or happens overnight. But when you make it a daily ritual to seek out what generates energy that causes action and reduce what drains energy that causes inaction you slowly start seeing progress.

Re: Ask HN: How do you guys deal with laziness?

#38

Post by garypopo »

muzani wrote: post #7

I won't repeat most of the common advice - sleep, diet, drugs, etc. But let's go into willpower. Willpower is like a muscle. There are 3 types: will (trying to do something, like exercise), won't (avoiding something like 9GAG), and want (being driven by a higher purpose). Dopamine fuels want. Dopamine makes you do things, no matter how painful. It starts you off with arousal and excitement, and then forces you to fin…

Talk about hacking willpower, I used to have a group of friends which we will set our own goals each month and place a $150 bet on it, to keep each other motivated throughout the month.

Re: Ask HN: How do you guys deal with laziness?

#39

Post by redis_mlc »

alimw wrote: post #28
redis_mlc wrote: post #27

> 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.

> "embrace being a loser"

I like how you worded that - I plan to borrow it.

Hmm ... if you're good at even one thing, then you're not a loser. If you're not good at anything, then it's time to do some self-reflection.

Re: Ask HN: How do you guys deal with laziness?

#40

Post by PouyaL »

A general rule of thumbs to be accepted is just like your body, your mind has the same intervals or even more. You might sometimes do for procrastinatingwhich leveraging your creativity and there are a few time you do preps. The only thing I do is to stay to be in frame of thinking on goal and according to the urgency get it done. I need a list of things to be done everyday as well and mostly see myself happy once over achieved., so my mind got trained to react on how to get serotonin. :)
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