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Show HN: Why Do I Procrastinate? – Web MD for Procrastination

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171–180 of 200 posts

Re: Show HN: Why Do I Procrastinate? – Web MD for Procrastination

#171

Well, maybe sometimes this happens to me.. "I just go check the headlines on my favorite news sites and then I start my productive day.. and I drink this cup of coffee." .. 2 hours later. "Just this one headline, then I'm ready." .. 2 hours later. "Damn, where did the day go all of a sudden?" Of course the solution is to first do the work and then read the news.. but that's the rational part of my brain speaking - no…

> Like pretending to be a character in an RPG - playing the game of my life.

I also play all the side quests first in RPGs!

Re: Show HN: Why Do I Procrastinate? – Web MD for Procrastination

#172
One remark: with "What are you avoiding doing right now?" it prompts to answer many activities. In my case they were different (chores vs creative and open-ended stuff), so it was not easy to answer questions in a meaningful way.

(It should clearly prompt to write a single thing/activity.)

Re: Show HN: Why Do I Procrastinate? – Web MD for Procrastination

#173
post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would also like to echo this question, always interested in what people listen to while working.

I work from home, sitting next to my partner, and this is responsible for ~80% of our work. No particular order. Late Night Tales Presents Sasha: Scene Delete [0] Ulrich Schnauss & Jonas Munk: Passage [1] Jon Hopkins: Opalescent [2] HVOB & Winston Marshall: Silk [3] Anything at all by HVOB. HVOB is the golden stuff. All of Tycho's albums Any of Tycho's Burning Man mixes on SoundCloud [8] Kiasmos: Blurred [4] Vermont:…

What are you both doing ?

Re: Show HN: Why Do I Procrastinate? – Web MD for Procrastination

#175

Procrastination is the avoidance of activity due to a discomfort/fear/anxiety and subsequent inability to scale the discomfort wall that exists between you and the tasks' completion. Other comments mention a pointlessness or lack of purpose, which I consider secondary, since it's arguable if it's truly procrastination if the work is truly pointless. Procrastination as a term seems best applied to important/mandatory…

Procrastination is the avoidance of activity due to a discomfort/fear/anxiety and subsequent inability to scale the discomfort wall that exists between you and the tasks' completion. Incorrect. The dictionary definition of procrastination is To put off doing something, especially out of habitual carelessness or laziness or To postpone or delay needlessly . Literally meaning, from Latin, putting off until tomorrow. I…

There's been plenty of research that suggests that at a substantial proportion of procrastination is due to discomforts and anxieties, so I wouldn't dismiss it that quickly.

Re: Show HN: Why Do I Procrastinate? – Web MD for Procrastination

#176
post #129

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How do you find this?

By now, iTunes is suggesting a lot of stuff to me that I really like. But if you’re starting from zero: - Find something you like on iTunes, Spotify, whatever. - Use the ‘start a radio station based on this song’ feature. - When that plays something you also like, add it to your library. Keep playing it. - If it’s a single track on an album, just add the album. The wonderful thing about modern streaming services is t…

This might be the first positive thing I've ever read about iTunes.

Re: Show HN: Why Do I Procrastinate? – Web MD for Procrastination

#177

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm the opposite. If my brain has to engage before 10am the day's a waste. If I "ease into the day" then once I've dealt with the world on fire stuff about 11.30 I'll power through and before I know it it's 9PM and I've been massively productive.

Same here. I have always wondered how people can even wake up at 5 am, let alone focus and work. In the mean time, I think, need for sleep is like appetite: some have more, some have less.

Waking up at 5 am doesn't imply sleeping any less (just going to bed earlier).

In the similar way, taking a nap doesn't mean that you sleep more, just that you schedule your sleep differently.

Re: Show HN: Why Do I Procrastinate? – Web MD for Procrastination

#178
post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What's on your flow state playlist?

I would also like to echo this question, always interested in what people listen to while working.

I recommended it before, but I maintain a playlist that focuses on very quiet, soothing ambient, moody soundscapes and slightly experimental music that, in my opinion, works as well for sleeping as it does for being productive and focused:

- https://open.spotify.com/user/michaelfeihstel/playlist/10IcC...

Alternatively and if you prefer a more eclectic, diversive selection that covers a wide range of moods and genres, but should still serve as a soundtrack to a relaxing sunday out in the sun or on the couch, there's this little mix series I work on - I think these particular episodes might be a good starting point:

- https://soundcloud.com/michaelfeihstel/sunday-debrief-005

- https://soundcloud.com/michaelfeihstel/sunday-debrief-006

Re: Show HN: Why Do I Procrastinate? – Web MD for Procrastination

#179
post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What's on your flow state playlist?

I would also like to echo this question, always interested in what people listen to while working.

Psytrance is my productive music, except when I need to concentrate really hard. I love this huge playlist: https://open.spotify.com/user/1145880218/playlist/71tSLVZo0B...

Re: Show HN: Why Do I Procrastinate? – Web MD for Procrastination

#180

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Self discipline definitely has a momentum effect. My most productive days are the ones that start at 5am with a run, followed by a shower, meditation, and writing up a list of things I want to accomplish that day. Then I start working with my noise cancelling headphones and my flow-state playlist. It's very deliberate from start to finish. My least productive days are the ones where I roll out of bed randomly, when t…

> Self discipline definitely has a momentum effect This sounds like an assumption. Isn't it equally likely that the condition that suppresses procrastination was responsible for all those things happening, starting with your run? In other words, you started the day with operable self-discipline. Not related to behavior.

This is a fair criticism and may be correct, but I have to continue doing what works. I haven't found a better way to suppress procrastination yet.
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