Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

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

whydoiprocrastinate.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

91–100 of 200 posts

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

#91

Post by haskellandchill »

anoncoward111 wrote: post #30
hh3k0 wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And you do valuable things when you procrastinate?

That's actually debatable. I certainly do rewarding things for myself when procrastinating. And my job honestly is a negative value to society. I am a salesman at a rent seeking corporation. I would literally do society more good if I wasn't driving a gas guzzler to work every day and sitting in a giant air conditioned office.

I’m in the same boat, advertising with big data and generative deep learning. Harmful garbage if you ask me. I have no savings but I’m quitting as soon as I get an offer. I don’t care if I get fired, I’d rather be homeless.

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

#92

Post by haskellandchill »

nickjj wrote: post #22

One thing that helped me with procrastination is to expose it for what it really is. Let's say you wanted to quit smoking (I've done it cold turkey after smoking a pack a day for over 10 years btw). The only real way you'll have a fighting chance to quit without any alternative drugs is to really want to quit. Not "oh man I wish I could stop smoking", but "ok, I'm done with this, I'm ready to stop". If you break down…

What should I be doing? I enjoy meaningful work and have to accept that I may have to take a pay cut to do it. Chasing money got me in a terrible position with “should”. I can’t stomach busy work any more, not when the world is suffering as it is so greatly now.

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

#93

Post by padobson »

skriticos2 wrote: post #51

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…

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 the sun has been up for a while, and sit down at my desk still in my pajamas. HN or YouTube tend to be my first tasks of the day, and sometimes I don't get to any others. These types of days seem to be something that's happening to me, rather than something I'm choosing.

I struggle with depression, and I find the second kind of day is a feedback loop of anxiety and procrastination. The first kind of day is a virtuous cycle of productivity and serenity.

That 5am alarm is the best way I know to set the whole thing in motion.

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

#94

Post by selestify »

vbtemp wrote: post #53
yoodenvranx wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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. I am pretty sure my main reason for procrastination is the fact that I never learned to endure suffering/discomfort while growing up. I grew up very sheltered and I was never forced to do anything which I did not like (bring out the tr…

I'd warmly encourage you to not make excuses or find reasons from your past to justify current maladaptive behaviors. If you're 18+ and grew up in safety, comfort, and with education you possess all the necessary executive functionality to take hold of what life will deal you.

Just because you possess certain abilities doesn't mean that you have figured out how to make use of them. Working through challenges is an acquired skill, and if you never had the need to acquire said skill until now, it's not entirely surprising when you fail to do so.

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

#95

Post by anoncoward111 »

ComodoHacker wrote: post #81
anoncoward111 wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It took me a year to land this one! My expenses are pretty low and my savings are decent, but if I quit this, I would be on the streets pretty quickly. I don't have many skills besides convincing people to buy something. These skills aren't particularly marketable in life :)

What about convincing people to buy something really good?

I would love to have a job selling something that is a real 10x improvement to someone's life and is sustainable and etc etc etc.

However these jobs aren't terribly easy to come by and are mostly handed out based on nepotism in my experience.

But, if you know someone who has made something awesome, and would like to hire me to do marketing + long-cycle sales, then please do let me know how I can contact you :)

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

#96

Post by dctoedt »

cmplxconjugate wrote: post #59

My one little life hack for the morning procrastination is this: Always make sure you have set yourself a simple task to complete/continue the following morning. It gives an achievable goal that can help kickstart your working flow for the day.

> Always make sure you have set yourself a simple task to complete/continue the following morning. [¶] It gives an achievable goal that can help kickstart your working flow for the day.

Or as Admiral William McRaven (Navy SEAL, at the time the head of Special Ops) put it: "Make your bed." [0]

[0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6OoCaGsz94

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

#97

Post by jonnybgood »

jaaames wrote: post #87
yoodenvranx wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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. I am pretty sure my main reason for procrastination is the fact that I never learned to endure suffering/discomfort while growing up. I grew up very sheltered and I was never forced to do anything which I did not like (bring out the tr…

This is key I believe. A lot of successful entrepreneurs had no safety net, and have been through significant adversity. Those that have been coddled and never held accountable have worse coping mechanisms and drive than those who have dealt with it and overcome obstacles the majority of their lives.

I think that’s survivorship bias. There’s probably more failed entrepreneurs with the same experiences.

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

#100

Post by manigandham »

padobson wrote: post #93
skriticos2 wrote: post #51

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…

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…

Yes, routine is key. The discipline actually pays off and removes a lot of decision making since you're already on a schedule, and the momentum of getting things done keeps you wanting to get more things done.
Post reply on HN