I'll come back and read this later.
No matter how obvious and beaten-to-death a joke is, there's always someone who can't help themselves.
I think this line of jokes has some potential, but I
Why Wait? the Science Behind Procrastination
51–60 of 67 posts
Re: Why Wait? the Science Behind Procrastination
#52Labels are dangerous, and labelling yourself as a procrastinator will just make you even less likely to do the work you need to do. I think I get a lot of work done (solo game dev on my own), but I also re-organise my task list about every week too, does that make me a procrastinator? If I get stuck on a hard problem, I'll often browse the internet mindlessly, then come back and solve it. Does that make me a procrast…
Just like with many other disorders, as long as it's a mild problem you can use a number of ad hoc remedies, but it just won't work for people with real issues. Telling a junky to just do yoga and stay away from drugs is a valid suggestion, but in real-life it's just not enough. Real procrastinator will not do yoga when procrastinating, simply because most of the time you are not even aware that you're procrastinating at the moment. Or if you are you don't have a mental strength to fight the urge to do it. I know this is very hard to grasp for someone who have never experienced it, but the act of procrastination is actually a kind of reality distortion where your own brain tricks you into not really noticing what you are doing. It's a bit like when magician diverts your attention so that you don't notice when he hides the card in a sleeve. You know it will happen, but you aren't aware of it in the moment it happens and you just can't stop him from shifting your focus away from cards. That is, at least, my impression how it happens to me when procrastinating, simply at some point my subconscious gets bored and jumps to another track without consulting the rationale me about it. Half an hour later you realise you've been reading an article about skeletons of giant sloths found in China instead of working or whatever you've planned to do.
Re: Why Wait? the Science Behind Procrastination
#53Earlier quoted context omitted.
> I think I get a lot of work done (solo game dev on my own), but I also re-organise my task list about every week too, does that make me a procrastinator? If I get stuck on a hard problem, I'll often browse the internet mindlessly, then come back and solve it. Does that make me a procrastinator? If I take a week off, am I a procrastinator!? No, that behavior seems pretty rational, not like what is described in the a…
Labeling or not, calling it a problem or not, I don't get your point. Are you saying that you cannot control yourself and it's not your fault that you didn't do all that work? At the end of the day it seems a personal choice to me. Similar to people with drug problems, it might be harder or easier for certain people to get the willpower to do (or not do) certain things, but it's still under your control and up to you…
You could also tell someone to just run a marathon, I mean it's easy: just move your left feet and then the right, and repeat that for next 26 miles. Where's the problem? Problem, of course, is that most of us lack the physical stamina to run a marathon. Likewise many people lack mental stamina/strength to "just do the work", or "just eat less", or "just quit smoking/drinking/doing drugs"... why is that such a hard concept to grasp?
Re: Why Wait? the Science Behind Procrastination
#54Earlier quoted context omitted.
Labeling or not, calling it a problem or not, I don't get your point. Are you saying that you cannot control yourself and it's not your fault that you didn't do all that work? At the end of the day it seems a personal choice to me. Similar to people with drug problems, it might be harder or easier for certain people to get the willpower to do (or not do) certain things, but it's still under your control and up to you…
You could also tell someone to just run a marathon, I mean it's easy: just move your left feet and then the right, and repeat that for next 26 miles. Where's the problem? Problem, of course, is that most of us lack the physical stamina to run a marathon. Likewise many people lack mental stamina/strength to "just do the work", or "just eat less", or "just quit smoking/drinking/doing drugs"... why is that such a hard c…
But they don't lack the stamina/strength. It's just more difficult for them. The possibility is still there.
Same with addicts. I know a handful. Yes, it's tremendously difficult for them to quit with the drugs, but it's still possible. It's their decision to make. Any doctor or person at a rehab facility will tell you, they have the ability to do it but it's just more difficult for them than for me.
So comparing it to completely not having the ability to do it is a defeatist attitude. The ability is there.
Re: Why Wait? the Science Behind Procrastination
#55Labels are dangerous, and labelling yourself as a procrastinator will just make you even less likely to do the work you need to do. I think I get a lot of work done (solo game dev on my own), but I also re-organise my task list about every week too, does that make me a procrastinator? If I get stuck on a hard problem, I'll often browse the internet mindlessly, then come back and solve it. Does that make me a procrast…
Just like with many other disorders, as long as it's a mild problem you can use a number of ad hoc remedies, but it just won't work for people with real issues. Telling a junky to just do yoga and stay away from drugs is a valid suggestion, but in real-life it's just not enough. Real procrastinator will not do yoga when procrastinating, simply because most of the time you are not even aware that you're procrastinatin…
So what's your solution then? What if I agree with you and say: fine, it's impossible for procrastinators to do their work. Is this the end? Do we all just agree that procrastinators can't do their work and sit around not doing work?
What's the solution, if not somehow, some way, gathering the willpower and forcing yourself to do the work? Is there another way around it?
Re: Why Wait? the Science Behind Procrastination
#56Labels are dangerous, and labelling yourself as a procrastinator will just make you even less likely to do the work you need to do. I think I get a lot of work done (solo game dev on my own), but I also re-organise my task list about every week too, does that make me a procrastinator? If I get stuck on a hard problem, I'll often browse the internet mindlessly, then come back and solve it. Does that make me a procrast…
I'm sorry but you just don't seem do know what you are talking about. I routinely can't do mundane task that would cost me a lot of trouble if I didn't do it, because it upset me. As say in the article, someone just telling me to do it has as much effect as someone telling me to cheer up when I was depressed. I do agree with you that is detrimental to label yourself anything and make it a self-fulfilling prophecy but a lot of what was said in this article resonate with my experience.
Re: Why Wait? the Science Behind Procrastination
#57Earlier quoted context omitted.
>Just do your work if you want the results. Quote from the article: "As I tell people, to tell the chronic procrastinator to just do it would be like saying to a clinically depressed person, cheer up."
To be fair, that poster sounds like the kind of person who would also tell a clinically depressed person to just cheer up.
That's a frustrating parallel you draw. I wouldn't tell a depressed person to cheer up. I've been depressed.
And I wouldn't tell an addict to just stop. I have friends who are addicts.
But I know that at the end of the day, if you want to fix either of these issues, you are the only person who can do something about it. It's difficult, but possible. Nobody else can stop drinking for you, or fix your depression for you. Sure you can try rehab and antidepressants, but at the end of the day you have to do it.
Same with procrastination. Except there's no pill for it, you just have to do it. I wouldn't say it in such a crude way to a friend, but the fact is, the friend is the only one who can fix his problem.
Re: Why Wait? the Science Behind Procrastination
#58The article was very well written article and I can closely relate it with my situation. I also loved reading each one of the comments there and here on HN in a hope to find some solution which is working for him or her. But There are many people just like me who wish to find solution and don’t know what to do.
Finally, I took one step to form a slack community to win over our procrastination problem. You can get invite for your self at https://letswinnow.herokuapp.com/ .Being a shit procrastinator, I put in time to deploy it and did it before any other task. I hope, at least someone of you will join it and we’ll together try to help ourselves to fight with this. Hope to see you on Lets win now!
Re: Why Wait? the Science Behind Procrastination
#59This article is right on many points. But, I think it does not do justice in characterizing the application of Temporal Motivation Theory (TMT), Expectancy Theory, Cumulative Prospect Theory to procrastination - by Steel and others at various points in time - as "Time management" in one broad stroke.
The behavioral economic school of thought clearly implies -explicitly and indirectly - the role of emotions and moods in procrastination.
Take for instance, in the TMT equation,[1][2] the concept of
- "Value": This is more of how much you see value in that activity, how interesting or engaging that is to "you", how pleasurable it is, How rewarding that activity is, etc., The selection of the activity is heavily influenced by what looks pleasurable and rewarding to you.
- "Impulsiveness": This is similar to the "Emotional regulation" or "self-control" in the psychologists' approach. If you are in a good and/or stable mood, chances are that, you would have more control over your Emotions and thus less distraction.
The "economic theory", apart from the "Temporal" aspect, also stresses on the "impulsive" and "pleasure" components in the equation.
Also, in the analysis, the analysts from the behavioral economic point of view also recommend "to break the activities into smaller chunks", "have conquerable smaller activities with local deadlines" etc., similar to the psychologists' approach.
I think that the psychologists' point of view is well taken, with the "mood control"/"emotional regulation" point being emphasized. But, at the same time, the behavioral economic point view is not only about "Time Management".
[1] http://lesswrong.com/lw/3w3/how_to_beat_procrastination/ [2]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temporal_motivation_theory
Re: Why Wait? the Science Behind Procrastination
#60I am a remote worker and suffer from chronic procrastination. This is a great article but I believe procrastination is an addiction. At times I feel like a compulsive alcoholic who sneaks off to do fun things all day instead of working. I have procrastinated as a student and my entire career and have always gotten away with it. I've been rewarded with praise of my great work, higher paying positions, and bonuses. I f…
> I find myself enjoying waiting until the last minute and then using stress to help me succeed.
It is far too easy to get used to this feeling. Wish it wasn't...