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Tricks to start working despite not feeling like it

deprocrastination.co

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Re: Tricks to start working despite not feeling like it

#181

Post by twic »

ramblerman wrote: post #37
Ma8ee wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't find it now, but I've read that anecdote is made up. And I don't think it make sense. Except for when you are an absolute beginner, you won't improve if you don't put in any effort in the quality of your work. See deliberate practice etc..

I think you are missing the forest for the trees. The point is to get over that mental hurdle of achieving perfection, which blocks a lot of people from getting started.

No, the point of this anecdote is that you get good at quality by pursuing quantity.

It's an appealing idea because it's counterintuitive, and here on HN were are absolute suckers for contrarian ways to outsmart the herd. But we have been given no reason to think it actually works.

Re: Tricks to start working despite not feeling like it

#182

Post by twic »

scrdhrt wrote: post #173

I apply the LT5 rule: If a task takes Less Than 5 minutes, do it now. This works really well for me because I can concat several LT5 tasks.

I often apply this rule, then find that the task actually takes half an hour, and now i'm two hours late for something.

Re: Tricks to start working despite not feeling like it

#184

Post by bipson »

Valakas_ wrote: post #160
e19293001 wrote: post #29

I'd like to share this post[0]: The last two weeks I made it a goal to run 5km every morning. A few times, particularly today, I felt lazy and run down, but I got out of bed anyway and told myself that I'll at least walk. The next thing I know I'm running and feeling amazing and on to set one of my better times. The point: When you tell yourself "just one more game" or "just one more post", or "just one more video" a…

For me that doesn't work because then I learn that "yeah you say just walking but we both know it will end up in running." What works instead is I promise I will walk. And then I actually only walk even if I feel like running. That way you will trust yourself. If I say "ok i go to the gym 30 mins. just for a quick training." Then even if I'm in the flow at minute 30, I stop and go home. Next time I remember that and…

Huh? You have a weird "relationship" with yourself.

I never did not trust myself anymore if I did more reps than I "promised" myself before.

Would a child ever grow distrust against her parents if she changes her mind and wants to do more dishes than initially asked for and they allow her to do it?

Re: Tricks to start working despite not feeling like it

#185

Post by maroonblazer »

Valakas_ wrote: post #160
e19293001 wrote: post #29

I'd like to share this post[0]: The last two weeks I made it a goal to run 5km every morning. A few times, particularly today, I felt lazy and run down, but I got out of bed anyway and told myself that I'll at least walk. The next thing I know I'm running and feeling amazing and on to set one of my better times. The point: When you tell yourself "just one more game" or "just one more post", or "just one more video" a…

For me that doesn't work because then I learn that "yeah you say just walking but we both know it will end up in running." What works instead is I promise I will walk. And then I actually only walk even if I feel like running. That way you will trust yourself. If I say "ok i go to the gym 30 mins. just for a quick training." Then even if I'm in the flow at minute 30, I stop and go home. Next time I remember that and…

I guess I'm in the middle. Sometimes "just walking" is actually just walking. Sometimes it turns into running. I have no expectations about where the initial push eventually leads, which makes it easier to take that initial push.

I prefer this approach as it ultimately results in a greater output than forcing myself to stop at some prior agreed point I made with myself but would now prefer to renegotiate.

Re: Tricks to start working despite not feeling like it

#186

Post by heinrichhartman »

e19293001 wrote: post #29

I'd like to share this post[0]: The last two weeks I made it a goal to run 5km every morning. A few times, particularly today, I felt lazy and run down, but I got out of bed anyway and told myself that I'll at least walk. The next thing I know I'm running and feeling amazing and on to set one of my better times. The point: When you tell yourself "just one more game" or "just one more post", or "just one more video" a…

In 2014, I ran 5km every morning. 356 days. I hated every single one of these runs. I did get better at it, but I did not end up enjoying it. Certainly was never "feeling amazing".

Eventually dropped the habbit. Now spending more time in the Gym and on the Bike.

Re: Tricks to start working despite not feeling like it

#187

Post by laurieg »

pritovido wrote: post #142
laurieg wrote: post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I like the idea and I'm glad it works for some people but I tried it and often I would get out the door with all my running gear on and then turn back around and give up. Something about thinking about it like this made it easier to give up.

Well, you didn't do it. I mean you did not start the activity. This trick works only when you have already started the activity. I suggest that next time you become serious about it: There is no way you could let yourself not doing the minimum activity BUT you can leave after you have done your minimum. For example: Your minimum activity is going out and running for a minute. You do it, period. Your mind will try to…

Thanks for the practical tips!

I should've expanded on my original comment a little more. I'm currently on a run streak of 130 consecutive days, including a motorcycle crash and international long haul flights.

One of the most frustrating things is I have no idea why I have managed it this time but not before.

The other failure mode I have is procrastinating leading up to the activity. Yesterday I woke up at 6am with the intention of going for a run like I had managed to do for the past 2 weeks. After much procrastination I finally managed to go at 3pm.

I think I've been quite successful over the years in doing exercise but the lack of insight into my habits and motivation is maddening....

Re: Tricks to start working despite not feeling like it

#188

Post by thorin »

danielbln wrote: post #63
tw1010 wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I used to be sceptical that the concept of overtraining was a thing, but it definitely is. Just saying that running every day consistently might not necessarily be good for you in the long run. Listen to your body.

Agreed, "listen to your body." is really important advice. I've been running every day without exception for 1252 days now, and there have been really slow, really short (2k) runs whenever I felt my body needed a bit more leeway for recovery. It takes some practice and it's not for everyone, but daily/streak running can be transformative (and was/is for me).

When people started talking about running every day, the first thing that came to mind was Ron Hill:

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/the-running-blog/20...

Re: Tricks to start working despite not feeling like it

#189

Post by bloopernova »

Scarblac wrote: post #130
yodsanklai wrote: post #123

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sometimes I have a really hard time to start working on some tasks and I think it is linked to anxiety and stress, not mere laziness . As long as there are no big expectations (like when exercising), I have usually no procrastination issues.

Sometimes I'm kicking myself that I should really start work on this now, and it doesn't work, and I get more and more anxious. Upon reflection (sometimes I get to that point sooner, sometimes later) the problem is usually that the task is too vaguely defined to start working on it.

Very apropos for me as I went to the doctor yesterday for increased anxiety about getting stuff done.

I was promoted to a team lead position in Autumn of 2019. Things went well, if hectic and stressful, for the first couple of months. But the slower period in December really did a number on my motivation and focus, and my anxiety kicked in big time.

Now I have a huge problem doing actual work, and so often get distracted into spending hours on technical, interesting tasks that aren't work related. It doesn't help that I have a million different interesting projects that I'd like to mess around with.

And the work to-do list gets longer, and longer. And my anxiety gets worse and worse.

I hope you find a solution to your issues. Good luck!

Re: Tricks to start working despite not feeling like it

#190

Post by reubenmorais »

klik99 wrote: post #73
onion2k wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe this works for potters but I don't think it'd work for developers. If a compSci lecturer suggested one group would get an A for writing a perfect, bug free app and the other group would get an A for writing 50,000 lines of code, I wouldn't expect the group writing as much code as they could to make the best app.

Knuth suggests, in TAOCP, that the best way to write a program is to write it once, scrap it completely and rewrite from scratch. Very much in line with spending an entire semester making one perfect program vs spending a semester writing and rewriting new programs from scratch.

I used this extensively for code assignments in university, but for a different reason. We had to do most things in C, which can be very painful for prototyping and experimenting with new approaches. So I would solve the problem first in Python, try different approaches, and then after I was happy with the solution I'd write it again in C. Saved me a lot of time in the end.
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