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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

#231

Post by tripzilch »

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.

Totally. And I find it already helps tremendously to think and come up with the first/next action to start working. Sometimes, I need the first two, but any more again ends up in procrastination land. Unless the entire plan just crystallizes like that, in which case it was probably something else holding me back.

Re: Tricks to start working despite not feeling like it

#232

Post by cgriswald »

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 think the problem you have is that you don't know which 'you' is making the decisions. Let's call the 'tricking' you 'You' and the one you are tricking 'Body-You'. Then here is how the conversation goes:

You: "Time to get up and run."

Body-You: "Oh hell no. I'm tired. Plus we did a good job yesterday. And we have a lot to do today. Also, we don't want to over do it do we?"

You: (sighs) "Fine. Let's at least walk for 30 minutes."

Body-You (sighs): "Ugh. Fine."

10 minutes of walking pass.

Body-You: "This feels great! Let's run."

You: "Okay."

...

First notice that You said, "at least." You is not lying. If, at minute 30, Body-You is like "Ugh, still no," You can capitulate.

Second, notice that it is Body-You that makes the decision to turn it into a run. In your version, Body-You never gets what it wants. Both times You has to control the situation. The first time, to start the run, the second time, to enforce a more-or-less arbitrary contract for the sake of the contract, even though both parties want a new contract.

Re: Tricks to start working despite not feeling like it

#233

Post by tayo42 »

matwood wrote: post #159
digitalsushi wrote: post #143

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wish I had this written down somewhere, but I don't; perhaps it's well known enough that someone else can correct my mediocre paraphrasing: A Marine once told a civilian that everyone is programmed to believe their 80% remaining is their 0% remaining, and the courageous work of realizing that limitation is what unlocks the extreme feats that someone so well physically and mentally conditioned can undergo. I'm not m…

In general people have way more capacity than they believe. Our worlds are built around immediate, short term gratification. I find that doing something everyday that's uncomfortable helps me stay out of the short term gratification trap. Getting up early when the alarm goes off, exercising, intermittent fasting, BJJ, are all things that at times are hard and uncomfortable, but they are a constant reminder of the cap…

If getting up early means not getting a full night of sleep isn't that unhealthy? Not sure that should be encouraged

Re: Tricks to start working despite not feeling like it

#234

Post by lazyjones »

blaser-waffle wrote: post #211
lazyjones wrote: post #208

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Fitness routines and work are not the same thing. The former is IMHO pretty much a pointless waste of time (nothing bad will happen if you skip one day) and work usually just needs to be done eventually or there are serious consequences. The former thus needs self deception, while the latter just requires realization/visualization of its necessity and of the dire consequences.

> Fitness routines and work are not the same thing. The former is IMHO pretty much a pointless waste of time > lazyjones Ya'll gonna take fitness advice from the lazy guy?

Wow, that's some low effort post... I'm not lazy and I exercise when I need to wait/kill time or when I feel like it (e.g. I run instead of walking somewhere), I don't wastefully allocate extra time for it.

Re: Tricks to start working despite not feeling like it

#235

Post by pushpop »

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’ve not heard of that perspective before however I’m not going to discount what you’re saying because everyone’s psychology is different.

For what it’s worth, most people I know feel pride and a sense of accomplishment if they’ve found motivation to do more than they promised themselves. But as I said, everyone’s psychology is different.

Re: Tricks to start working despite not feeling like it

#236

Post by lazyjones »

dfsegoat wrote: post #229
lazyjones wrote: post #208

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Fitness routines and work are not the same thing. The former is IMHO pretty much a pointless waste of time (nothing bad will happen if you skip one day) and work usually just needs to be done eventually or there are serious consequences. The former thus needs self deception, while the latter just requires realization/visualization of its necessity and of the dire consequences.

Your argument is a bit contradictory: I can skip one day of work just like I can skip 1 workout ("nothing bad will happen"). However, I am pretty sure there are dire/severe consequences to not maintaining your physical health over time [1], just like there are if you do not perform at work. 1 - https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/about-physical-activity...

If nothing happens when you skip one day of work, perhaps you should work less or be fired. In important jobs, not working stalls processes and sometimes even endangers lives.

Re: Tricks to start working despite not feeling like it

#237

Post by moretai »

keiferski wrote: post #87

I have a nagging feeling that any time we have to force ourselves to do a task, something is wrong at a fundamental level; that we are somehow out-of-tune with nature; that contemporary society is missing a key insight about our minds and the way we organize our work. An eagle doesn't force itself to hunt for food; it just hunts. I can't imagine it having to psych itself up simply to be. Looking for and harnessing th…

It's the system man

Re: Tricks to start working despite not feeling like it

#238

Post by moretai »

flyGuyOnTheSly wrote: post #223

I shot out of bed for the 5th morning in a row today to make it to Mysore style yoga class at 6am. I was tired and hungry. I had to pick up my better half from the airport last night at 2am because her flight was delayed. I was nervous that I wouldn't remember the standing sequence for the 5th time in a row. I lost my chant card already that I was just given yesterday... I had every excuse in the book not to go, but…

If you can manage to do it everyday in a row for 5 months, then we shall see the truth of those last two statements.

Re: Tricks to start working despite not feeling like it

#239

Post by goobynight »

heinrichhartman wrote: post #186
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.

I'll go ahead and fire off a recommendation to find a muay thai gym that has dedicated conditioning classes and some cool people. I wish I would have discovered it 10 years earlier when I started running cross country.

Running, for me, was the Runescape of sports. Very grindy, with very little room for me to use my mind.

Re: Tricks to start working despite not feeling like it

#240

Post by goobynight »

zytek wrote: post #53
newqer wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When my brain is running idle, my hands autonomously type "Hacker News" in the address bar of my browser.

More like cmd+l (address bar), n (autocompletes to news.ycombinator.com), enter. At least I'm getting efficient at bad habits ;-)

I'm also a cmd+l -> n -> enter guy
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