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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

#251

Post by bogdanoff_2 »

bipson wrote: post #184
Valakas_ wrote: post #160

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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?

If it were the parent that said "now that you're at it, finish washing the rest of the dishes," then yes, the child would grow distrustful.

So the trick I guess is managing which part of your inner monologue is the child and which is the parent.

I've been experimenting with telling myself "now that I'm at the gym, I'm really enjoying it, I'm really grateful that you dragged me out."

Re: Tricks to start working despite not feeling like it

#252

Post by Invictus0 »

kitd wrote: post #66
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…

Agreed. I have found myself paralysed by procrastination at times (normally when whatever project I'm currently on has lost its initial zing). My strategy has become: Just do one task today, that's all. Doesn't matter how small. Leave the office feeling like you've done something productive. My thought process then becomes, OK, let's do my one task early then I can browse Reddit/HN/wherever. And of course, what happe…

> My strategy has become: Just do one task today, that's all. Doesn't matter how small. Leave the office feeling like you've done something productive.

I feel like this is just a way to make yourself feel better about doing basically nothing. Before you implemented this, were you really at risk of spending an entire day doing absolutely nothing productive whatsoever?

Re: Tricks to start working despite not feeling like it

#253

Post by LeftHandPath »

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…

It’s so amazing how making it easy to get started is basically priming your brain to complete the task.

I’ve gotten fit by hanging up a chin-up bar on a spare door frame. When I had a trainer, I was always amazed at what I could accomplish - even on days when I swore I felt dead in the morning - just by getting there and starting. I’ve gotten good at coding by keeping my IDEs of choice in the taskbar and working on small tasks during downtime. I study better and more often when I leave out my notebooks and calculator.

The lower you set the barrier to entry, for a given activity, the better a chance you give yourself to actually complete that activity later.

Re: Tricks to start working despite not feeling like it

#254

Post by tripzilch »

laurieg wrote: post #187
pritovido wrote: post #142

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

That sounds like me. No matter how hard I try, I just can't seem to get the time from wearing normal clothes to running to having showered and wearing normal clothes again, down to less than 2 hours if it just includes 25 minutes of running. Trying to do the "just one minute" approach when you don't feel like running, still becomes a "just 1h36" problem. Or indeed sometimes, quite randomly, worse.

Re: Tricks to start working despite not feeling like it

#255

Post by LeftHandPath »

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…

The verbal voice in your head is rationalizing. Don’t think. Just do.

(If you want a good resource that synthesizes a bunch of modern psychology research relating to that suggestion into a single, entertaining non-fiction book, see “Subliminal: How Your Unconscious Mind Rules Your Behavior” by Leonard Mlodinow [0]).

[0]: https://psychcentralreviews.com/2016/subliminal-how-your-unc...

Re: Tricks to start working despite not feeling like it

#256

Post by shartshooter »

kitd wrote: post #66
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…

Agreed. I have found myself paralysed by procrastination at times (normally when whatever project I'm currently on has lost its initial zing). My strategy has become: Just do one task today, that's all. Doesn't matter how small. Leave the office feeling like you've done something productive. My thought process then becomes, OK, let's do my one task early then I can browse Reddit/HN/wherever. And of course, what happe…

Atomic Habits[0] is a great book on this topic.

[0] - https://www.amazon.com/Atomic-Habits-Proven-Build-Break-eboo...

Re: Tricks to start working despite not feeling like it

#257

Post by summerdown2 »

nonameriot wrote: post #225
JonathanFly wrote: post #3

>Start sloppy >Another trick to start sloppy - you might have high expectations of your finished work. >You want to write a great book, not just a good one. Or create a stellar artwork, or start a great business. >All those expectations can put more pressure on you than you can bear, leading you to avoid it by procrastinating. >Instead, you can escape those expectations by starting deliberately badly. I use this one…

Does this mean that, for instance, if you're writing a novel, you start without a structured outline?

Many people do! This is the 'architect' vs 'gardener' debate. A lot of writers start out with the notion of a story, then let it develop in the writing. If I remember correctly, Stephen King writes this way.

Re: Tricks to start working despite not feeling like it

#258

Post by MadWombat »

monktastic1 wrote: post #244
MadWombat wrote: post #218

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> everyone is programmed to believe their 80% remaining is their 0% remaining Of course. When I do my reps in the gym, I know I could do more if someone put a gun to my head. I stop because I don't want to hurt myself, not because I cannot do anymore. When I feel sleepy in the evening, I am fully aware that I could go 48 more hours without sleep if I really needed to. But would it be a good idea? No, it would not be.…

> not because I cannot do anymore. Then it sounds like you don't actually believe you're at 0% remaining. What your parent is saying, and what I've observed myself, is that most people really believe they physically cannot (say) run any further.

> most people really believe they physically cannot (say) run

Do they? I would expect that when you "physically cannot run", it means you are collapsed in a pile on the ground unable to stand or move. People might say things like "I cannot run another step", but that is not the same as actually believing it. That said, unless you are very fit and very young, it might not be a good idea to get yourself to the point where you actually cannot run anymore. Unless there is a tiger chasing you or something.

Re: Tricks to start working despite not feeling like it

#259

Post by closeparen »

cirgue wrote: post #245
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…

I have never in my life regretted working out, but I regularly regret not working out. It is so weird to me that, despite hundreds of trials of this dynamic, by brain still hasn't totally internalized this lesson and I end up having to tell myself "dog it if you want to, just show up", then proceed to have a great time.

I regret running all the time. There are wild swings in the difficulty of doing the same run depending on weather, hours of sleep, time of day, what I’ve eaten, and apparently just random chance. Digestive system tends to be unhappy early in the morning, and the times I ignored its warnings and went out anyway were the most physically uncomfortable I’ve ever been.

The lifestyle discipline required to make running consistently tolerable is overall a good thing. But on days when I know conditions are going to make it miserable, I don’t go. I’m not in it for competitive greatness, I’m out there for an enjoyable and sustainable habit.

Re: Tricks to start working despite not feeling like it

#260

Post by tripzilch »

pritovido wrote: post #148
pritovido wrote: post #142

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

PS: Now , After you have already run for a minute, it will sound ridiculous not doing one more. The important thing is establishing the routine. Do not try too hard. If you do you will create pain and condition your body against it.

> PS: Now , After you have already run for a minute, it will sound ridiculous not doing one more.

Unless you don't work like that. Maybe I'm weird, but if I promised myself "just one minute" and I trick myself into doing more minutes, I'm going to remember that next time I'll tell myself "just one minute". I might say "just one minute and then see how you feel". But again, there shouldn't be anything ridiculous about it if I just do one minute, because who is being ridiculous next time they say "just one minute" ?

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