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How to stop procrastinating by using the Fogg Behavior Model

deprocrastination.co

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Re: How to stop procrastinating by using the Fogg Behavior Model

#271

Post by Aerroon »

georgespencer wrote: post #206
Aerroon wrote: post #187

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think #2 is actually great. Without this trigger things never got done for me. University taught me that failure is okay, which removed the trigger for me. End result was that things got even worse. I hope one day I'll be able to find a replacement for it.

> I think #2 is actually great. Remember that there are a range of intensities to all of these symptoms! A lot of people I know find that leaving things to the last minute can help them focus and they're good at assessing the time required to deliver something high quality. For me it results in disaster more often than not. > University taught me that failure is okay, which removed the trigger for me. End result was…

>Do you generally exhibit other symptoms consistent with others in this thread, or do you think it's just one area which you suffer in?

I think I exhibit pretty much all of them. From the chronic lateness to being unable to start doing something that doesn't interest me to being unable to put something down that does interest me. This was just the one thing that I didn't realize how useful it was until it stopped working for me. Sure, my work was shoddy compared to what it could've been and I could never feel pride in it, but at least I had something to show for it.

Re: How to stop procrastinating by using the Fogg Behavior Model

#272

Post by copperx »

im3w1l wrote: post #243
TeMPOraL wrote: post #200

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Feelings are complex. Personally, at any given time, I have two or three of sideprojects, videogames and TV shows I could focus on, each. But when I procrastinate, I end up reading HN or some subreddit or something similar, instead of coding my side projects or playing a game I've been waiting to play for the past year. I've traced that to feelings of guilt . I can't enjoy a videogame if I feel I'm only using it to e…

I'm kind of wondering if it's the brain's way of saying you should talk your problem over with other people. And HN is a sort of maladaptive (for various reasons) version of that.

At first your comment didn't make sense to me (why would it be an instinct to talk to people about our inner turmoil?), but it does make sense, because we procrastinate on mostly societal impositions (work, education, and other productive endeavors), and the way to negotiate ourselves out of them is by talking to the people making that imposition.

Re: How to stop procrastinating by using the Fogg Behavior Model

#273

Post by georgespencer »

Aerroon wrote: post #271
georgespencer wrote: post #206

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I think #2 is actually great. Remember that there are a range of intensities to all of these symptoms! A lot of people I know find that leaving things to the last minute can help them focus and they're good at assessing the time required to deliver something high quality. For me it results in disaster more often than not. > University taught me that failure is okay, which removed the trigger for me. End result was…

> Do you generally exhibit other symptoms consistent with others in this thread, or do you think it's just one area which you suffer in? I think I exhibit pretty much all of them. From the chronic lateness to being unable to start doing something that doesn't interest me to being unable to put something down that does interest me. This was just the one thing that I didn't realize how useful it was until it stopped wo…

You sound very similar to me in that respect. I found it a real grind and pretty demoralising in general. Is there anything I can give you comfort on regarding the process of speaking to a doctor or psychiatrist about it? Or is it something you feel is not having serious enough downsides in your life to warrant the time?

Re: How to stop procrastinating by using the Fogg Behavior Model

#275

Post by Aerroon »

georgespencer wrote: post #273
Aerroon wrote: post #271

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Do you generally exhibit other symptoms consistent with others in this thread, or do you think it's just one area which you suffer in? I think I exhibit pretty much all of them. From the chronic lateness to being unable to start doing something that doesn't interest me to being unable to put something down that does interest me. This was just the one thing that I didn't realize how useful it was until it stopped wo…

You sound very similar to me in that respect. I found it a real grind and pretty demoralising in general. Is there anything I can give you comfort on regarding the process of speaking to a doctor or psychiatrist about it? Or is it something you feel is not having serious enough downsides in your life to warrant the time?

I do think it has had a large negative impact on my life, but I've lacked insurance for the past couple of years and have been unable to see a psych. Things kind of spiraled away a couple of years ago. At the time I did see it coming and went to see a psych, but I had no idea what ADHD was. Was treated for depression, but obviously it made little difference. I did find out about ADHD at one point and realized it described me to a T, but I had an old psychiatrist at the time who essentially said that only kids have ADHD (I'm from a former Soviet state so that might've been the prevailing knowledge at the time). Eventually when I get insurance again I'll try to see one. But thank you for the thought.

The main thing is that I'm just not sure how much of it is ADHD and how much laziness or something else. It just seems like all of the things ascribed to ADHD could come from other things.

Re: How to stop procrastinating by using the Fogg Behavior Model

#276

Post by kkylin »

benibela wrote: post #265
kkylin wrote: post #173

I think this is in general quite insightful, but I want to pick one nit (in reaction to "A professor doesn't tell you when to..."): having advised a number of PhD students (in applied math), I think one of the most important parts of the job of an advisor is to coach. That is, help students make decisions, set timelines, figure out when to do what. Most students who get this far are capable of solving well-posed, tex…

My biggest problem is writing/presenting efficiently. Usually I spend several hours on a single paragraph or beamer slide. Today I spend all my time preparing my defense presentation (besides social media), but only made drafts for two slides. And my advisor is also very busy. He says he will write the introduction for a paper and then finds no time to finish it

The making of slides (or sentences in a paper) gets easier with practice. The advisor or collaborator or you yourself being too busy is, unfortunately, not something that gets better with time. The most important thing is learning to say "no" to new responsibilities without becoming an irresponsible member of whatever organization (university, research lab, etc) you find yourself in. It's a balancing act.

Re: How to stop procrastinating by using the Fogg Behavior Model

#277

Post by cylentwolf »

balfirevic wrote: post #70
vitabenes wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I used to be a pro, but blocking out distractions (the easiest, most "fun" activity) helped me do more. I know you didn't ask for advice, but if I were to give you just 1 bit of it, it's to block distractions in the browser (or unplug wifi) and put your phone in another room. Then you'd get bored for a while, and then you'd take the easy work-related actions despite not being motivated.

> I know you didn't ask for advice No worries, I appreciate it anyway. > it's to block distractions in the browser (or unplug wifi) and put your phone in another room Good advice, agreed - few months ago I started using two separate Windows accounts where I block all distracting sites on one of them. It's not perfect but does help. I still find it a bit too easy to just switch accounts. What I'm going to try next is…

I have found it helps if I put an entry into hosts file for 127.0.0.1 for all the sites that I waste time on. Eventually I will go back in and update it when I feel I have caught up but it gives me a reminder when I can't go to the sites at all.

Re: How to stop procrastinating by using the Fogg Behavior Model

#278

Post by 2squirrels »

jw1224 wrote: post #132
georgespencer wrote: post #25

It’s clearly not the case for everyone, but I struggled for an extended period of time with a few things in my personal and professional life: 1. Remarkable focus in topics which interest me and remarkable lack of focus in topics which do not. 2. Leaving “must do” tasks in areas of little interest until the very last moment, resulting in a predictable lack of excellence in execution. 3. Periodic deep dives into topic…

Whilst furloughed from my job during lockdown, I found myself bouncing off the walls at home consistently enough to finally seek out the ADHD diagnosis I’ve always suspected. I’m 29 years old, and one of my earliest memories is of my parents (lovingly) threatening to put an electric fence around my seat at the dinner table. I’d be up and down like a yo-yo after each mouthful. For the last 5 years, “my friend” has bee…

I got diagnosed at 29 also and had almost an identical experience to yours and the person above you. I often think of what a difference it would have made to know earlier (in so many ways).

>>Life is too short to waste time fighting against yourself

Str8 facts

Re: How to stop procrastinating by using the Fogg Behavior Model

#279

Post by 2squirrels »

anon9001 wrote: post #49
non-entity wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ok serious question: Every one of these points is very applicable to me, especially 1,2 and 3. I haven't been to a doctor in years outside occasional emergency trips. How do you bring this up without seriously. I don't want to come off as the guy who compulsively self diagnoses based off what they read on the internet.

No problem, serious answer: This is the DSMV criteria: https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/diagnosis.html Doctors are typically screening with a quiz that looks something like this: https://psychcentral.com/quizzes/adhd-quiz/ It's perfectly reasonable to say "I think I may have ADHD based on what I've read online, my symptoms match and people who know me have suggested I try adderall". Some doctors are fine with letting…

Very well put. My primary care doctor was happy to prescribe at the recommendation of my psychologist. When I spoke to my psychologist initially, I took the approach you mentioned about suspecting I had it based on the symptoms and what others around me had told me.

Re: How to stop procrastinating by using the Fogg Behavior Model

#280

Post by 2squirrels »

projektfu wrote: post #160
anon9001 wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No problem, serious answer: This is the DSMV criteria: https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/diagnosis.html Doctors are typically screening with a quiz that looks something like this: https://psychcentral.com/quizzes/adhd-quiz/ It's perfectly reasonable to say "I think I may have ADHD based on what I've read online, my symptoms match and people who know me have suggested I try adderall". Some doctors are fine with letting…

I know it’s splitting a hair but I didn’t find Effexor addictive. The withdrawal symptoms are terrible. But they motivate you to kill yourself, not take another pill. I never wanted to take two pills or increase my frequency. I would often forget to take one. So I don’t consider it addictive. For reference, I’ve been addicted to cigarettes and alcohol before.

I think that is what is being said. Effexor is not addictive in the ‘traditional’ sense addictive drugs are, but you’re brain and body become dependent on them in ways you don’t realize until you’re trying to come off of them. And because it is a process to find the right medication, you don’t want to be starting and stopping those kinds of medications over and over. A stimulant may be seen as more addictive (due to the potential for abuse / dopamine release), but starting Ritalin then switching to adderall, then say vyvanse, is a less invasive process than starting Effexor then coming off and switching to Wellbutrin etc
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