I've had similar, fleeting thoughts brewing for a while. Seeing this stated together like this crystallized it. Thanks for sharing.
Dear procrastinator
81–90 of 146 posts
Re: Dear procrastinator
#82I'm sorry to disagree, but I do. My own battle with procrastination is completely due to laziness. No one likes to do difficult things, and sometimes even things we kind of enjoy. The reality is that we, as humans, never procrastinate when we really, really want something. Not once in my life did I have to "trick" myself into playing a video game a few extra minutes or watch a big basketball game. In short, we accomp…
Silverbax, thanks for your comment. What makes you really want to play a video game and dislike doing the dishes? Is it something objective about the thing to be done, or does it have to do with your mental framing of the task at hand? I feel it is the latter. A friend of mine reviews video games professionally, and he procrastinates on playing games. I think it's because he is told to play games. An authority figure…
Edo,
You ever practiced something like Tai Chi?
Re: Dear procrastinator
#83I think that procrastinating is beliving there is an easier way to reach your real goals. If your real goal is to enjoy and do nothing procrastinating is the right way to go.
Re: Dear procrastinator
#84Re: Dear procrastinator
#85I'll finish reading this article later.
Re: Dear procrastinator
#86Dear Edo,
Since you directly addressed me,
thanks for the insight. Do share more.
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Cheers.
10
Re: Dear procrastinator
#87Earlier quoted context omitted.
You have surrendered to the ideology of laziness. But there is no such thing. The energy enters you, you transform it and then you use the transformed energy to suit your needs. In this chain, something is broken. People tend simplify this by calling it laziness when they need to put a tag on someone they don't like. But the real reason for you inability to accomplish tasks at hand is that something in the chain I ha…
No, again, it's completely because humans have a desire to avoid things that are not considered interesting. We must get our kids to school on time, so we push ourselves to get up early, get them ready, and either drive them to school or get them to the bus stop. What all of us would rather do is read, or play games, or watch TV. Laziness is part of our human makeup, and our success in combating it makes the differen…
You actually don't "have to" do any of that. If you don't wake up early tomorrow or take your kids to school, you will not be hauled off to jail and the world will still go on.
What you're really doing, if you stop and think about it, is making a deliberate choice - between the cost/benefit of sleeping in and taking it easy, and the cost/benefit of employment/income/future of your children. You may not think of it as a choice, but it is. Plenty of people decide its not worth it, and don't take their kids to school or hold a job. For you, the inconvenience of your morning is offset by the value of a more secure future.
So when you say you "have to" do these things, that's false. I wouldn't even call it "pushing" yourself. You actually want to do it, because you value it on some level. The fact that its not pleasurable or emotionally exciting doesn't even enter into the equation of deciding.
Re: Dear procrastinator
#88There is not a singular cause for procrastination. I've mentioned it many times on HN, but I think it's again relevant to recommend "Procrastination" by Burka & Yuen.[1]
Half the book is spent helping you investigate the root cause or causes of your procrastination, which can include fear about control (losing OR gaining it), as well as fear of success, fear of failure, fear of separation, fear of attachment. They discuss the influence of family and culture, gender, and the role of ADD & executive dysfunction.
The second half of the book is a practical guide to coping with your procrastination and habitualizing better behaviors.
If you're serious about procrastination, my only advice is to listen to the experimentally & research-backed psychiatrists.
[1] http://www.amazon.com/Procrastination-Why-You-What-About/dp/...
Re: Dear procrastinator
#89Just got done reading "The Now Habit", and the book concurs with this prognosis. The book also suggest several ways to tackle these issues that cause procrastination. Anybody have any recommendations/pitfalls from "The Now Habit"?
Re: Dear procrastinator
#90I'll finish reading this article later.
I actually won't reach this comment without searching. I was going to read the whole thing later.