Live data from Hacker News

Structured Procrastination (1995)

structuredprocrastination.com

1–10 of 167 posts

Re: Structured Procrastination (1995)

#2
I think basically everyone with ADHD discovers this eventually; e.g.,

> Sympathetic Procrastination Rotor: a technique for Time and Task Management.

> To aid in the fight against procrastination, arrange all of your tasks in a cycle, such that the natural opportunity for procrastination is always another task on the roadmap. In this essay I will

https://x.com/jmclulow/status/1390544792946237442

Re: Structured Procrastination (1995)

#5
post #3

I started writing a book as a form of procrastination, and after I had written the first (exceptionally bad) draft, suddenly finishing that book rose to the top of the list. Haven't worked on it since.

This is a trick I use: Never release a finished product. All of my releases are WIPs. I feel like Zeno’s Software Engineer.

Re: Structured Procrastination (1995)

#6
> Procrastinators often follow exactly the wrong tack. They try to minimize their commitments, assuming that if they have only a few things to do, they will quit procrastinating and get them done. But this goes contrary to the basic nature of the procrastinator and destroys his most important source of motivation.

This is also true from my observations but what this writing misses is another much more crucial aspect: People with severe, general procrastination problems have a high chance of having (usually undiagnosed) AD(H)D. This is a neurobiological disorder (more precisely, a spectrum), not something you can trick away by reading self-help books/writings. There is effective medication available for those patients.

Re: Structured Procrastination (1995)

#7
post #6

> Procrastinators often follow exactly the wrong tack. They try to minimize their commitments, assuming that if they have only a few things to do, they will quit procrastinating and get them done. But this goes contrary to the basic nature of the procrastinator and destroys his most important source of motivation. This is also true from my observations but what this writing misses is another much more crucial aspect:…

As far as I can tell, ADHD exists on a spectrum. And treatment is also multi-faceted. Meaning you might want to take your ADHD meds and do whatever exercises your shrink suggests, and in addition see whatever self-help essays work for you, etc.

Re: Structured Procrastination (1995)

#8
post #5
post #3

I started writing a book as a form of procrastination, and after I had written the first (exceptionally bad) draft, suddenly finishing that book rose to the top of the list. Haven't worked on it since.

This is a trick I use: Never release a finished product. All of my releases are WIPs. I feel like Zeno’s Software Engineer.

You better never learn about limits.

Re: Structured Procrastination (1995)

#9
post #6

> Procrastinators often follow exactly the wrong tack. They try to minimize their commitments, assuming that if they have only a few things to do, they will quit procrastinating and get them done. But this goes contrary to the basic nature of the procrastinator and destroys his most important source of motivation. This is also true from my observations but what this writing misses is another much more crucial aspect:…

As exactly you pointed it out, it is a spectrum. Therefore some things work for some people, while not for others.

Not everyone should take amphetamines to be more productive.

Re: Structured Procrastination (1995)

#10
post #7
post #6

> Procrastinators often follow exactly the wrong tack. They try to minimize their commitments, assuming that if they have only a few things to do, they will quit procrastinating and get them done. But this goes contrary to the basic nature of the procrastinator and destroys his most important source of motivation. This is also true from my observations but what this writing misses is another much more crucial aspect:…

As far as I can tell, ADHD exists on a spectrum. And treatment is also multi-faceted. Meaning you might want to take your ADHD meds and do whatever exercises your shrink suggests, and in addition see whatever self-help essays work for you, etc.

You're right but being medicated is usually the first step. The starting line so to say from which you can then explore various other methods and see what can help mitigate symptoms
Post reply on HN