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Procrastination is Not Laziness

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Re: Procrastination is Not Laziness

#41

Post by kinleyd »

ctbeiser wrote: post #10

"As I mentioned, on Monday I will begin... [a] direct attack on my procrastination problem." Does anyone else see the problem here?

The direct attack on procrastination... has been postponed until Monday. :)

I really liked the article, as I'm almost exactly like the way the op described himself. Hot proof: my tax returns were due 15 days ago and here I am, eagerly discussing the issue of procrastination. Much of the last two weeks was also spent watching the second leg of the Champions League football matches (ah, Barca, you recovered magnificently from a two goal deficit - well done!).

It's a really big problem.

There was another article recently on HN which I really liked [1]. I tried it. Yelling "You're an ANIMAL! You're an ANIMAL!" at myself as I perused my tax documentation. It hasn't worked yet and I've now scheduled another session. For Monday.

[1] http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20130313143038-54...

Re: Procrastination is Not Laziness

#43

Post by bitsoda »

"Don't wait until you feel like doing something"

That's the one sentence solution described by Oliver Burkeman that has remained in my Pinboard.

http://www.oliverburkeman.com/blog/posts/the-one-sentence-so...

This article describes procrastination as two demons you need to conquer: the first is doing the actual task, while the second is to get into a certain state of mind or mood that makes you want to do the task. By setting up two barriers to getting the task done, you're likely to procrastinate further.

The "just do it" mantra jettisons the "I need to feel like doing the task before I do the task" roadblock. What you'll find is that once you actually start working on your task, you're more likely to continue along merrily, wondering why you even resisted starting in the first place. This almost always works for me. Give it a shot.

Re: Procrastination is Not Laziness

#44

Post by graeme »

klochner wrote: post #35
pm90 wrote: post #3

"Once you lose track of the specific items that are causing you stress, you tend to regard it all as one big ugly entity that you want to avoid" This. I vividly remember when some problems got completely out of hand and my life turned downhill, this is exactly what it felt like. On shitty days, I tell myself, 'well, at least it wasn't as bad as that '

On a smaller scale, I often observe a general feeling of uneasiness without knowing why, and can usually trace it back to something I was thinking about in the most recent 10-20 minutes.

I get this too. I found if I trace the thoughts back, and write down briefly why I'm worried or upset, the feeling dissipates. Usually it's something trivial.

Re: Procrastination is Not Laziness

#47

Post by desireco42 »

nikatwork wrote: post #11

Interesting theory but I'm not sure it's the whole picture. Personally, while I definitely identify with the "fear of failure" personality trait, I find my procrastination is down to two things: depleted willpower and inertia. To help with willpower, I try to keep my home environment as tidy and organized as possible (which doesn't come naturally). There's not too much I can do about my dayjob other than minimize my…

I think you better expand this in blog post :) I really enjoyed OP post, but your comment is what genuinely I believe most people have as procrastination, it is normal and your way of handling it is very good.
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