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Ask HN: I'm a chronic procrastinator – how do I break it?

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Re: Ask HN: I'm a chronic procrastinator – how do I break it?

#221

Post by procastatron »

michaelfeathers wrote: post #175

If you need to build up willpower to do things, you should be doing different things. Find what you want to do. You still may have a problem with procrastination, but at least you'll be getting things done in a realm that matters to you at a deep level. The thing about "I could be changing the world" is more complex. That is one hell of a monkey to put on your back. What are your hobbies? What do you really enjoy doi…

When I have no obligations, I just sit around all day and watch TV until I get a headache.

Than I usually sleep a lot and eventually I end up either writing, coding, or masturbating.

Re: Ask HN: I'm a chronic procrastinator – how do I break it?

#223

Post by procastatron »

TheZenPsycho wrote: post #208
procastatron wrote: post #196

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is my biggest fear. Having the same problems now at 40. I look at my dad and as much as I swore I'd never let myself have his same work ethic (push hard, than go at 1/4 pace for 90% of the time). Reality is that I'm worse than I've ever seen him right now. I can go for a few days without doing a single git commit. I have a team under me that makes it look to my superiors as if shit is getting done. And when I ne…

A therapist can be a great help. There's lots of other things that can help. You'll get a lot of advice in this thread. Just to throw this out there, in case nobody has mentioned it, I cannot emphasise enough the importance of sleep for mental health, anxiety, and procrastination. You can do a lot of stuff, and mostly it will be ineffective unless you have the solid 8 hours every day as your foundation.

Have more sex is easier said than done...

Also, I'm definitely going to get a therapist after this. Looked around and found some area ones. I'll make an appointment "later" :)

Re: Ask HN: I'm a chronic procrastinator – how do I break it?

#224

Post by fusiongyro »

procastatron wrote: post #219
fusiongyro wrote: post #52

Your work seems to think that they're getting more than $130K of value for the $130K they pay you. Why does it matter if it takes you 3 hours to do that and not 8? Of course your employer would like you to believe you're defrauding them because they'd rather get $260K of value out of you instead of, say, $150K, but if you're not fired over it, the arrangement is working for them. Every employer in this country would…

I usually am at the office for 80+ hours a week. It could be burn out, but even when I reduce down to 40 hours I basically cut everything I accomplish in half. Somehow my brain realizes what I'm doing and I procrastinate just as much. I have realized some other effects from burnout, but I think this procrastination issue is something different entirely

I'm surprised by that, but obviously you know you better than I do. Burnout takes a long time to recover from.

If you get nothing else from my remarks, at least consider the possibility that the real problem isn't procrastination, it's that you're too hard on yourself.

Re: Ask HN: I'm a chronic procrastinator – how do I break it?

#225

Post by procastatron »

skue wrote: post #194

The fact that this has been going on for years, and that you feel the procrastination is holding you back from your full potential does sound like it could be ADHD, as others have mentioned. Also, ADHD tends to run in families. So if your dad is the same way... Most people associate ADHD with kids who struggle in school. But highly intelligent people can have it too. It still holds them back from reaching their poten…

I saw a school psych when I was in college and all it really did was piss me off.

The guy spent 30 minutes asking me these types of questions except even more generic and then afterwards said "Yep, you have ADD".

I hardly talked about myself and the way he phrased the questions made it super easy to say yes to all of them. He wrote me a prescription and I never got it filled because of how little I felt he actually had done. I've taken all kinds of ADD medicine from friends, etc but somehow getting a prescription from what seemed like a bullshit therapy session made me stop taking ADD drugs altogether.

If you read some of my other comments, when I take adderall, ritalin, daytrana etc I end up just being more focused in my procrastination. It's like my brain says, "I know what you're doing drug, and I'm going to fuck with you"

Re: Ask HN: I'm a chronic procrastinator – how do I break it?

#226

Post by TheZenPsycho »

procastatron wrote: post #196
danso wrote: post #192

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're projecting. The OP does not merely desire to work harder at his job, but at better using his gifts to help change the world and better himself in non-professional ways. I agree he's too young to be fretting about this like a mid-life crisis...but nothing wrong with desiring to move faster while young. It takes some foresight to realize that it's easier to change bad habits (and learn new good ones) at a young…

This is my biggest fear. Having the same problems now at 40. I look at my dad and as much as I swore I'd never let myself have his same work ethic (push hard, than go at 1/4 pace for 90% of the time). Reality is that I'm worse than I've ever seen him right now. I can go for a few days without doing a single git commit. I have a team under me that makes it look to my superiors as if shit is getting done. And when I ne…

OP on his deathbed: OH NO, THIS IS TERRIBLE, WHY DIDN'T I SPEND MORE TIME CODING AND HELPING MY BOSS GET RICHER?

Re: Ask HN: I'm a chronic procrastinator – how do I break it?

#227

Post by procastatron »

eatitraw wrote: post #205

The "Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy" book by David Burns is really good. Here is the link: http://amzn.com/B009UW5X4C Chances are that you're depressed, OP. And even if you're not, the book is related anyway: there is a chapter specifically on practical methods to beat procrastination. I personally get mixed results: sometimes these methods work, sometimes they don't -- though mostly because I fail to apply them…

I feel like I could have written this a few months ago. I tried something similar but then fell right back in my normal routine.

Not saying it won't work for you. I've just become very doubtful of all the "self help" methods as it's rare that I find long term evidence that it has changed people's lives permanently. I read on average, 1-2 self help books every week, I think they've helped me with certain areas of my life but overall it hasn't fixed the root problem.

Re: Ask HN: I'm a chronic procrastinator – how do I break it?

#228

Post by TheZenPsycho »

procastatron wrote: post #223
TheZenPsycho wrote: post #208

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A therapist can be a great help. There's lots of other things that can help. You'll get a lot of advice in this thread. Just to throw this out there, in case nobody has mentioned it, I cannot emphasise enough the importance of sleep for mental health, anxiety, and procrastination. You can do a lot of stuff, and mostly it will be ineffective unless you have the solid 8 hours every day as your foundation.

Have more sex is easier said than done... Also, I'm definitely going to get a therapist after this. Looked around and found some area ones. I'll make an appointment "later" :)

you make 130k, you have a whole team working under you, and you are 21 years old, and you have trouble getting laid.

That's it, this guy is a troll.

Re: Ask HN: I'm a chronic procrastinator – how do I break it?

#229

Post by procastatron »

fusiongyro wrote: post #224
procastatron wrote: post #219

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I usually am at the office for 80+ hours a week. It could be burn out, but even when I reduce down to 40 hours I basically cut everything I accomplish in half. Somehow my brain realizes what I'm doing and I procrastinate just as much. I have realized some other effects from burnout, but I think this procrastination issue is something different entirely

I'm surprised by that, but obviously you know you better than I do. Burnout takes a long time to recover from. If you get nothing else from my remarks, at least consider the possibility that the real problem isn't procrastination, it's that you're too hard on yourself.

I don't agree with that. I have programmers that come in and do a solid days work every single day. It might not be the best code, but I see them working on it all day long.

It sucks because even though I'm accomplishing as much work as they are, I can only do it for a few hours a day. I'm envious of their focus and ability to actually get shit done. If it wasn't for them, I probably would be fired. Although....even then, everyone else at this company loves me so much that I don't think they could fire me.

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