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Procrastination should be solved by lighting fires, not filling buckets

visakanv.com

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Re: Procrastination should be solved by lighting fires, not filling buckets

#41

Post by goshx »

bentcorner wrote: post #28
boldpanda wrote: post #25

Hey visakanv, If I can show you a viable solution today will you pay me $100 as you claim in your blog post? I have a viable solution for you, but I bet you won't pay. 1 - Sign up for Gmail. It's free. 2 - Open Google Calendar. 3 - Click Create 4 - Add your motivational prompt in the 'Untitle event' field. For example, the one I'm using is "Ryan, you will die someday. Are you doing exactly what you should be doing ri…

The problem with this (and similar things like the "what did you do today?" emails) is that you eventually start filtering them out and ignoring them. I'm a bad procrastinator, my bad habits have trained me to crave novelty in a bad way.

I thought about the same thing. Maybe the "solution" is to make something that behaves differently every day, so you are always caught by surprise and can't ignore it.

Re: Procrastination should be solved by lighting fires, not filling buckets

#42

Post by bendoernberg »

Leepic wrote: post #33
jasonlotito wrote: post #11

This is just a friendly reminder that if you would describe yourself as a procrastinator, it might be something more. If you've always been one, if you want to do things, but can never do it, it could be a sign. ADHD is a real problem, and has real solutions (and those solutions aren't all addictive). If you feel like you are always running behind, always trying to catch up. If anyone says you are a great developer,…

The moment I finished reading OP's blog post I felt like I wrote it. However, for my case, I have some doubts about the ADHD claim. For starters, I managed to play a new videogame for unhealthy amounts of time the last 2 weeks with such dedication. We're talking about waking up to turn on the PC and look what I have to achieve in the game for today then get it done. I never felt like something would make me get up ot…

Hyperfocus: How to Control and Harness Your ADHD http://www.additudemag.com/adhd-web/article/5007.html

Re: Procrastination should be solved by lighting fires, not filling buckets

#43

Post by jasonlotito »

addthrowaway wrote: post #32
jasonlotito wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Do you find that your creativity is stifled, or that your personality is very subdued because of the meds? Not at all. I am still me. > Do you take weekends off the meds to be yourself? No. I can be myself and still take the medication. > I remember feeling like on meds I was an alternate personality - a different version of myself that I never felt comfortable as. There are different types of medications. The only…

Would you mind sharing the medication you're using? I've been prescribed various dosages/releases of both Ritalin and Adderall, and they both affected me in the same way. By the way, thanks for your posts here - they've been helpful.

Sure. Strattera.

http://www.strattera.com

And yes, both Ritalin and Adderall both made me nervous because of what I'd heard.

Re: Procrastination should be solved by lighting fires, not filling buckets

#44

Post by [deleted] »

bendoernberg wrote: post #42
Leepic wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The moment I finished reading OP's blog post I felt like I wrote it. However, for my case, I have some doubts about the ADHD claim. For starters, I managed to play a new videogame for unhealthy amounts of time the last 2 weeks with such dedication. We're talking about waking up to turn on the PC and look what I have to achieve in the game for today then get it done. I never felt like something would make me get up ot…

Hyperfocus: How to Control and Harness Your ADHD http://www.additudemag.com/adhd-web/article/5007.html

[deleted]

Re: Procrastination should be solved by lighting fires, not filling buckets

#45

Post by thomaslangston »

Echoing what others here have said, I found professional ADD or ADHD diagnosis and treatment to be helpful.

As far as a repeating reminder/logging system, I glued together a Google calendar with multiple daily repeating events separated at 30 minute intervals and 5 minute SMS reminders. This gives me an automated Pomodoro clock as well as a place for prompts.

I've pushed this farther by setting the calendar event titles as bit.ly links to a Google Docs form backed by a Google Docs spreadsheet. The form has a single radio button form question letting me log what I'm doing at the end of my sprint.

I have not tried to use this to improve my behavior yet, but I do now have a decent log of activity to use as a baseline when I try something new and want to measure it's effectiveness.

Re: Procrastination should be solved by lighting fires, not filling buckets

#47

Post by Leepic »

bendoernberg wrote: post #42
Leepic wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The moment I finished reading OP's blog post I felt like I wrote it. However, for my case, I have some doubts about the ADHD claim. For starters, I managed to play a new videogame for unhealthy amounts of time the last 2 weeks with such dedication. We're talking about waking up to turn on the PC and look what I have to achieve in the game for today then get it done. I never felt like something would make me get up ot…

Hyperfocus: How to Control and Harness Your ADHD http://www.additudemag.com/adhd-web/article/5007.html

I would say "wow, this is totally my case" if it weren't for the 5-10 minute breaks every hour to stretch. Then again, the game has a clock on the UI to check frequently (right above the map) so there's that.

Re: Procrastination should be solved by lighting fires, not filling buckets

#48

Post by jasonlotito »

HowToAsk wrote: post #34
jasonlotito wrote: post #11

This is just a friendly reminder that if you would describe yourself as a procrastinator, it might be something more. If you've always been one, if you want to do things, but can never do it, it could be a sign. ADHD is a real problem, and has real solutions (and those solutions aren't all addictive). If you feel like you are always running behind, always trying to catch up. If anyone says you are a great developer,…

Honest question: How does one go about "getting checked"? What's the proper way to explain this to your doctor? What you described is pretty much exactly how I feel the majority of the time, and I've been meaning to go to a doctor to talk about it.. but a part of me keeps putting that off since I really have no idea how to properly describe the whole thing. I've been putting off making an appointment for close to a y…

> How does one go about "getting checked"? What's the proper way to explain this to your doctor?

So, I just had my wife search around for someone who could perform tests for OCD, and at the same time, decided to get checked for ADHD at the same time. So, I'm assuming she just did some Google searches for a private clinic. You could ask your doctor for a recommendation. I'd just flat out ask. "I'd like to get tested for ADHD. How do I go about doing that?"

They'll know the next step.

> but a part of me keeps putting that off since I really have no idea how to properly describe the whole thing

Don't worry about that. The tests aren't just you describing your feelings. You aren't a doctor, so don't try and diagnose yourself. I had an irrational fear that I might over compensate in one direction or another that would result in a misdiagnoses. =)

So, when you say you are going to make stuff up, you ignore the fact that doctors know about this. They don't just hand out the medication. You don't just go one time, and that's it. And they don't just listen to what you say. At least in my case, I had to take tests.

The best thing I can say is just be honest and you'll be fine.

Re: Procrastination should be solved by lighting fires, not filling buckets

#49

Post by jasonlotito »

kfk wrote: post #35
jasonlotito wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I am going to go stoic on this and say that if you are successful despite ADHD, then that's you and you just need to accept it. I do. It's just easier said than done.

True that. Part of the walk of life is learning dealing with ourselves.

It's been discussed before in my therapy sessions.

Which, if you'll forgive me, is odd to openly talk about therapy sessions. But honestly, the more I've thought about this, I've wished that others had been open about their conditions. It's nothing I should be ashamed of. There is a stigma about seeing a therapist, but their shouldn't be.

It's part of the reason I try to share my own stories about ADHD and OCD. I think it's something, especially in this industry, that people ignore or don't know about. ADHD is something for hyperactive kids, not adults! =)

Re: Procrastination should be solved by lighting fires, not filling buckets

#50

Post by throwaway_anon »

jasonlotito wrote: post #43
addthrowaway wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Would you mind sharing the medication you're using? I've been prescribed various dosages/releases of both Ritalin and Adderall, and they both affected me in the same way. By the way, thanks for your posts here - they've been helpful.

Sure. Strattera. http://www.strattera.com And yes, both Ritalin and Adderall both made me nervous because of what I'd heard.

If one exercises (treadmill) everyday intensely for 30 minutes. Do you think one can avoid medication?
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