Dear procrastinator • Hacker News Board

Re: Dear procrastinator

#141

Post by jodrellblank » Tue, Aug 16, 2011, 6:34 PM UTC

orillian wrote: post #80

jodrellblank wrote: post #32

That doesn't seem to answer anything. If human beings procrastinate to feel in control, what of soldiers? They can be happy and fulfilled, work damn hard, and be only doing exactly what they are told. The next question, for you perhaps, is "what do you fear so much about the idea of not being in control of your life?"

A soldier is programmed to be the way they are, their lack of procrastination is beat into them as a response to fear, primarily the fear of death. Do what you’re told or your squad mates will die, your commanding officer will die, and by extension "you" will die. Death is one of the ultimate motivators. That said you get a soldier outside the army life and he finds ways and methods of procrastination that rival the…

I have always fought with procrastination, and it always has boiled down to feeling forced to do things. If something is not happening in the moment, if it’s not feel spontaneous then I balk at doing it.

That's no more an answer than saying if a painting is has too many chairs in it you balk at looking at it. Balking at not-spontaneous things is a description of what you do, but not why you do that behaviour, right?

that procrastination will flare into an outright rebellion against doing that “THING” that is “required” of me.

This is not explaining that you procrastinate because you feel controlled, this is observing that you feel controlled and observing that you procrastinate, both when (something unspecified) is the case.

Feeling controlled -> procrastination is not a link which must exist, is it? You can imagine people without that link, right?

Re: Dear procrastinator

#142

Post by __rkaup__ » Tue, Aug 16, 2011, 7:42 PM UTC

janjan wrote: post #115

Jem wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I grew up having to pull my weight. I'm one of 6 - it was just not possible for us all to get the attention we "deserved" without helping out. I was cooking meals at the age of 9 and helping out with the laundry shortly after. I cleaned my room, helped look after the pets, babysat younger siblings, etc. And yet I STILL hate having to wash clothes and cook for my family. I know that they need doing, but I too will oft…

> Stop looking for a cause Actually I stopped looking for the cause a few years ago because I found it ;) For me, finding the cause was very important, because for years I only knew what I did wrong but not why . I read a lot of books and articles about procrastination and never felt any connection to the explanations given there. Am I afraid of failure? Certainly not. am I presured from the outside into doing stuff…

How are you changing yourself, now that you know this?

Re: Dear procrastinator

#143

Post by samspot » Wed, Aug 17, 2011, 8:32 PM UTC

When I procrastinate, it is quite often a task I do want to accomplish for whatever reason. But I put it off because I'm tired, just don't feel like it, etc. The authority figure you refer to is the voice of wisdom telling me that if I don't go ahead and do it, I will regret it later (this figure is right 99% of the time).

My personality is a high 'C' (for compliance), meaning that I have an appreciation for authority. I think your original essay misses the fact that we all have different personalities and motivations.

Re: Dear procrastinator

#144

Post by mc32 » Thu, Aug 18, 2011, 4:28 AM UTC

jodrellblank wrote: post #136

mc32 wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think, for me, procrastination has to do with projecting complication into things. So, if I want to cook something new, I imagine needing to find the perfect recipe with the perfect ingredients, for example. But, then, there are times when I just decide to do it even if I'm missing ingredients or have not come across a recipe which makes sense to me. Powering thru. I think for the video game tester, if I were them,…

I think, for me, procrastination has to do with projecting complication into things. So, if I want to cook something new, I imagine needing to find the perfect recipe with the perfect ingredients, for example. Need to... or else what? Instead of forcing onwards, ask yourself why you don't want to go forwards...

Else fail. A kind of set up fear of failing, I guess.

Re: Dear procrastinator

#145

Post by jodrellblank » Mon, Aug 22, 2011, 2:27 AM UTC

mc32 wrote: post #144

jodrellblank wrote: post #136

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think, for me, procrastination has to do with projecting complication into things. So, if I want to cook something new, I imagine needing to find the perfect recipe with the perfect ingredients, for example. Need to... or else what? Instead of forcing onwards, ask yourself why you don't want to go forwards...

Else fail. A kind of set up fear of failing, I guess.

That doesn't go far enough to do any good as an answer. What happens after (or during, or because of) failing that you are afraid of. What is it about failing that you are afraid of?

(I'm not asking so you can tell me, I'm prodding you to ask yourself. To think "hey, I don't really know the answer to that. I wonder why I do feel this way?)

Re: Dear procrastinator

#146

Post by pattisapu » Fri, Aug 26, 2011, 7:55 AM UTC

polyfractal wrote: post #62

bgurupra wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Einstein is an extreme example of such a case - when I read his biography the thing that caught me as very interesting is that he was able to immerse himself in physics irrespective of all the problems in terms of not finding a job, his mothers bitter opposition to marrying his first wife etc.You can hardly trick yourself into such concentration.He must be the lucky few who find such deep interesting topics that life…

You could also argue that Einstein was procrastinating from dealing with the hardships in his life by immersing himself in physics. He was using physics as an escape from the troubles of his life (job, parents, etc). Not that it really matters, but it is useful to look at the situation in both lights. There have certainly been situations where I stopped procrastinating on one task because a newer, more unpleasant tas…

When asked how he simultaneously maintained a law practice; made groundbreaking discoveries in Proto-Indo-European linguistics; maintained fluency in 41 languages; translated many of the major works of Sanskrit literature into English for the first time; and wrote treatises on law, history, botany, poetry, geography, astronomy, and music, Sir William Jones replied: "A change in labour is a species of repose."