How do you stop procrastinating?

EssexMum · 2016-04-17T16:52:46+00:00

There's an online blog/website run by a woman who calls herself the Flylady. It's supposed to help us all feel more energetic about housecleaning. One of her mantras (which does work) is that you can do anything for 15 minutes. Start your task, then STOP after 15 minutes.

Another mind trick, I'm afraid - but I find it works for me (despite me still hating housecleaning and still getting someone in weekly for the help).

JinSantosAndria · 2016-04-17T16:29:09+00:00

How about you study something that is not related to procrastination? You seem to be good at studying, choose something that you want to focus in. If your daily stuff is more online based, try real-world stuff, and the other way around. Reduce your stuff and ability to procrastinate. Boredom will not solve it but the requirement to change yourself will. How's your bucket list doing? Are you fit enough to get to your deep diving experience in Sistema Dos Ojos in two weeks? Working on your diabetes? What's your goal anyway?

abcd_z · 2016-04-17T19:28:40+00:00

I swear by the book One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way. Basically, too many people think that the only way to improve is to take on large projects. The alternative, kaizen, is simply to take one small step at a time. And I mean ridiculously small steps. Don't try to jog for thirty minutes each day; march in place in front of the TV for one minute a day. Don't alter your entire diet to lose weight; just remove a single item from one of your daily meals. Such small changes won't get you to your goal right away, but that's not the point. What it does is set the stage for more small improvements later on down the road. One step becomes two, and before you know it you're well on your way to accomplishing your goal.

Remember: it's better to get a little bit of something done, rather than a lot of nothing.

Here's an excerpt from the book that goes into it in a little more detail.

7Fig · 2016-04-17T18:09:46+00:00

Take on the mentality of "do it now". Whenever you think of something that you should be doing, do it now.

Example: Oh I should do laundry sometime today... Once you have the thought take immediate action to take care of it right away. This will give you momentum.

The other side of procrastination is recognizing that it is a symptom of being unprepared and unorganized. Get a day planner and at the beginning of each day review and make a list of what needs to be done this week. Once you have a constant outlook on what needs to happen and when then you will be a proactive go-getter.

drqxx · 2016-04-17T21:43:36+00:00

Make everything you enjoy a reward.

I worked hard all day I went to the gym. I ate well. So at the end of the day around 10:00pm I smoke some herb I watch some shitty TV and its awesome. So you see all the thinks I want a rewards. However first I must do the hard work else I don't get the reward.

spacecase89 · 2016-04-17T23:07:45+00:00

I found my procrastination was reduced when I stopped drinking

seeing-red- · 2016-04-17T17:56:02+00:00

If you figure it out, let me know.

A lot of negative self talk in your post, which isn't going to help anything. Might as well accept who you are then try to make improvements.

Frigzy · 2016-04-17T19:34:18+00:00

Ok, so to beat procrastination you will need 2 crucial elements:

A single minded purpose and unyielding determination to progress. You will have to be convinced on a deeper level of the reason for doing what you want to be doing. You can convince yourself short term, but overall you want to known deep down that what you are doing is truly what you should be doing if you love yourself.

As long as you half ass your conviction, you will struggle to be determined about your purpose and about your progression. It can be done still, but it will be significantly harder and leave you with a lot less energy at the end of the ride.

However, significant and consistent progress in almost any field will result in boosting your will to proceed and your overall happiness and energy levels.

Second of all, you need to understand the basic concepts of willpower. You only have a limited supply each day and it starts ticking away the second you get up. Every time you have to make a decision, it gets drained. In other words, make sure that you minimize the amount of decisions you have to make that do not involve your task. Preferably you do not have to make any decisions whatsoever up to the point where you can start making progress. Starting to do it might pose itself as a decision you'd have to make, but this is exactly what you're preserving your willpower for. Blast through it and start working at it. Use any amount of willpower necessary. This is your single minded purpose. The rest is irrelevant if this single task is not completed. You will doubt yourself when you are confronted with having to start. You will notice yourself trying to back away or flee from the task at hand. Expend willpower to acknowledge this behavior and push through regardless. The more you conquer this aversion, the weaker it will become. The more you progress, the stronger your conviction and motivation will become.

The first few times are the hardest and most demanding for your willpower. Be prepared for this and be prepared to make this your utmost priority. Believe in yourself and your capacity to overcome your habitual mindset of aversion.

Meditation helps you become mindful of aversion thoughts and to accept and overcome them.

HOWEVER. It seems as if your habit of aversion is linked to a habit of searching new information. I call this information masturbation. This can easily grow into a sort of compulsive browsing where your brain is really only looking for a new shot of dopamine through new content. Become aware of this and realize that this will not in any way help you proceed. Quite the contrary. You may rationalize it as being informative, but as long as you are not acting, no information will ever help you in the way you need the most.

I hope this helped. If anything's unclear, ask away.

gives_heroin_to_kids · 2016-04-17T19:37:22+00:00

What are you procrastinating from doing?

This is going to sound condescending, but if I find myself being lazy (not doing something I don't want to do), I simply tell myself to stop being a pussy, sigh (if necessary), and get started. Getting started is step 1 anyway.

Don't think about what you want to do, think about what you want to finish.

muddynips · 2016-04-17T22:27:52+00:00

Give yourself some agency.

Life is just the shit that we choose to do

Every time you act in a way contrary to your goals, accept the fact that you could have chosen differently and didn't. You're right to assume that there is no magic solution, because this whole time you've been doing exactly what you intended. There is no phantom force at work here.

FieldLine · 2016-04-17T22:32:17+00:00

You find interesting things to keep you busy.

About a year ago I was watching an interview with Elon Musk in which he was asked where he gets the motivation to keep up his superhuman drive against all odds. His response: "There is no motivation. It's just... get it done."

You have to stop thinking about "going to the gym" or "talking to that pretty blonde" as something that requires effort. It's just something you do. You get up in the morning, you brush your teeth, right? You take a shower, if that's part of your morning routine. You don't think about it, you don't need motivation to do it, it's just part of the routine.

When you finish work you go to the gym. When there is a cutie standing behind you in line at the bank you talk to her. It's not like you're even making a conscious decision to do it - what else would you do? It's part of the routine.

Now, if you're doing everything you should be doing and you still have extra time then you need to find other things to keep you busy. Read a book. Learn to dance. The possibilities are endless. Whatever it is that you take on, make it part of the routine.

we_need_more_lumber · 2016-04-17T18:14:39+00:00

Get in habit of doing the painful thing, choosing the option that you don't want. Go against your nature which is telling you to be lazy because you have enough resources (food, shelter, sex [porn]). When you need to do something useful you have a choice between procrastinating, which is comfortable, or doing it, which is uncomfortable. Make it a habit, something you decide now that you will do from now on, to chose the more painful option. It's a matter of that one decision plus your logic which will let you understand every choice of action as a choice between comfortable and uncomfortable.

InformalCriticism · 2016-04-17T18:21:53+00:00

You're going to need to understand yourself better before you move forward.

My motivation fluctuates.

Sometimes it's harnessing fear for productivity. Often it's anger. Apathy will get you nowhere. You have to care about something, or even someone -- You might even need to start caring about yourself. The only thing that is going to get your ass in gear is when you want something. Now, if all you want to do is feel better about your procrastinating, that's more a mental issue that needs to be talked out with friends or medical professionals.

Hunter2isit · 2016-04-17T19:36:17+00:00

as you start to feed off of internal validation, not external validation (other people patting you on the back for something) you don't procrastinate anymore. Goals also help.

Get a poster board and write out your goals, nice and big, high contrast marker, tape that to the ceiling above your bed. You will be reminded every day, first and last thing you see. It will engrain in your brain and when your brain is idle (when the procrastination starts) you will be thinking about your goals.

Now I need to do my fucking taxes, speaking of procrastination.

Hecticchow · 2016-04-17T20:17:07+00:00

It's all a matter of habits and swapping a bad habit for a good one. Initially this requires a lot of willower. If you start making doing a little work each day a habit you will find that it becomes easier once it has become a habit. This process typically takes 2-3 weeks and then it is normal for your brain to work on a daily basis.

PantsonFire1234 · 2016-04-17T23:29:07+00:00

Personally I like to get really immersed with things I'm passionate about and I simply don't do anything else. So my jobs, study and hobbies are all overlapping interests. It works great because you get this whole synergy thing happening.

I still procrastinate but I try to be honest about it towards myself. Finding fun in everything you do is the key though. Then again your personality type might be different.

Boovs4life · 2016-04-18T03:12:35+00:00

Read a book called The Willpower Instinct by Kelly McGonigal. She goes into the science of why our brains make us put things off and weakens our willpower.

feminazis_stalk_me · 2016-04-18T06:59:12+00:00

I'll tell you tomorrow.

Snufek · 2016-04-22T17:43:55+00:00

A little bit late... Use 2 minutes rule. If there is something to be done, ask yourself:

Can it be done in 2 minutes?

If it can, do it right away. If it can't do only the first 2 minutes and later you will see if you want to continue or not. For example, put on running shoes and get out of your apartment. You can now decide if you want to go running or get back home.

Atheisticles · 2016-04-17T16:15:12+00:00

Whatever we tell you, you'll delay anyway. But the lack of money as a result of getting sacked from my job was the wake up call.

Let us know know more about your background, though I can imagine you're a fuckwit living with your parent's money.

Also try making a weekly calendar to your death. There was a tedX on this technique.

futuretrackstar · 2016-04-17T19:23:46+00:00

Realize that you will feel better after you get it done.

Now go. Just do it.

halfasser · 2016-04-17T21:42:11+00:00

What finally got me out of the slump (well, started to get me out of it) was having a couple things just come together.

I've been watching Wheezy Waiter for a couple months (just downtime - its lame but entertaining) and he's been working out/running everyday. It's spring time (in the far north) and I'm wanting to get outside more. Lastly, I choked in a restaurant a couple weeks ago. Was pretty fucking scary. I realized I had to start doing something, so I'm doing a novice marathon training program. Will I succeed? I don't care. Did I start? Yes!

My point is, surround yourself with people, things, notes, whatever, that remind you of what you want to get accomplished. At some point something will stick, you'll do something small, celebrate it, and you'll gain some momentum. It's really about getting rid of old habits and forming new ones. As others have said already, pick something trivially small, something you'd be embarrassed to tell someone about because it seems so inconsequential, then build on it, everyday, until it becomes consequential.

I also recommend you post the one thing you want to get done here and let us rip you apart if you don't get it done ;)

ljsjdoj009e9we · 2016-04-17T18:26:33+00:00

just do stuff

Title	How do you stop procrastinating?
Author	tehmarc
Upvotes	19
Comments	27
Date	April 17, 2016 4:05 PM UTC (10 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/askTRP
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/asktrp/comments/4f762j/how_do_you_stop_procrastinating/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/askTRP/how-do-you-stop-procrastinating.104085 https://theredarchive.com/post/104085

Comments

Make everything you enjoy a reward.