Help me defeat my greatest enemy: myself!

[DeadManSleeping]

Heya, Playground! A lot of you may find this coming challenge to be an interesting one, and perhaps even something relevant to your life. You see, my friends, and my acquaintances, and my complete strangers, I...am a procrastinator.

Now, a lot of you think this is a mildly harmful but pervasive component of most peoples' ordinary lives, much like alcohol, snack foods, and celebrities. However, chances are that, with all those things, you've seen them taken to extremes that really do damage and ruin a person's life. Alcoholics, morbidly obese people, and the most annoying people you can think of, respectively. However, have you seen it with procrastination?

Enter me.

I actually do manage to get schoolwork done at a passable level. Mostly because after almost 21 years of procrastination, I do good work in little time if I'm under pressure. Ten page paper in ten hours, with no research done? Grade A stuff, baby. So, you might ask, what's the problem?

Everything else.

I do not clean my house. I get 2-3 hours less sleep every night than I easily could. I eat 1-2 meals a day due to pure negligence, and most of those meals are rather unhealthy. I am KILLING myself. I honestly have no idea how I am still in decent physical condition. It's probably because I am still relatively young, but...that's not going to last (doy). I need to stop the problem before it overwhelms me. But it's just been getting worse for years, and knowing that it's a problem hasn't helped me.

I need other people. I've never been ashamed to admit when I need help, and I'm not now. I can't cure myself of this through sheer willpower. Maybe you can't help me yourself, but maybe y'all know how I can get help. I'll take anything at this point.

Yes, I'm quite serious. I'm not in trouble yet...but I will be if this keeps up. I don't want to be a horror story that people tell others to keep them from procrastinating.

Feel free to make jokes anyway, though. Humor is good for your health!

But still help.

[LaZodiac]

Oh, oh, I know this one. Seath your sword and just defend for a few turns, then you get awesome Paladin equips.

Oh, wait, that's Final Fantasy.

Well, in that case..maybe set a reward system for yourself. If you clean up and eat three square meals a day, you can treat yourself to something awesome on the weekend? I know it's hard to actually getting around to DOING stuff sometimes, but sometimes the only way to get through it is to tough it out and do it, even if it means dragging your feet.

[DeadManSleeping]

Tried it. Haven't touched my Epic Win app in over a month. And I tend to reward myself whenever my resources allow it, no later. Perhaps that's a component habit to break in the process of solving the larger issue.

[LaZodiac]

Probably. Unfortunatly, I'm not the best at giving at advice, especialy with things like that, so I've got basically nothing else to say. Sorry.

Well, I can say this. Good luck DMS *handshake of respect*

[Jack Squat]

You need to get motivated to fix yourself. That's the only way it's going to happen short of someone standing over your shoulder making you do things until it's habit. If you don't have the motivation, you're not going to stick to it.

I can't say what'll drive you to change your ways, it's different for everyone. I will say though that I'm a huge procrastinator - though not quite at your level - and what tends to motivate me depends on the situation. For cleaning, I really only do it when people are coming over. Working out I tend to do when an old sports injury bugs me or when I have some activity coming up. Eating right - that tends to be mostly habit rather than anything else. I will snack on peanut butter and fruit instead of eating lunch if I'm alone and don't feel like making something - so maybe just make healthy things more convenient to get at than junk.

[DeadManSleeping]

so maybe just make healthy things more convenient to get at than junk.

This would be a good idea, but I haven't the first clue on how to do that! Produce goes bad quickly, and you can see why someone like me would not make frequent trips to the grocery store.

[Moff Chumley]

There's some stuff, if you know what to look for. The aforementioned peanut butter, quality applesauce, and whatnot. I'm not the best person to ask for advice, here, but I know it's out there. :smalltongue:

[Lady Moreta]

I have to say - the rewards system doesn't work for this sort of thing.

What you need is what you've done here. You need people to help keep you accountable. Example: you've got to clean your house. You get a friend (or someone, even someone on here) to contact you every day and ask if you've cleaned up yet. Essentially you get someone to badger you about it until you get so sick of them that you clean up. Then you give yourself a little reward. The reward idea can work, but not on it's own. I am impressed though, that you tried it and actually stuck to the 'no this until I do that' - most people would have just flagged it by now. So you have the willpower to do this, you just need a little extra help.

Second idea - get professional help. My darling is a terrible procrastinator and he's actually talking to a psychatrist about it. He's got a nifty little sheet about it... the key to breaking the cycle is to know why you procrastinate. I'll see if I can find the sheet and maybe scan it or type out the pertinent points for you.

And right now my mother-in-law has just rocked up and I'm still in pjs at 12:30pm! whoops! :smallbiggrin:

[bluewind95]

Your level of procrastination sounds chemical. I think it may be the unhealthy habits you're getting. With not enough good-quality foods(and sleep), your brain simply won't work to motivate you.

If you have no one to help you with a decent meal at least once a week (to start with, and gradually move it up), then maybe some peer pressure may help? Every meal you get, write it here and people here may poke you on the right direction?

Of course, the best thing to do is just go healthy, like, all at once. But if that's impossible, at this level, any improvement is already good and will help you get more improvement.

[factotum]

Sure you're not suffering from depression? That can make you feel as if you just don't want to do anything. I'd certainly say it's gone a bit beyond normal procrastination when you can't even be bothered to eat--your stomach should be reminding you of that particular task!

[Adumbration]

Social/peer pressure's not a bad idea. These forums, facebook, friends, family. Pick and choose.

[DeadManSleeping]

Sure you're not suffering from depression? That can make you feel as if you just don't want to do anything. I'd certainly say it's gone a bit beyond normal procrastination when you can't even be bothered to eat--your stomach should be reminding you of that particular task!

I am a little down lately, yeah, but compared to somebody with depression that even borders on clinical, I'm positively giddy. Hardly a day goes by where I don't spend at least an hour or two doing something truly engaging and active, whether it be animatedly socializing or rocking out on my guitar as if I were actually good at it. I'm suffering from something, but lack of serotonin ain't it.

It sure sounds like what I need is other people keeping me on task...I do wonder if I can use the internet for this.

Question for you all: would some kind of anti-procrastination blog work? Like, something I update daily with my necessary tasks and my completion level? If I could get people to follow it, there'd be that "other people are depending on me" motivation, plus I could ask for advice on how best to get my tasks done efficiently (part of my problem with scheduling is that I don't know how to do it well). It's honestly not something I've seen done before, and I don't have much faith in my ability to obtain/maintain the loyal following that would make it work, but I wonder what all y'all's opinions are.

[Thanqol]

Buy a good iPod and some headphones, load it up with awesome music, and go on walks. Clear your head, focus your mind.

Don't pay your internet bills for a month, forcing you to go to an internet cafe whenever you want to go online.

Take up martial arts. The focus you can gain from martial arts can carry through to everything you do in life.

Learn how to breathe. Seriously. People don't breathe because they don't think about it. Lower your centre of gravity and take deep breaths. Move your arms. Long and slow.

And if all else fails, rub the very centre of your feet. That'll stimulate adrenal glands. It's like a genuine biological hack; it gives the rush of coffee without coffee. Don't overuse it, but it's great to kick you out of bed on those super blargh days.

[Lady Moreta]

I am a little down lately, yeah, but compared to somebody with depression that even borders on clinical, I'm positively giddy. Hardly a day goes by where I don't spend at least an hour or two doing something truly engaging and active, whether it be animatedly socializing or rocking out on my guitar as if I were actually good at it. I'm suffering from something, but lack of serotonin ain't it.

There are other causes of depression... it oculd be worth at least taking a quick trip to your GP to rule it out as a possible cause.


Question for you all: would some kind of anti-procrastination blog work? Like, something I update daily with my necessary tasks and my completion level? If I could get people to follow it, there'd be that "other people are depending on me" motivation, plus I could ask for advice on how best to get my tasks done efficiently (part of my problem with scheduling is that I don't know how to do it well). It's honestly not something I've seen done before, and I don't have much faith in my ability to obtain/maintain the loyal following that would make it work, but I wonder what all y'all's opinions are.

Sounds like a good idea to me... I think it would work better if you could ensure you had at least a couple of people who'd be willing to help out and follow you before you got started though. Could be a bit tricky to get people involved after you start, but it's a sound idea :smallsmile:

[DeadManSleeping]

There are other causes of depression... it oculd be worth at least taking a quick trip to your GP to rule it out as a possible cause.

Point is, other than procrastinating, I don't have ANY symptoms of depression. When I am burdened with extreme negative stimulus, yes, I turn into a total lump. I can tell when I'm really depressed. This happens at most twice a month, and it's highly unusual for it to last even a few days. I may be a procrastinator, but I'm really very energetic and lively. Just...not about things I should be doing.


Buy a good iPod and some headphones, load it up with awesome music, and go on walks. Clear your head, focus your mind.

Acquiring my favorite music is actually something I've been procrastinating on for...about four or five years now. I need a music-getting coach :smalltongue:

[Tengu_temp]

Saying that it's depression is jumping to the easy conclusion here. I know from personal experience that you can be too lazy to eat - it's very rare that I eat 3 meals per day, often I just eat dinner and sometimes not even that, and I've been living like that for years. And I don't find that bad at all, because not only I don't need too many calories with my stationary lifestyle, but also I actually lose weight that way, without any exercising or dieting. What many people lack the willpower to do, I accomplish out of laziness.

[Thanqol]

Acquiring my favorite music is actually something I've been procrastinating on for...about four or five years now. I need a music-getting coach :smalltongue:

*Opens mouth, then closes it* I'm not sure my traditional means of acquiring music are totally legit so I'll PM it.

[Savannah]

There's two basic ways you can address a problem behavior using behavior modification. You can either decrease the problem behavior (which can be done by either removing the reward for that behavior or introducing a punishment) or you can increase a desired, incompatible behavior (by adding a reward for it, usually). A good behavior intervention plan generally uses both methods, since that not only decreases your problem but also ensures that whatever you're doing instead of the problem behavior is something that you should be doing (plus it's generally easier to establish a new behavior than to eliminate an already established one).

The first step of a behavior modification plan is to carefully define the behaviors you're going to be changing. In your case, you'd want to break procrastination down into very specific behaviors that you can track, so that you can later see if what you're doing is actually making a difference. In addition, you'd want to come up with very specific non-procrastination behaviors that you can track. You also want to decide what you want your final goal to be (should the problem behavior never happen? Is it okay if it's a couple times a week? Or maybe it's okay specific days of the week?). Since procrastination is such a huge area, you'll probably want to work on one or two specific parts at a time.

The second step is to record how often the problem behavior and desired behavior occur. If you don't know how often they happen before you do anything, you won't know if what you're doing is actually working. There's a bunch of ways you can record the behavior, depending on what it is. It's also helpful to try to figure out what is rewarding the problem behavior. It can be either gaining something rewarding (for example, if you prefer playing video games to eating, skipping a meal could give you more playing time) or avoiding something punishing (for example, if you hate cooking, skipping a meal could let you avoid cooking).

The third step is to come up with a behavioral intervention plan to reduce the problem behavior and increase the desired behavior. There's so many options here that I can't really explain all the possibilities. If you want me to help you come up with some for a specific behavior, I'd be happy to do so, though.

Finally, the forth step is to follow the plan and continue to record your problem and desired behaviors to see if they change. If they don't change, go back to step 3 and repeat until they do and you reach whatever goal you set in step 1.

Now, I'm not saying that this is only way to change your behavior. However, it is the basic outline that behavior analysts use when working on a behavioral program. It also has the advantage of being very measurable, so you can see if you're making progress, and it makes it easier for anyone who's helping you keep on track to know what to ask you about. (Note, however, that it's purely a behavioral program. It does not account for any underlying medical problems or similar issues.)

....Sorry, that turned out wordier than I'd like. Let me know if any of it needs clarification.

[Amridell]

I have this problem, too. Hence, I write StickyNotes. Everywhere. On my laptop, binder, television...you name it. I just use a system of notes to make myself do something. It actually works quite well. Eat. Do homework. Buy food. things like that. I like putting them right on the screen of my TV or laptop. It actually works VERY well.

[thubby]

set some kind of repeating alarm. make it so you can't not think about what you need to do.

[Icewalker]

I have a bit of this problem, but less that I do nothing and want to do something, as much as I do something but want to do everything, and procrastinate enough that I consider my something not to be enough.

Anyway, some little tricks. First off, what do you procrastinate with? The internet, I suspect, is one of the main culprits. Facebook. GitP.

Try turning off your computer. Or turning your mouse upside down. Then, when you are trying to do something else like homework, are distracted, turn to the computer, you can't just open up a distraction, you would have to fully stop what you're doing, and start doing the distracting activity. I find it's much easier to stay focused if you make your distractions even the slightest bit less convenient to reach.

Try setting ABSOLUTE requirements for yourself. Something you WILL do. Start simple with something you want to get done, but work towards zero exceptions. Once it's a habit, you can keep to it. Like, spending one hour every day on homework or something, without exception. (Don't have homework due tomorrow? Get ahead on whatever is later). Of course if you're in college you have more than one hour of homework per day on average anyway, but the point stands.

[Crow]

Start by changing your avatar to something that isn't loafing around all day.

[Ytaker]

You said you wanted to start a anti procrastination blog. Let's start. List the things you have to do today. Talk to us later about it. If you do it we can say you're awesome, if you don't we can do :smallannoyed:

[DeadManSleeping]

Start by changing your avatar to something that isn't loafing around all day.

But...but nothing else works with my username!


You said you wanted to start a anti procrastination blog. Let's start. List the things you have to do today. Talk to us later about it. If you do it we can say you're awesome, if you don't we can do :smallannoyed:

Today, I have to:

Nothing! I'm booked up with my acting group today, so my schedule already necessitates staying here for the next 5 hours and then going directly home and body-slamming my futon.

Tomorrow morning, however (a period of approximately 4 hours), I have to call my grandparents, read an article on racism, and do my Japanese homework (not in that order).

In good news, I have a presentation due Thursday that I'm already done most of. In bad news, that's because I thought it was due today.

I may be putting an AIM username up here so people can bug me whenever I'm on my computer (and that's generally how I procrastinate...my non-computer activities are, while possibly non-essential, decidedly productive). That will take time, though.

[Ytaker]

Let's focus on a small part.


I have to call my grandparents, read an article on racism, and do my Japanese homework

Promise us you'll do that. Promise us by names, promise anyone on this forum who you respect. Make a serious commitment.

I know someone who quit smoking like this. She gave everyone she knew a card promising them she would stop smoking. She was often tempted to stop, but every time she was tempted she would imagine their disapproving faces staring at her.

[Kuma Da]

I don't know if this will help any, but sometimes it's easier to get up and do the stuff you want to do if you stop guilting yourself over it. That's what I've found from personal experience, at least.

Also, exercise. It's amazing how much easier it is to be proactive about other stuff when you've got endorphins cranking through your body.

[Vella_Malachite]

That's some serious level of procrastination there...

Guilt tripping myself worked very well for me, actually, although I naturally beat myself up quite a lot, so that may not work so well for you. I also found that making lists helped - if I could have a note to myself saying that I needed to do X, Y and Z, then actually doing X, Y and Z seems much more achievable, and I didn't procrastinate for nearly so long, because the list was somewhere easy to see, and I got a lot of satisfaction from being able to tick off the things I did.

As for rewards when you do do something you said you would, it doesn't need to be a material reward. Just allowing yourself to feel better about yourself will work. Or, use the things that distract you as a reward. "Can't check GitP until I've eaten dinner", sort of thing.

But I agree with getting people to check on you. Good luck! :smallsmile:

[Icewalker]

Kuma Da and Vella both give excellent advice here. Sometimes just up and DO it. Just think. No. Right now. Stop what I'm doing. Turn it off. Leave it off. Go do something else.

Exercise is just great. It will help you in a huge number of ways, and inspiration towards getting more done is one of them. Here's the way to avoid procrastinating about getting around to exercising: find a specific time and place to do it which is on a walk path you take. Do you walk to/from class, and pass a gym on the way? Certain days, always, just stop there and exercise for a while. Or, sign up for a class of some kind, making it something you can't skip on. (Honestly, I always feel exercise is FAR more worthwhile if it's towards something not generic exercise. For example, martial arts, which is discipline + fighting or stylistic talent + exercise).

Cut off your distractions. Either with a mental block (I won't go online until I finish two more pages of this paper) or with a physical block (take a couple of textbooks, and just walk away from your computer and all such distractions, and go sit on a rooftop somewhere and study. I do this. It's great.)

[Tengu_temp]

Cut off your distractions. Either with a mental block (I won't go online until I finish two more pages of this paper) or with a physical block (take a couple of textbooks, and just walk away from your computer and all such distractions, and go sit on a rooftop somewhere and study. I do this. It's great.)

From my experience, this doesn't work. A serious procrastinator can't force himself to do what he has to do, it will just annoy him and he will quit in the middle of the task out of frustration. What he needs to to is to get motivated, to get in the mood for doing what needs to be done. How exactly do this? Beats me. I don't have any specific technique here, it generally just happens to me sometimes when I am in a good mood. Exercise might help, but I hate exercising and it's a point of honor for me to never do it (unless I have to - why do I have PE in college?).

[Sipex]

In terms of motivation, I find music helps. Depending on the task and your abilities the music may have to be wordless or not (for me, anything which requires intense thinking can't have music with words in it, otherwise I just get distracted. Cleaning, however, just requires music of any sort to motivate me.)

[Tengu_temp]

Oh yeah, I second this. Music often can put you in the mood for whatever you need to do, and appropriate tunes can help you concentrate. But watch out, because inappropriate ones can distract you, and what counts as appropriate here varies from person to person.

[Drascin]

Personally, rather than music, I usually go to Rainymood.com and put some rain sound on. Because it's loud enough to keep my sensory channels occupied and avoid the sensory overload that usually distracts me (it's amazing how you seem to be able to hear and be distracted by a fly in the neighbour's house when you're supposed to be working...), but, unlike most music (or at least music I like) not attention-catching enough to distract me. It's one of the few things that let me keep my attention on the same thing for more than five minutes. You can always try it. Still requires willpower and a will to do things, though.

[DeadManSleeping]

Hello, people! Finals week is over, and I'm using spring break to improve myself!

Right now, my key idea is reducing the amount of time I waste re-checking internet sites. To this end, there are a couple things I need to do.

1. Drop most of my webcomics. While I will still keep up with the really really important ones, the rest will no longer be a part of my life. And no more archive trawling. This will reduce my regular webcomics load from 30+ minutes to, on a MWF, 10 minutes at most. And I won't be checking more than once a day.
Worth mentioning that I can't look at any blogs anymore. Or Cracked.
2. GiantitP is a great place, but...I come here too much. Starting today, I will only go on once a day. After I've read everything I want to, no more refreshing or revisiting. Off until the next sunrise. I plan to get IM SNs so that people can contact me for stuff (it's a good thing I don't do PbPs anymore, though. Woof)
3. Social media. I could be worse about Facebook, but I do need a way to make sure I don't spend too much time on it. I'm thinking an hour minimum between checks on it. Also, I need to wire up my e-mails to my phone so that I can just look at them whenever they come, as opposed to visiting the site to check and check and check...

I'm sure there's more I need to do to get myself working harder, but breaking myself of the interwebs addiction is a hugely important first step!

So, yes, unless someone posts here before I'm finished checking on the threads I follow, I'll see y'all tomorrow, hopefully with some kind of update.

[DeadManSleeping]

I've been getting stuff done!

My AIM screenname is deadmandozing. Feel free to hit me up and bug me to get on task. Or just chat all regular-like.

[Archonic Energy]

OK, you hold him still i'll beat him with this handy metal pole...