Personal Development for Smart People Forums - View Single Post

lifequest · 10-05-2007, 04:31 AM

Hi everyone,

I'm a university student currently struggling with procrastination. Amazingly, I've been able to get through my bachelor's degre in engineering that I'm finishing this semester, but with a cost: bad sleeping habits, not a lot of exercice (but just enough), and a minimal social life (it could be way much better).

Last year, due to a break-up with my ex-boyfriend, I started to take a long hard look at my life, and I realized it wasn't what I wanted it to be. Since then, I've started to make changes. As you can imagine, it's not easy. Sometimes it works, sometimes I have a setback and I have to start over again. But I'm not giving up. I'd say in the last few months, the biggest change I've done is to develop a healthy sleeping habit. And I now excercice regularly, and I try to keep a closer contact with my friends. But now, I'm tackling an ever bigger challenge: procrastination.

In january, I may have the opportunity to start a master's degree. But, if I do that, the procrastination habit I have will be a major obstacle... I have read The Now Habit by Neil Fiore (a really great book), and I have started to apply it to my daily life. However, it is not easy: somedays go by like a charm and I manage to do a lot, and others I can't get anything done, even though I try to apply his "pull method" (go out, have fun, recreate, and when you get back to work, you'll want to do it). It seems that when I go out and do other activities and have fun, I like it a lot, so when I come back to work, I wish I didn't have to work and that I could have fun instead. So I get discouraged from doing others fun activities, because when I get back to work, I dont necessarily do it. The old method I used was: "If I don't go out and have fun, at least I won't know what I'm missing... I'll just be working".

As of right now, I don't want to go back to the old method: it's just not healthy. However, the new method I'm trying to use, implementing Neil Fiore's strategies, aren't completely working. Is there anyone who would have suggestions as to what I could do to better implement Neil Fiore's strategies in my life? I know that what that guy says is true (and that if I did all he says to do, that my life would be way better than it is right now), but you just can't change instantly after reading a book, it doesn't work like that. Changing a habit (especially a bad one) takes time, because it's like trying to rewrite a program in your head - a very long task.

Any help will be appreciated. Thanks!

10-05-2007, 04:31 AM	#1 (permalink)
lifequest Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 65	The Now Habit Hi everyone, I'm a university student currently struggling with procrastination. Amazingly, I've been able to get through my bachelor's degre in engineering that I'm finishing this semester, but with a cost: bad sleeping habits, not a lot of exercice (but just enough), and a minimal social life (it could be way much better). Last year, due to a break-up with my ex-boyfriend, I started to take a long hard look at my life, and I realized it wasn't what I wanted it to be. Since then, I've started to make changes. As you can imagine, it's not easy. Sometimes it works, sometimes I have a setback and I have to start over again. But I'm not giving up. I'd say in the last few months, the biggest change I've done is to develop a healthy sleeping habit. And I now excercice regularly, and I try to keep a closer contact with my friends. But now, I'm tackling an ever bigger challenge: procrastination. In january, I may have the opportunity to start a master's degree. But, if I do that, the procrastination habit I have will be a major obstacle... I have read The Now Habit by Neil Fiore (a really great book), and I have started to apply it to my daily life. However, it is not easy: somedays go by like a charm and I manage to do a lot, and others I can't get anything done, even though I try to apply his "pull method" (go out, have fun, recreate, and when you get back to work, you'll want to do it). It seems that when I go out and do other activities and have fun, I like it a lot, so when I come back to work, I wish I didn't have to work and that I could have fun instead. So I get discouraged from doing others fun activities, because when I get back to work, I dont necessarily do it. The old method I used was: "If I don't go out and have fun, at least I won't know what I'm missing... I'll just be working". As of right now, I don't want to go back to the old method: it's just not healthy. However, the new method I'm trying to use, implementing Neil Fiore's strategies, aren't completely working. Is there anyone who would have suggestions as to what I could do to better implement Neil Fiore's strategies in my life? I know that what that guy says is true (and that if I did all he says to do, that my life would be way better than it is right now), but you just can't change instantly after reading a book, it doesn't work like that. Changing a habit (especially a bad one) takes time, because it's like trying to rewrite a program in your head - a very long task. Any help will be appreciated. Thanks!