Personal Development for Smart People Forums - View Single Post - My crazy way of instantly overcoming procrastination / getting motivation

Sunnybayes · 03-16-2007, 07:05 PM

So the conclusion from steve's overcoming procrastination article says this:

" Realize that procrastination is caused by associating some form of pain or unpleasantness to the task you are contemplating. The way to overcome procrastination is simply to reduce the pain and increase the pleasure you associate with beginning a task, thus allowing you to overcome inertia and build positive forward momentum. And if you begin any task again and again, you will ultimately finish it."

And I also notice that I'm highly motivated after I do pushups... so what I've found is that when I'm sitting doing nothing, in pain, because I can't even find the motivation to get off the couch, and it hurts to even think about what I need to do is this:

Make it very painful to sit there and do nothing. The way I do that is this:

I take my two hands and press them together as hard as I can as if I were trying to crush a can into aluminum foil while thinking to myself "I am not going to stop this until I do [what I need to do]" and I think about doing the task that I need to be done.

Sometimes I have to do this about 3 times in a row, because I'll get motivated , but not to do the right thing, so I have to keep on reminding myself of the right thing to do.

And sometimes I really dread the thing that I have to work on, for example my literature essay, (writing those are hell for me), so just thinking about it makes me not be able to very press hard, and I recognize this physically, so I get really pissed off and go all out and press even harder to just get the frustration out, then when I stop, I totally have the motivation to begin the task, or at least something a little more related.

My theory of why this works:

1.) First of all it makes you stop wasting your time on whatever wasteful thing you are doing, also that it clears your mind (because now you are concentrating on pressing as hard as humanly possible) so that you can then fill your consciousness on the task that you want or know you need to begin, because you are fully thinking about the task as you do it.

2.) It stops the bad thoughts that are running through your mind of not being able to begin.

3.) It just brings you into the current situation so that you do not worry so much about the future. Read the Power of Now.

4.) It lets your body/mind know that when you do this activity then it really is time to get started.

5.) It polarizes your mind into the darkside, basically saying "damn it!! no more excuses!! you are going to do this now!!!"

6.) Its action, and you become motivated after doing action.

7.) It "increases the pleasure you associate with beginning the task", because it feels so good to stop pressing so hard.

Field tested. Simple. Its great. Give it a try people!!! Share your experience!! Is it just me or does it really work?

03-16-2007, 07:05 PM	#1 (permalink)
Sunnybayes Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 322	My crazy way of instantly overcoming procrastination / getting motivation So the conclusion from steve's overcoming procrastination article says this: " Realize that procrastination is caused by associating some form of pain or unpleasantness to the task you are contemplating. The way to overcome procrastination is simply to reduce the pain and increase the pleasure you associate with beginning a task, thus allowing you to overcome inertia and build positive forward momentum. And if you begin any task again and again, you will ultimately finish it." And I also notice that I'm highly motivated after I do pushups... so what I've found is that when I'm sitting doing nothing, in pain, because I can't even find the motivation to get off the couch, and it hurts to even think about what I need to do is this: Make it very painful to sit there and do nothing. The way I do that is this: I take my two hands and press them together as hard as I can as if I were trying to crush a can into aluminum foil while thinking to myself "I am not going to stop this until I do [what I need to do]" and I think about doing the task that I need to be done. Sometimes I have to do this about 3 times in a row, because I'll get motivated , but not to do the right thing, so I have to keep on reminding myself of the right thing to do. And sometimes I really dread the thing that I have to work on, for example my literature essay, (writing those are hell for me), so just thinking about it makes me not be able to very press hard, and I recognize this physically, so I get really pissed off and go all out and press even harder to just get the frustration out, then when I stop, I totally have the motivation to begin the task, or at least something a little more related. My theory of why this works: 1.) First of all it makes you stop wasting your time on whatever wasteful thing you are doing, also that it clears your mind (because now you are concentrating on pressing as hard as humanly possible) so that you can then fill your consciousness on the task that you want or know you need to begin, because you are fully thinking about the task as you do it. 2.) It stops the bad thoughts that are running through your mind of not being able to begin. 3.) It just brings you into the current situation so that you do not worry so much about the future. Read the Power of Now. 4.) It lets your body/mind know that when you do this activity then it really is time to get started. 5.) It polarizes your mind into the darkside, basically saying "damn it!! no more excuses!! you are going to do this now!!!" 6.) Its action, and you become motivated after doing action. 7.) It "increases the pleasure you associate with beginning the task", because it feels so good to stop pressing so hard. Field tested. Simple. Its great. Give it a try people!!! Share your experience!! Is it just me or does it really work?