Having Trouble Starting

[pianoperformer]

There are things I want to do, that honestly I really love to do. Once I start these activities, I am drawn in and can continue for a long time.

My problem is starting, and I'm not sure why. I thought that if I liked it so much, I would want to start.

I think perhaps the problem is that these things take so much energy, and sometimes I just don't have that much energy. When I'm like that, I just aimlessly browse the web or do whatever is easiest. Even if I get bored though, or run out of things to do, I can't muster that little burst of energy it takes to get started with these activities that I should be doing.

It kind of reminds me of physics, and inertia. It takes work to get that net force to change the object's velocity, but once that happens, it's a whole lot easier to keep it moving.

[javed]

This is a usual problem. Starting is "the" problems with most people.

My advice is to break the task/thing that you want to do in smaller chunks. Whether it is a big plan or developing a new habit or anything, just see what you can do today or this hour. Alternately, set aside an hour or even 15 minutes to just start.

Once you start it, you'll do it.

[pianoperformer]

javed,

thanks; that may work. It is already a day-by-day thing, so all I have to do is assign some time to it.

I used to block it into sessions of about 30 minutes. the problem was that once 30 minutes would pass and it would be time to switch to another similar activity (switch focus, basically), well I would make an excuse to check my email real quick or just take a two-minute break, and that would last for an hour or more. I think I will start working as long as I want to, maybe with some upper limit.

Maybe if my lower limit is 15 minutes. I can say I just have to start this, and work for at least 15 minutes, and I can stop if I really want to.

Alternatively, the other thing I was thinking of is portioning off part of the day as just for work, that way unproductive activities can't come into the mix. I'm not sure if that would help me, though.

[MattFYF]

Is it possible to change your environment to force yourself to take action? (e.g., get other people involved, plan out your days to the nines, give yourself punishments for not completing your desired actions, etc.) Self-discipline can be built up, of course, but it's much easier to switch around your context to be more productive and in line with what you want to do. For example, I find I work much harder on brainstorming when I'm in the cafe at Barnes and Nobles than opposed to my kitchen table... because 1) I know I can't take breaks, 2) the presence of people makes me automatically assume somebody is keeping me in line (when in reality, nobody is there watching me over my shoulder), and 3) I know what I'm do is going to have a real effect on my life, if I take it to completion.

If your context doesn't reinforce the behaviors you want, you won't get the results you want. Switch up your environment to promote the actions you want to take, and you might have an easier time.

[pianoperformer]

Originally Posted by MattFYF

Is it possible to change your environment to force yourself to take action?

Interesting idea.

Originally Posted by MattFYF

(e.g., get other people involved

Not sure in which way.

Originally Posted by MattFYF

plan out your days to the nines

This expression loses me. What do you mean? I get planning my day, but what do you mean "to the nines"?
By the way, do you recommend actually scheduling the day, or doing something more like GTD where you just choose an action and work on it? Maybe a little bit of both?

Originally Posted by MattFYF

give yourself punishments for not completing your desired actions

This sounds like a good idea, but what sort of punishments? Alternatively, I could give rewards for actually doing some set amount of work. Read 10 pages of this; work on problems for 2 hours.

Originally Posted by MattFYF

Self-discipline can be built up, of course, but it's much easier to switch around your context to be more productive and in line with what you want to do. For example, I find I work much harder on brainstorming when I'm in the cafe at Barnes and Nobles than opposed to my kitchen table... because 1) I know I can't take breaks, 2) the presence of people makes me automatically assume somebody is keeping me in line (when in reality, nobody is there watching me over my shoulder), and 3) I know what I'm do is going to have a real effect on my life, if I take it to completion.

If your context doesn't reinforce the behaviors you want, you won't get the results you want. Switch up your environment to promote the actions you want to take, and you might have an easier time.

I like it. However, well I can't do this very much right now, while at home. It's at home, or at home. At school, well I could go to the library, but I seem to have an aversion for that place, not to mention it is a bit inconvenient for me to get to.

Might have to end up locking my door and putting in earplugs, lol. I live with a fraternity.

[MattFYF]

Not sure in which way.

Get other people involved so that if you were to fail, you'd get a lot of disapproval from said people. Disappointment from human beings = huge effect on emotions. If you know you're seriously going to make your friend Sally Smith upset by not completing your goal, you're more likely to go through to completion.

This expression loses me. What do you mean? I get planning my day, but what do you mean "to the nines"?
By the way, do you recommend actually scheduling the day, or doing something more like GTD where you just choose an action and work on it? Maybe a little bit of both?

Schedule the day to the point where you know exactly what you're supposed to be doing at any given time. Break up large tasks into 10 to 15 minute blocks. I've done this before with periods of ~3 hours when I know I have to get through some unpleasant tasks (like... blog advertising). Each block is like a mini-benchmark, and after I complete a couple of blocks I don't want to quit until I'm completely finished.

So... kind of like GTD, deciding on all your action steps in one swoop, but also scheduling them out in increments.

This sounds like a good idea, but what sort of punishments? Alternatively, I could give rewards for actually doing some set amount of work. Read 10 pages of this; work on problems for 2 hours.

You could always use money. Make a pact with your friends; "If I don't do X, I'll give you $50.", or some obnoxious amount where you don't want to lose the money. Or you could promise to do humiliating things in public... like "If I don't do Y, I'll go to McDonalds dressed up as The Hamburglar!"

(The latter might not work if you have low self-confidence! )

It's at home, or at home.

You can always take control of what you own yourself - for example, you could change your bedroom to be more motivating by making a "look book" of pictures that inspire you, read inspiring quotes while online, make your room look more "serious" altogether, etc.

[pianoperformer]

Originally Posted by MattFYF

Get other people involved so that if you were to fail, you'd get a lot of disapproval from said people. Disappointment from human beings = huge effect on emotions. If you know you're seriously going to make your friend Sally Smith upset by not completing your goal, you're more likely to go through to completion.

I like it. Not sure how to apply it to studying, though. Unless I kind of meet up with someone like once per week to compare our progress on the same material.

Originally Posted by MattFYF

Schedule the day to the point where you know exactly what you're supposed to be doing at any given time. Break up large tasks into 10 to 15 minute blocks. I've done this before with periods of ~3 hours when I know I have to get through some unpleasant tasks (like... blog advertising). Each block is like a mini-benchmark, and after I complete a couple of blocks I don't want to quit until I'm completely finished.

So... kind of like GTD, deciding on all your action steps in one swoop, but also scheduling them out in increments.

Interesting.

My idea above about specifying specific hours as work hours no matter what seems to be a good compromise. It gives me the freedom to be able to choose what I'm doing, choose the next action, but yet I still am certain that I'm working during those hours.

Originally Posted by MattFYF

You could always use money. Make a pact with your friends; "If I don't do X, I'll give you $50.", or some obnoxious amount where you don't want to lose the money. Or you could promise to do humiliating things in public... like "If I don't do Y, I'll go to McDonalds dressed up as The Hamburglar!"

(The latter might not work if you have low self-confidence! )

Cool; I like that idea, too.

Originally Posted by MattFYF

You can always take control of what you own yourself - for example, you could change your bedroom to be more motivating by making a "look book" of pictures that inspire you, read inspiring quotes while online, make your room look more "serious" altogether, etc.

Good ideas. Thanks.

[FrancesL]

Hey there pianoperformer. I have exactly the same problem. Two things have helped.

The first thing you've already done, which is to realise that you have a problem starting, and that once you start you will be fine. This insight is actually really important. You know what the problem is now. It's not the activity itself, it's just the getting started. The more you remind yourself of this fact, the easier it gets to start. Try looking back at a piece of work you have accomplished and remembering how you felt before you started on it. You probably thought you couldn't do it. Or that you didn't really feel like doing it. Or that you didn't know how to do it. And yet, there it is!

The second thing that helps is find some small, easy-to-do action that is the first step in the process of doing whatever activity or task it is you need to do, and then focus on just doing that. 'I need to start this task' is not specific enough. It seems really vague and therefore difficult to imagine doing. You need something small and concrete.

I will give you an example. I like to try and go running two or three times a week, but very often it doesn't happen. I think about running and then somehow I never get around to it - I put it off - I check my email instead, or start to read a book, or make some food... You know how it goes.

So what I do is: I get changed. Seriously. That's all I have to do. Everything follows on naturally from that. Once I have my running clothes and shoes on I just go and do it. It would be far too much effort to get changed again. Getting changed and tying your shoes isn't hard, is it?

Many a time I have thought about running and then never done it. But I tell you what - I have never put my running gear on and then not gone for a run.

[mercuryrising]

This may sound odd coming from me, but pain or discomfort is a big motivator. I consider the consequences if I don't do something. Like in your physics example, pain or discomfort is applying force to a particular object to put it in motion.

Meditation would be a good example with me. There is a major difference in my mental state between when I do meditate and when I don't. I do not like the consequences of not meditating enough that I will sit in meditation whether I want to or not.

[Kaspian]

I like FrancesL's suggestion to take the first small step.

I love spending time out in my yard and garden—pulling weeds, pruning things, staking up cucumbers, watering plants in pots, etc—and I feel better if I spend some time outside each day. However, I don't always go outside. Sometimes I lock myself into thinking that I have to do a particular task (like mow the lawn), and that takes the fun out of it. I am discovering all over again that all I really have to do is take the first step or two: change my clothes and step outside. The lawn doesn't have to be mowed today, and if I feel like playing with the cucumbers instead of pulling weeds, I can allow myself to do that.

The same thing can happen with playing horn. I enjoy doing the horn, but if I start thinking that I absolutely must practice something in particular that I'm simply not in the mood for, it can keep me from getting started. When I give myself the freedom to play whatever I want to, I start much more easily. (At the moment, I am inspired and motivated to work on a lot of things, so I am making great progress!) I have to trust that if there's a piece of music I need to improve, that I'll want to work on it before the next rehearsal or performance, even if I don't want to play it today. So far, this method seems to be working.

Another thought: Is there anything in your life that's not quite working or that's draining your energy? I find that if something is off-kilter, it can make the hurdle to getting started feel much taller. You can use your motivation level as a gage for how your life is going in broad, general sense.

[pianoperformer]

Kaspian,

Good ideas, thanks.

As for anything that's off, I'm not really sure. My energy levels aren't the highest, and I certainly wish I was eating better.