What can I do to STOP wasting my time

[JustBe]

Hello,

I have enormous trouble to stop playing chess and also searching on the internet and reading the news.

I want to live without it, but somehow I haven't find a good satisfying alternative...

It helps me to not think about my problems (study).. It would be nice to experience a bit more fun while studing but here is some pain involved by wasting my time..

I did one time an exercise with nlp. I saw a picture of a chessboard and did some associations & submodality work with a picture of something I experience as extremely dirty. It did worked for several months. But after a while I read in the news about WC chess and began playing on the internet again.

I have to say.. Some people can learn for 30 min. or so. My concentration is after 15 min . gone. It's sad to admit.

Can anyone help?

[Datum]

I have the same issue. You pretty much described me. The only way out of it, is to create to-do list for the next day and follow it. You can keep chess and news browsing in your list as, but assign time to them. It takes some discipline to follow through.

[SimonaRich]

Because I do not know you personally, it is hard for me to advice what you would be interested in.

All I can say is that you should find some activity that improves you in some way and which feels that you are contributing in some good way rather than just waisting your time.

Such activity for me is my website through which I can help people with my articles. I also love travelling and reading books.

Travelling enriches my mindset and reading books develops my intellect. Both activities are extremely useful and they contributed to who I am today and how I can help others.

Try to think what you would like to do with your life and start going in that direction.

[ChaosKiwi]

Redirect your focus.

If you enjoy chess, try to relate your study to it somehow.

[JustBe]

Originally Posted by ChaosKiwi

Redirect your focus.

If you enjoy chess, try to relate your study to it somehow.

Would you like to give me an example how this can work?
I mean how it can work for someone with a similar thing?

[drama07]

Accept that you're wasting time. Let it be as is

[chrisjaeger]

Hi,

I feel your pain brother!

I used to work from a home office and had pretty much the same problem - doing everything but what I was supposed to be.

I got a small office, about 20 minutes from home, so now there is a place that allows me to focus. The 20 minute ride to/from is good clear, quiet time. No radio. No music. My productivity is up 200-300% for sure.

Also, I agree with the list thing that someone in this thread mentioned. A head-shriker gave me that one.

Put everything on a list. A big read line through everything I finish.

When I have all my lines done for the day I can do what I want for as long as I want - or until the next day, at least -

The downside to the list thing is sometimes there are so many things to do it gets tricky to not get DEmotivated. But even a notepad only has 28 lines on it!

In that case, I just needed a bigger carrot. A trip to New Orleans for two weeks (where I can still work)... did the trick for me. You should have seen the lines crossed off that list !!

In your case, your studies... will open the doors for other things.

In my case, it was money (via closing sales)... which got me a trip to warmer climes hanging out where I would rather be.

Good luck!

Chris

Originally Posted by JustBe

Hello,

I have enormous trouble to stop playing chess and also searching on the internet and reading the news.

I want to live without it, but somehow I haven't find a good satisfying alternative...

It helps me to not think about my problems (study).. It would be nice to experience a bit more fun while studing but here is some pain involved by wasting my time..

I did one time an exercise with nlp. I saw a picture of a chessboard and did some associations & submodality work with a picture of something I experience as extremely dirty. It did worked for several months. But after a while I read in the news about WC chess and began playing on the internet again.

I have to say.. Some people can learn for 30 min. or so. My concentration is after 15 min . gone. It's sad to admit.

Can anyone help?

[JustBe]

What seems to work for me is to shift my timewasting habits in time.

I can't really stop playing chess this day. It's too addictive. But what seems to work is to delay it further in time then last day.

Yesterday it was 14:30 when I began. After it I was a lousy productive again.
Today I just want to delay it even further.

I once listened to a hypnosis session for internet. It worked for a while.
Maybe this is usefull again.

[magi13]

concentration. ^^ you have to focus on the thing which you would like to achieve.

visualize the thing you want to do or the thing that you should do, and keep it in your mind. eventually you'll be forced to work on it, because of that nagging feeling.

eventually it'll become a reflex habit for you, and you won't have to force yourself.

the alternative is to motivate yourself.

[HealthyGuy55]

Your why has to be big enough. The REASON for change needs to be strong: if it isn't, then you will just fall back into the same ole traps.

Procrastination is the biggest robber of all.

Imagine all the people who have laid on their death beds and have thought 'I WISH I would have done this... or that'.

Create a powerful reason, plan it, and go for it

Success is turning knowledge into positive action.

Good luck mate!

[ProLifestyler]

Procrastination, lack of focus, surfing the net purposelessly it is all the symptoms of a bigger issue in my opinion. How do I know, because I use to be exactly like that. It is still an issue time to time, but it's got better at least 1000%.

What the main problem I believe is lack of purpose and not knowing your values.


Someone said that:

If you don't have purpose - you have a television.

If you do any activities and don't know why you doing them, that is the problem. I use to waste months of time surfing net without accomplish anything.

Just creating to do list might not help (it didn't to me)

List will help if you know why you created this list and what you will accomplish by finishing tasks on that list.

I look around me and it seems that most people go nowhere fast. It is sad. I am striving to get to the point that even insignificant act is purposeful, act such as answering call and other small things like that. I am far from that point, but I am working toward it. Each act should preceded by intention.

Sorry JustBe, but I think the only way to overcome any addiction is to become clear on deep values, believes and purpose. In other word, you need to figure out what you good at and devote it most of your time.

That is just my view

P.S. Btw it might be good idea to stop watching TV and reading news, unless those activities brings you a lot of happiness or a lot of money...

[Lupe]

Write a reflection on how you could have used your time better, get mad at yourself, make a firm determination never to waste time.

[jaydeschizo]

Making sure you have better things to do (productive things that you also enjoy, fe: starting your own business), and people who will be pissed, and it gets a lot more unpleasant to procrastinate. That's my experience.

What would you do with you time if you weren't wasting it?

[JustBe]

Thanks for all replies. I think in some way everything is usefull and truth for me.

I allready managed to procastinate playing chess to a later time. yesterday it was around midnight. So this day I only have to sleep instead of playing chess.

Now next rounds will be procastinate 'reading about chess'.
Then news.. I do it gradually.

I tried to stop at once but it simply was very frustrating. And did not manage it.

the big 'WHY' is extemely helpfull to realise again. I know this works for me pretty well.

I am also back on track with polyphasic sleeping.

All my habits were gone after a very very hard crash with a female housmate.
It was so totally shocking that I experienced inproductivity for weeks..

[Titus]

Originally Posted by ProLifestyler

What the main problem I believe is lack of purpose and not knowing your values.


Someone said that:

If you don't have purpose - you have a television.

If you do any activities and don't know why you doing them, that is the problem.

He's right on the problem with that. I'm there too. After playing a MMO game for a bit over a year (I think it was over 10hrs per day on average), I lost my purpose and values.

The first step into solving the situation is to become aware of it. You've done that. I've done that too.

The second step is to try and solve it (yourself). If that fails, or you don't know what to do, seek exterior help. We've both done this too.

The third step is to find your purpose and values. Might take a while, depending on the combination of person and situation. What should motivate you is your "anger" at wasting time and the feeling that it is wasted.

After you found your purpose (even if only temporary) and values, use them to discipline yourself.

That is how I see it.

[ProLifestyler]

Originally Posted by Titus

After you found your purpose (even if only temporary) and values, use them to discipline yourself.

That is how I see it.

That's right mate, In my opinion it is the way to go

[ken nubo]

It's pretty simple -- have a routine, stick to it, then start wasting your time playing chess and reading net news. Also you have info addict xD

[Michael Hawkins]

Lots of good ideas out there!

Perhaps you could make playing chess the REWARD for getting other things done.

Make it goal to get 2-3 items checked off your to-do list and then go play chess for 30 minutes. But 30 minutes ONLY. Then...back to your to-do list and 2-3 tasks completed.

Keep going!

I think this might be a good option for you.

[ProLifestyler]

Originally Posted by Michael Hawkins

Lots of good ideas out there!
Perhaps you could make playing chess the REWARD for getting other things done.

Rewards and Punishment - excellent motivators