Can I learn to stop Procrastinating? I dont think so

[BlairL]

Hi, Im new to this forum.

I have a HUGE problem with procrastination. I have this project I should be working on, and I just cant bring myself to do it. I am surfing news, checking blogs, looking for stuff on youtube, anything but the project. It pains me to start this project, even though I know its good for me.

I read Steve Pavlina's article on Procrastination:
Overcoming Procrastination by Steve Pavlina

And these articles:
The Solution to Procrastinating | The Kaizan Blog

Structured Procrastination

But it all seems like theory. Does anyone have any proof that these things work? Has anyone used these recommendations and gotten over procrastination?

[Aleksander Krstic]

Why don't you try it yourself? I can't tell you whether the methods work, but I can tell you'll be way more certain of it if you try it yourself.

[jokerman]

If you really needed to do the project, you would do it. In other words, if the project really needed to be done, it would be done.

Apparently, you don't feel you really need to do it. The problem is not your procrastination, but the belief that you need to do something when in fact you don't. The notion that it is "good for you" might be the core of the problem. Maybe it's not that good for you in the first place, if you have no passion for it. Maybe it's really not that important, if you have no compelling reason to get started.

[Aleksander Krstic]

Originally Posted by jokerman

If you really needed to do the project, you would do it. In other words, if the project really needed to be done, it would be done.

Apparently, you don't feel you really need to do it. The problem is not your procrastination, but the belief that you need to do something when in fact you don't. The notion that it is "good for you" might be the core of the problem. Maybe it's not that good for you in the first place, if you have no passion for it. Maybe it's really not that important, if you have no compelling reason to get started.

qft

[MiBeloved]

When something is really important or pressing, a person does not procrastinate. therefore it means that if you are procrastinating the thing you are trying to achieve is not important to you. You do not see it or feel it as a dire necessity. So from that you can learn that if you make yourself see something as important even though you do not have the urge to complete it, you will get on the band wagon.

So convince yourself of the importance of it and it will be all down hill from then on.

Stated differently try to follow this advice:

When you should complete something which is not a dire necessity, first sit down and convince yourself that it is, and then you will be able to complete it as your primal instincts for action will kick in. Study yourself and understand how your primal instincts are motivated and use that information to prompt yourself.

[LittleMatt]

I dont understand how you can say you read the articles and they are just theory?

Of course they are theory, its an article.

As Aleksander said, put the theory into practice, then you will be in a position to make a better judgment about them and whether you can beat procrastination or not

[Remiel]

Originally Posted by MiBeloved

When something is really important or pressing, a person does not procrastinate. therefore it means that if you are procrastinating the thing you are trying to achieve is not important to you. You do not see it or feel it as a dire necessity. So from that you can learn that if you make yourself see something as important even though you do not have the urge to complete it, you will get on the band wagon.

So convince yourself of the importance of it and it will be all down hill from then on.

Stated differently try to follow this advice:

When you should complete something which is not a dire necessity, first sit down and convince yourself that it is, and then you will be able to complete it as your primal instincts for action will kick in. Study yourself and understand how your primal instincts are motivated and use that information to prompt yourself.

Some of us have really really bad habits even when it does come to things we love to do .

Speaking as someone who mastered the art of procrastination I can tell you that it is possible to overcome it. Each of will have our own challenge to the problem I'm sure. My own problem was self discipline. I had to overcome that before I could really succeed. Treat the problem like a muscle that you would work out at the gym. As I stop procrasinating in the little things it becomes easier for me to stop procrasinating in the large things.

[Remiel]

BTW as Henry Ford said: "If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right."

[Parthon]

Steve's Article and the one from The Kaizen Blog are great. I'd avoid the structured procrastinating article thought, because while it does work, it just replaces one bad habit with a slightly worse one.

The only thing you can do to overcome the procrastination habit it to replace it with the starting habit. An entire task can get done, piece at a time, if those pieces were done. It's that simple. The trick is getting those pieces done, but that too isn't rocket science.

The easiest way is to just take the next piece, divide it until it's small enough to devour, then work on it until it's done. If you are still making reasons, cut it up smaller. When it's small enough, you'll want to do it because it's only a few minutes long and it will get it out of your life. What often happens is that you get stuck into work, and end up completing the next piece, and the next piece and the next piece, and so on, until you've made a large amount of progress.

I've had lifelong procrastination problems because I've never had to try for anything. This has developed into a belief that if I don't try and fail, it's better than if I tried and failed. Even worse I also believe that wasted effort is the worst problem at all, so I only use effort if there is a *ABSOLUTE* guarantee Iwon't fail, and that I'll get immediate results from it. I do great in exams, or in learning things, but terrible in long term projects, or those things where there's a chance of failure. Give me a task I can repeat until I get it right, and that takes less than a day and I'll do it; anything else I won't though. And any task that needs to be repeated over time, like cleaning, forget about it. That's got wasted effort written all over it.

Procrastination is always about putting off something important until later, not realising that right now is all the time we have. Later is an illusion that never comes, it's always the now. If you think about what you can work on now, or what the best use of your time is now, then you start to gain focus. Excuses become less significant, because there's often only one right answer for those questions.

Those articles are fantastic to put into practice, but you'll be up against your "wasted effort" mechanisms. Overcoming your own procrastination is one of the best things you'll ever do. The pay off is so much more that any wasted time or effort that you might put into it. Being able to get the power in your life back is worth paying price for giving up laziness and procrastination.

[InnerChallenge]

I used to be a procrastinator too. I had projects I 'had' to do, that would be beneficial for me financially, physically,... but I too was distracted by other things. Sometimes I would prefer cleaning or doing the dishes than actually working on my 'goals for the future'!
After a many years I really wanted to change it and started reading motivational books everyday and for a while it seemed to be going better. But after a couple of months I would fall back to my old routine of procrastination.
It wasn't until I found something that I was passionate about that I could really motivate myself to work at it every single day. And as you see yourself and your business growing it becomes even easier to stay motivated. Now I wake up every morning excited to start working!

Find your passion and do something with it. Don't just choose something that you think will make you the most money or the easiest money!

[Talkofthatown919]

You can do whatever you make your mind up to. Start disciplining your self more take control of your mind

[Sam kovacs]

Sometimes i procrastinate, for instance my homework, its because i associate homework to pain. And i've tried changing my beliefs about homework, but I just keep associating it to pain, because there's stuff that isn't any use to me but that i still need to do.
So not managing to associate homework to pleasure, i had to associate not doing homework to more pain than actually doing it.

how? If i don't do my homework, I get lame grades, if i get lame grades, my parents don't let me party on weekends.

That's more painful, than taking an hour to do the ♥♥♥♥♥♥ work.


That's what it's all about.
It's simple concept. If you want to do you're project, associate not doing it to more pain than doing it.Better associate doing it to pleasure. And if you can't do that, when you procrastinate,while you should be doing your project, put yourself through pain. It needs self discipline. How? Do something that puts you through massive pain, such as slapping yourself as hard as you can in the face.

But just associate doing it to less pain than not doing it.

[osonda]

I just wanted to recommend two complementary books on procrastination that REALLY helped me:

The Now Habit, about the emotional side of the problem. I found this book really great.

Getting Things Done, on the more practical, organizational side of the problem.

Another one, less directly related but useful, is
The Power of Less, about how to concentrate on what's really important for you.

Also, be persistent. Procrastination is a deep, multi-layered phenomenon. It takes time to understand the emotional reasons behind it and also quite a bit to set your information in a way that works best for you.

I have been working on it for many years now. It's been well worth the investment, but it does take time.

Good luck!

[BlairL]

Wow! I didnt expect this kind of response...

Although the way I wrote it made it sound like I don't need to do this project, I actually really do. Like really really do. And usually I would be quite passionate about this, but for some reason, its because so much is riding on this, and because I dont know where to start that I dont feel like going near it.

One of those articles (i cant remember which one) talked about getting more information or help, and having a clearer plan, so that it wont feel so daunting. But I procrastinate on getting the help or writing the plan!!!

And looking at all this advice, its appreciated, but where do I start?? I feel like procrastinating on following your advice!

PS I like your stories of overcoming procrastination. But did anyone procrastinate so much that they would procrastinate on dealing with their procrastination??

[StuartPE]

Procrastination is a tough one. It affects everything we do. I'll have to write something about this at some point.

In my experience, one good technique is to just do it. For example, haul your ass out of bed and run like a zombie if you have to. By the time you want to procrastinate it's too late.

Get a schedule. Stick to it. When it's on paper it makes it more real! It's much easier to follow.

Also think about urgency. The average person lives just 900 months. How many do you have left? When you look back on your life do you really want to say you just put it off?

[osonda]

The articles you mentioned were relatively short and superficial. They are a good start, but they are not the solution to procrastination. It doesn't look like you are doing the problem justice. You need to read entire books on it, you need to change your habits a lot, and you need to reorganize the way you keep your information. It is not going to happen overnight.

Since you have a project on your hands right now, here are a few bits of advice:

- if you had eternity to do this project the way you want to do it, how would the very first five minutes of your work on it be like? Once you know that, do those five minutes of work. Then reward yourself with something you really want to do (I mean meaningful, guilty-free fun, not "emptier" stuff like browsing the web randomly while guiltily worrying about having to get back to work). (The usual block is 30 minutes, but if your case is severe even 5 minutes will help. See Timeboxing.)

- sometimes the first step is not what you would think it should be. It might be that your first five minutes must be spend simply looking up the address of a bookstore where you can buy a book on procrastination tomorrow. You may say you shouldn't do that because you need to work on the project instead. But if you are completely stuck on the project, then the only thing you can do is to work on how to overcome procrastination. That is the first step of your project, and by doing that, you are making progress on it.

- if you are really stuck, writing random ideas on a blank sheet of paper may help you unblock your ideas and get your juices flowing. You can do that for five minutes.

- sometimes we procrastinate because we are trying to force ourselves to do something that deep inside we feel to be impossible. I found myself many times struggling with the idea that I should do some programming assignment in a day. Deep down I knew I wasn't going to do it in a day, so I avoided the pain of starting something certain to fail. Better face up to reality and admit to yourself what can be done or not, and come up with a plan that you know is guaranteed to work, a plan that takes into account all your imperfections, even if that means a compromise from the original, unrealistic plan, or maybe even a plan to cope with the fact that the project cannot or should not be done.

If you can tell us what sort of project this is, I can try giving more specific ideas.

But as I said, half a page of advice won't do it. Read the books.

Good luck!

[Parthon]

Originally Posted by BlairL

Wow! I didnt expect this kind of response...

Although the way I wrote it made it sound like I don't need to do this project, I actually really do. Like really really do. And usually I would be quite passionate about this, but for some reason, its because so much is riding on this, and because I dont know where to start that I dont feel like going near it.

One of those articles (i cant remember which one) talked about getting more information or help, and having a clearer plan, so that it wont feel so daunting. But I procrastinate on getting the help or writing the plan!!!

And looking at all this advice, its appreciated, but where do I start?? I feel like procrastinating on following your advice!

PS I like your stories of overcoming procrastination. But did anyone procrastinate so much that they would procrastinate on dealing with their procrastination??

Hahaha, procrastinate on dealing with their procrastination? ALL THE TIME!

The only way to deal with procrastination is to take action. Any and all excuses are just more ways to procrastinate. You already have lots of ways to take action in over coming it, so asking the question "Where do I start?" is just yet another form or procrastinating. You already know the answer to it.

[okogba64]

Hi,
Yes, you can. Anybody can. I used to be like. I learned to get away from it. Now I teach others to overcome it. The only method that works, is to say yes, whenever, you hear no! Get up even though you have enough reason to keep yr seat. Just do it. Start immediately to do it. Begin that project, no matter the odds stacked against you. Just get up and go.

PAT O

[CarolM]

What I have found is this "have to" mentality really sets us up for failure or gives us an excuse to not do something we didn't want to do in the first place.

When we "have to" do something, we put ourselves by default and automatically in victim mode/position.

This is just my opinion, but if you really wanted to do something, you wouldn't put it off. If you find yourself in a position where you are continually "having" to do something, you might want to rethink why you are even faced with things you "have to" do in the first place. Whether it's work or something you want to explore as part of your personal development. Isn't it so much easier and non resistant to simply say ...I WANT to do this, or I GET to do this?

Just my 2c

[this is fun]

As everyone else has already said, it's a question of whether or not you really want something. I used to procrastinate with some things in my life. But that just keeps you in a limbo and starts to affect other aspect of your life, at least it was so in my case. I would put off doing/finishing something and I didn't have the guts to drop it and say okay I don't care about this.
Then I decided to sort of take stock of my life, of what's important or not. It was hard for me to be honest with myself and admit how I truly felt about things (as funny as it seems). Because I had invested so much time in something it felt unreasonable to drop it now. But I did it, I had had enough of it.

Like someone said, just do it now! Don't think about it too much. Maybe you could 'train' yourself with 'smaller' things first.

Or you could at first act as if you had to do it for someone else! That's what I noticed about myself, if I had to do something for someone else (help them in something ) I was always responsible, reliable, no matter whether or not I liked it I would even finish ahead of schedule!

[David Cain]

I'm going to part from the conventional wisdom and say that the problem is NOT that you don't want to do this project, it's just that you're in the habit of distracting yourself so you don't have to something difficult.

I had that routine for years. For me, getting over procrastination was really just a matter of proving to myself that it is MUCH more gratifying to accomplish something than to procrastinate. Everything feels better. You stand taller, you laugh more easily, you feel awesome. Procrastination makes a person feel crappy.

You really have to taste what it feels like to power through a task in order to get into the habit of acting rather than avoiding. This means it will take a bit of pushing at first until you are in the habit of doing stuff.

I'm fond of saying that the best time to do something is the moment you notice you're avoiding it. And when that happens, you just move your body, immediately. That means stand up, get out your binder (or whatever form your project takes) click your web browser closed, just start making physical actions towards the completion of this project. IMO you have to get used to the physical sensation of getting down to business.

If organization is your problem, I recommend GTD. But it sounds to me like you're just very accustomed to escaping your responsibilities, and a new habit needs to form.

Whatever you do, don't allow yourself a period of goofing around first. Start your project first, set a flat time on it (start with an hour maybe) and return your attention to it every single time you get distracted, until the hour's up. Then decide what you feel like doing.

[David Cain]

Also, sometimes I don't feel motivation because I lose track of exactly why I'm doing it.

You want to create a certain outcome, right? It really helps if you can picture that outcome with as much vividness as possible.

This is a great article on just that:

How to Take Action Consistently

[Kaybee]

Sounds like you may be putting up mental roadblocks. There is a reason you are working on your project - find it. Maybe you can find a way to break your project in smaller tasks?

Recently, I waited until the last second to complete a project at work, because I really didn't want to do it. While it was important to my boss, I felt it a waste of my time, because I knew he'd throw it in his pile of stuff on his floor.

I had the luxury of breaking the project into smaller pieces and using other people to assist. Sure enough, the information is now sitting in that very pile.

Find your motivation....it's there. You just need to tap into it.

Kim
Self Improvement and Motivation
Kim (fuelmotivation) on Twitter

[machoman]

One little technique technique I use is that when I have any important thing to do, I will just focus my attention on what is it that I need to do and then if for example,get distracted by anything other than the task that Iam currently doing, then I will just say some affirmations regarding overcomming procastination and immediately try to focus on the task again.

Usually this technique does not work when you are doing this at first. But let me tell this: After using this for 3 weeks, this worked wonders for me. All you just have to do this that every time you procrastinate just need to keep focusing on your task consistently.

[KtotheB]

Perhaps you're procrastinating at overcoming your habit of procrastination.

[ragtag]

If your project doesn't involve a computer or the web, then simply turn it off. All the stuff you mentioned that distracted you requires a computer and an internet connection. While it doesn't get to the heart of the problem, at least it's a start.

[CoolBee]

Originally Posted by BlairL

Hi, Im new to this forum.

....

Structured Procrastination

Thank you so much for this link - it's perfect! I know so many people like this (including me!) - structured procrastination, perfectionist procrastination and so on.... I was thinking of writing about it, but no need here it is

I've said before on here somewhere, my PhD supervisor used to say to me "better 92% right and done than 100% right and never done".

Just read his horizontal organizers article - I think I found my spiritual twin

[JWebb38222]

I read that people who have lost the center of the brain that regulates emotion are also incapable of making decisions, even decisions such as whether to put their shoes on or not. It appears that emotions are necessary to tip the balance towards one decision or another.

If you are deciding to procrastinate on a project you think you should do, it's because your emotions about the project are not congruent with the logic of why you should do it. It could be fears, such as fear of success, fear of rejection, or fear of failure. It could be that part of you wants to take a break even though you don't think you need one. Or, maybe the task is too monumental and deep down you'd rather not do it.

One of the most rewarding books I've ever read was Self-Discipline in 10 Days by Theodore Bryant, MSW. It's expensive at about $30 dollars but, take my word for it, it's worth more than a goose that lays golden eggs.

It's a program that you go through where you identify a part of you he calls Hyde, the funloving defiant emotional part of you, the part that sees far enough ahead and remembers how things felt in the past. You work through your various fears and basically make deals with Hyde in order to get his/her cooperation. I know it sounds cooky but it absolutely makes sense and works. It other words, you're working towards congruency within your own mind. You may even discover that, based on what Hyde wants, you need to not do the project even more than you need to do it.

It helped me soul search to discover that there is a bit of fear of success within me when it comes to dieting. I'm leery of the thought of not having the foods I enjoy and what life would be like having to maintain a diet I don't even like. I'm still working through that one but it's helped me tremendously towards developing good productivity habits that I don't dread to follow. I discovered that I used to procrastinate because I didn't give myself enough time in the day for leizure. I was pushing myself too hard. My solution is to let off the pedal and train up my tolerance for more work slowly, over a period of time. I give myself more time for leizure now but it's structured and under my control.

[osonda]

Originally Posted by JWebb38222

One of the most rewarding books I've ever read was Self-Discipline in 10 Days by Theodore Bryant, MSW. It's expensive at about $30 dollars but, take my word for it, it's worth more than a goose that lays golden eggs.

Thanks for the hint. Just ordered it. Other amazon.com reviewers seem to agree with you. It's a bit pricey but I figure this is the sort of thing that pays itself in time.

[BlairL]

I've been putting off reading these comments., but from the looks of what you have written:
1. I need to work out why I want to do this project (or dont, as the case may be)
2. I need to make a schedule
3. I need to just get started. Even a small bit. (that was in the articles too)

OK, so my project involves writing a report related to my work, that I can then use to promote my services.

I've never really done anything like this, so its a bit unclear what I need to do.
When I sit down to work on it, Im unsure where to start, its unpleasant because Im so unsure, and then I start checking mail etc to avoid it.