Does anyone ever feel like they give 100% but things are still stagnant?

[etalian]

I have been feeling like this all winter break.

I often worry I inch along too much.

What are some good ways to stop inching along?
I do creative work. I also have a broken computer right now..but I will be getting a new one soon.

If you feel like you inch along... How do you catch yourself doing that?
What I mean by inch along is take forever on a project.. Take much longer than you really need to. I dont start with the motivation of going slowly. I just kinda take forever. I find so many things to do alongside my projects I will lose track of things.

TIA.

[Reynardine]

Looks like it is just a case of keeping yourself disciplined to stop yourself procrastinating and gettng distracted.

My advice is to maybe think of some sort of schedule where you work solidly on your projects for a certain amount of time NO MATTER WHAT. If you do that, maybe allow yourself a treat. This will condition the habit into you.

The only other thing is to try and take it day by day. Dont worry about the big picture, just say to yourself each day, "I am going to do X hours on my project, no matter what" ensure you do what you said each day, and youll be done in no time.

If you do find yourself inching along, or procrastinating, dont beat yourself up about it, otherwise youll make yourself go into a negative mental state and it will make it harder to get back on the horse. Just be aware of what you are doing, and then take proactive steps to get yourself back on track. Maybe turn off the tv, or the computer, or whatever it is youre distracted with.

[Logodae]

Originally Posted by etalian

I find so many things to do alongside my projects I will lose track of things.

That doesn't sound like "giving 100%" to me. Not that I'm in a position to criticize; I have similar problems. But I think you need to be honest with yourself about what's happening, so you can figure out how to change it -- or if you need to change it.

Are you overestimating the amount of work that you can reasonably expect yourself to do? Are these "other things to do" that are interfering with your projects A) things that need to get done (i.e., unavoidable work/school/chores leaving you with less time that you'd like), B) things that you really want to do (i.e., having a social life, doing other hobbies), or C) things that you're just doing out of inertia/habit/procrastination?

If they're mostly A) and B), I think you might do better to adjust your expectations -- realize that you're making as much progress as you reasonably can, unless you're willing to sacrifice something important to you. On the other hand, if there's a lot of C), then you can start figuring out why you're doing what you're doing, and how to change it -- and possibly start making a lot more progress.

I definitely don't think you should declare "I will work on my project for X hours a day" until you figure out whether or not you actually have those hours to spare, and decide whether working on your project is really how you want to spend them. Contrary to how we may sometimes feel, there's no moral obligation to do creative work. If you don't want to do it, or if you have a stronger desire to do other things, then I think you should do what you want -- and don't beat yourself up over it.