Procrastination avoidance

[Piercieve]

How do you guys avoid procrastination? I have been having major problems with this for years. I know everyone has their own way to deal, enlighten us. :)

[WhiteWillie]

Procrastination is surely detrimental for many people. I am investment guy and my client's often, and naturally, procrastinate when it comes to important financial decisions. I explain that time can be a friend or a foe, depending upon what you do while it passes.

Sometimes, decisions must be made with imperfect or incomplete information. It is because we make these tough decisions, in a timely manner, that we make the big bucks. Right?

I don't think I am guilty of procrastinating but my wife sure is. We've been together for 40+ years. She's always been the thinker and I've been the action taker. Neither of us are going to change. Maybe people are the way they are and decision making is harder for some than others.

[tonydahose]

Ill give you an answer when i get around to it :p

[Jimd]

I was going to stop procrastinating, but decided to do it next week.

Seriously, this was a major problem for me that was causing a serious rift in my marriage. I now make a daily list of things I need to get done, and put it on my refrigerator where I can't avoid looking at it. It helps me to "Git 'R Done".

[Piercieve]

I consider myself a good decision maker, but when it comes to work... well...

Adderall helped a lot, but I didn't like what it did to my personality, so I've been trying do without.

[kingshoc]

Ill try and give you a answer tomorrow

[Don Ellis]

How do you guys avoid procrastination? I have been having major problems with this for years. I know everyone has their own way to deal, enlighten us. :)

I don't like writing but I like having written.

Writing is work. Having written is satisfaction, occasionally pride or surprise. So don't look forward with distaste, look backward with satisfaction.

Don't focus on the pain of climbing Everest. Jump ahead and imagine the joy of having reached the summit and think of all the pleasure you'll enjoy in the future having done it.

Closer to sea level, this should work for shoveling the driveway. :D

And a good part of the satisfaction of a job well done is that no one's going to be bugging you to do it anymore, which should lower your resentment toward that person... or lessen the guilt if you're talking to yourself.

Here's a grimmer approach. Take washing dishes. Now imagine you're a double amputee, no arms -- wouldn't you give anything to be able to wash dishes again? (I told you it was grim... but it's helpful to remember you have dishes, you had food to put on them, you have a sink and fresh water piped to it, and you're sheltered under a roof, so be grateful and do the dishes. Other people will be grateful as well.)

Another way is to make yourself a promise. I often get up in the morning and head for work, most often leaving the bed-making chore to Leela. A couple of months ago, I promised myself that she wouldn't have to make the bed for a month... sort of a silent gift. And every morning I made the time to make the bed... after all, in boot camp I made my bed and got dressed in ten minutes, so what had changed? And what's five minutes of bed-making for the reward of her smile and good karma?

Speaking of promises, give yourself a treat if you do something you don't want to do. Shovel the driveway, have a hot chocolate... in that order.

Anyway, a few meandering thoughts.

Don

[mrappraisit]

Piercieve - I can have a serious lazy streak when I let myself indulge in it. I become more productive if I think of laziness/procrastination in terms of the four noble truths. The four noble truths are generally given as these grandiose ideas but if you apply them to normal problems they sometimes work well.

If I think of my procrastination as leading to suffering, and I think about the root cause (my indulgence in putting things off), then I think about how it's just as easy to do things now (the cessation of suffering), now I am on the path to enlightenment (or at least I am done with what I didn't want to do).

I know this sounds convoluted, but it works for me, as others before me have said "your mileage may vary"


The Four Noble Truths:
http://www.thebigview.com/buddhism/fourtruths.html

[Jurphaas]

Don Ellis - I like the way you think! It works for me and being optimistic has not harmed me yet. :D
Thanks for chiming in here and for sharing your ideas.
Jurphaas :) .

[buglerbilly]

How do you guys avoid procrastination? I have been having major problems with this for years. I know everyone has their own way to deal, enlighten us. :)

Let me get back to you on that one...........

Regards,

BRIAN

[Ted]

I was scheduled (last week) for a course on how to deal with it, but the course has been postponed until a later date.

[Piercieve]

Let me get back to you on that one...........

Regards,

BRIAN

I knew I was gonna get a lot of these. :rolleyes:

[Lockback]

I knew I was gonna get a lot of these. :rolleyes:

Actually, the real procrastinators have not yet answered... :D

[buglerbilly]

I knew I was gonna get a lot of these. :rolleyes:

Your wish is my command........... :D

Regards,

Master Procrastinator Himself

[Agent Starling]

I find that setting deadlines helps, exercising helps (it's a cross training thing...get moving physically and it helps to clear the mental cobwebs), and having a set schedule helps.

YMMV

Agent Starling

[vampyrewolf]

I'm not optimistic, I'm realistic. Usually I've got so many things on the go it's not even funny. I've found that if something doesn't get done today it's not getting done for about a week when it can be fit in again (and remembered).

I used to put stuff off and have to rush something that I should have had weeks to do... now it gets done and I can relax about it (for about 2 seconds then on to the next task).

The only thing I'm still bad for is getting mail out on time. I'll pack something up and have it ready to hit the post office for a few days before I finally get it out the door. Doesn't matter if I have it on my desk, by my chair or by the door (where I leave my jacket and daily gear).

I'm finding though that if I set up my calender programs on this work tower and my PDA (so I get reminded a couple times) I'm usually on top of things.


Procrastination or C.R.A.F.T. ?

[Daniel]

I try to follow the "Nike" method.

Just Do it!

[WhiteWillie]

I find that setting deadlines helps, exercising helps (it's a cross training thing...get moving physically and it helps to clear the mental cobwebs), and having a set schedule helps.

YMMV

Agent Starling

I agree completely. Sometimes just accomplishing some small thing is so satisfying it leads to bigger things. Exercise and accomplishment also work wonders for establishing and maintaining a positive outlook on life, in my not so humble opinion.

[Dr. Snubnose]

I have always thought that procrastination was symptomatic of low self esteem and self confidence...people in general do this because they are scared that the final results will not be satisfactory. Some accomplish this by not doing others by having so much to do that nothing gets done....For me I have always found this statement to work best....
"The quickest way to build self-confidence is to do things you never thought you could do"....Doc :D

[roguesoul]

Procrastination is a habit.
A bad habit.
Start a new habit.
Stick to your new habit for 30 days.
Your new habit has now been established.

Make the 30 days easier by chossing a new habit which is fun. I suggest buying every Spyderco you wanted to buy. Don't procrastinate, feel the desire and act, buy the knife right then.

It works.