Damn lack of self-discipline

[SilverTygerGirl]

And distractibility.

I have a huge project to get done for school. In the next two weeks, I have two reports due, a mid-term, and I need to find a job.

I keep not doing it - either watching TV or surfing the internet or reading comics or sleeping too late. This is my next to last semester and I *don't* want to have to repeat classes. I also have to get enough money to pay my bills for the month (or steal the money I saved to pay my taxes next year - long story). Why can't I just do it?! I've always been this way, but I swear I'm getting worse.

I haven't finished unpacking from the beginning of the semester. I can hardly walk in my room because of the boxes, general mess, and stuff left from Faire that I haven't but away. I hate that I do this, but I can't seem to change.

If I'd just do it, I'd have time to have fun. I could even go to taijitsu which I haven't been to in at least three weeks. I can't just turn off my computer because all my homework involves it. Block sites or applications don't work because I find a way around it or something else to distract me.

It makes me depressed and stressed which makes it not want to work even more.

It's the one thing I really hate about myself and I can't fix it.

[OneCentStamp]

I'm sorry! I don't have any words of advice (not that you asked for any) because I'm a procrastinator from way back myself, but your situation and sentiments are very familiar to me. Do you feel as though you're in a particular rut right now, or is this pretty much a constant state of being?

[Sarahfeena]

I have this problem, too, STG. I'm pretty much always behind on getting stuff done, and it's mostly just from being distracted by other things. ("Look! Something shiny!")

It's tough, and I've improved it over the years, but I think it's a personality style that's just not easily changed. What you have to learn to do is manage it. The way I have done it is by constantly thinking about how much additional stress and worry are caused by NOT getting things done, and compare it to how much better I feel when I don't have stuff hanging over my head. I mean, I think about this every day, multiple times a day, and it's helped a lot. I envision what will happen a day, a week, a month down the road if I don't get a certain thing done right now.

Another thing that has helped me is being very busy, all the time. The more scheduled I am, the less time I have to do things, the sooner and faster they tend to get done. Don't know if it will work for you, but it works wonders for me.

[SilverTygerGirl]

Another thing that has helped me is being very busy, all the time. The more scheduled I am, the less time I have to do things, the sooner and faster they tend to get done. Don't know if it will work for you, but it works wonders for me.

Yeah, I do much better in a scheduled environment. Like when I went to camp, during my free time (and there was quite a lot between activities) I got a lot of writing done (not necessarily the type of writing I should have been doing at a Christian camp, but that's neither here nor there.) Unfortunately setting a schedule for myself doesn't work. Maybe after I find a job I'll do better.

[Sarahfeena]

Right, it can't be a schedule you have to keep yourself to. I do terribly with that...it has to be an imposed schedule that you have to work around. Working will help, for sure. For me, it works best when I have a job and another major activity...right now, it's being a working mom. But I don't recommend that! Working and going to school was another one that worked for me. People ask me why I keep myself so busy all the time, and that's why. If I didn't, I wouldn't do anything. Which seems like weird logic, but it's true for me.

[Jaglavak]

Maybe it's all your running around with no shoes on. That could be seriously distracting, especially on a gravel driveway.

Maybe all the clutter is a defense mechanism against taking on even more stuff you can't / won't / don't want to handle? Perhaps those "non-productive" episodes serve more of a de-stressing purpose than you admit? Perhaps you should consider scheduling some dedicated lounging time in there somewhere.

[The Original An Gadaí]

R*I*T*A*L*I*N*

Well no, it's a major problem for me too and for most people I think. It's a component of the human condition.

[AllWalker]

I can offer no advice, STG, but I can tell you you are not alone. My bloody thesis is due in a couple of weeks and a bit but that is not motivating me. Quite the opposite, if anything.

I once went to the computer lab to work on it there, just to see if a change of environment would help. A noisy, depressing environment with free internet access was not a good choice.

[SilverTygerGirl]

Unrelated, but Allwalker, your avatar is adorable.

In a bit of good news, my one midterm got moved to a week later, which means I don't have to study for that while finishing everything else up. And I'm about halfway done with the huge project (to the point where I need the teacher to clarify things, which I'm assuming he's already planning to talk about on Tuesday.)

[AllWalker]

Unrelated, but Allwalker, your avatar is adorable.

Thanks. He is a hero of science!

[Walker in Eternity]

Thanks. He is a hero of science!

Brilliant, does that work on people too?

SilverTygerGirl, I sympathise completely, I am just about midway through my PhD and after a couple of busy weeks am procrastinating terribly. I know I should do things, I just can't get motivated to do it.

There's a brilliant paper on procrastination that divides us into two types, avoidant and arousal procrastinators.

Avoiders, generally, have low self esteem and put off tasks becasue they are afraid of failure (or many other related reasons).

Arousal procrastinators leave things until the last minute because they need the adrenaline rush to get things done.

I think that we are all a combination of the two myself. Apparently 25% of the population are chronic procrastinators.

Here's a link to the paper, if you can't access it and want to read it let me know and I'll email you the pdf.

[SilverTygerGirl]

Brilliant, does that work on people too?

SilverTygerGirl, I sympathise completely, I am just about midway through my PhD and after a couple of busy weeks am procrastinating terribly. I know I should do things, I just can't get motivated to do it.

There's a brilliant paper on procrastination that divides us into two types, avoidant and arousal procrastinators.

Avoiders, generally, have low self esteem and put off tasks becasue they are afraid of failure (or many other related reasons).

Arousal procrastinators leave things until the last minute because they need the adrenaline rush to get things done.

I think that we are all a combination of the two myself. Apparently 25% of the population are chronic procrastinators.

Here's a link to the paper, if you can't access it and want to read it let me know and I'll email you the pdf.

Interesting. I wish there was somewhere I could take the tests and figure out which I am. (Neither seems quite right for me.)