Getting motivated and back on track.

[Mantus]

Today,
I got up two hours too late. I ate sweats for breakfast. I got stuck on the computer...for 4 hours, watched 5 episodes of Samurai Champloo and did some other jazz. I accomplished only three things on my list of things to do for today and a few of the things I put off are pretty important.

I hate days like this. I hate how failures seem to cascade one after another until you finally give up all attempt to pull things together and do something really dumb like watch shows for 2.5 hours or surf the net for a quarter of a day. It always starts small. I didn't have to wake up early today. I can make up for a healthy breakfast later. I can surf the net a little longer. By the time I am ready to move, my morale is broken and I say to myself awwwww - fuck it.

I am never going to get things done if I keep having days like this. Once a week is too often. I'll settle for once a month thank you - or never.

I am developing a startegy for possitive momentum in my life and my weakness (on top of grammar, spelling and kryptonite) is that nothing short of a good night's sleep will reversing negative momentum in my day...

This is your chance to have a Anthony Robbins moment! Thought's, ideas, fun stories involving flatulence, and starategies on dealing with this issue are welcome.

Cheers!

[abaya]

All I can say is that I've been there... especially when I have absolutely no structure in my days (which is often, as a graduate student). I am currently ending one of my blessedly liminal periods after a semester has ended (finals week was a real doozy for me, after a very demanding courseload for 17-odd weeks)... I did nothing, exactly what you did, for days and days on end.

Now I have to start up a new semester with a new class and homework requirements. Unfortunately, it's only for an hour and 15 minutes each day, which means that I have to organize the rest of my workday by myself. I am not very good at doing that. I am going to start tomorrow by going to the gym at 10am, though, and hope that it gets better from there. For me, sometimes it just takes one scheduled activity early on... and yeah, sometimes even that doesn't work. Let me know what you figure out.

[Sultana]

I've certainly experienced this. The best way I've found to break this cycle is to make a list of thing you want to accomplish that day (of course, mine are typically unrealistically long), and get two (or however many) done *before you even turn on the computer*. If your worklist involves the computer, then I set a time limit (sometime with a kitchen timer!) to get it done. I do not visit my *fun* sites until that stuff is complete. I also try to time schedule my list, as in: By 12 I will have this, this and this done.

If I can manage to get started strong, I find I get kinda caught up in the joy of getting things done, and can continue.

If I really want to laze my early morning away in front of the computer, once again, set a timer. It's kinda hard for me to do anything else in the morn on weekends, as hubby sleeps later than me, and I don't want to make noise and wake him on the weekend, when he's supposed to be able to sleep in.

Good luck with that!

[Jinn]

The only thing that helped me when I was in a similiar situation (http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/showthread.php?t=103835) was remembering a single lesson that my parents taught me. Fun is like dessert. You have it AFTER the meal. Don't let yourself do something fun until you do something productive. Remind yourself that doing fun things should be a reward for doing productive things.

Productive things are not usually addictive, but fun things usually are. You can naturally understand, then, why fun things always take longer than we expected and eat into our productive time.

If you eat dessert before the meal (have fun before you do something productive), you probably wont be hungry for the meal (motivated to get something done), and you'll end up hungry later (pissed that you didn't get anything done).

Work first, fun later. Chant it!

[rsl12]

Mantus, I'm going through the *exact* same thing now. Whole days wasted doing nothing, purposely not looking at a clock so that I don't know how much time has gone by. Thanks for starting a thread about this. I need a push myself.

[fresnelly]

When I'm trying to get out of a procrastination funk, I start with the small easy stuff: dishes, laundry, garbage etc... Once you've done a few of these simple chores, you'll get some momentum, and beginning the more daunting tasks will be that much easier.

[Anexkahn]

im a list maker when i need to get shit done... if i have it right in front of me it helps tons. Plus i generally find myself doing one more thing, or slipping something else in when i have a few free minutes so i can get it off the list -- stuff that i'd just neglect if it wasnt written out right there for me.

[newtx]

I think the biggest problem is simply getting started. With running or walking if I can get out the door and get started I can usually get a decent workout. When I start the day goofing off it typically snowballs from there. For me the real question is self motivation.
If I can get it in gear early I usually stay on track. But like you said, how do you get started when you start out a couple of hours behind.

[Mantus]

Whoa, solid posts guys!

I think it's quite clear that it's all about momentum. You are going up or down. Fresnelly made such a great point about starting small. I think that's the best way to get out of a funk. Just do something minor first and build on that success.

I find when doing projects that require allot of minor tasks. It's pretty important to give yourself a little pat on the back after the minor tasks and look back at how much has been achieved.

Also, I've hooked up with some really motivated people and their values rubs off on me.

I think, that naturally we all need time to re-charge. The problem is that people like me don't actually have any rest habits. My rest is sitting in front of the computer - which does nothing but give me bad momentum and anxiety. So I am gona come up with ways trully relax and make those off days count.

Cheers guys, keep the sugestions and thoughts comin'

[cookmo]

Dont take the first step to the downward spiral, cause you know the snowball effect. Figure out the start for you and dont do it. Whether its starts with sleeping in, or breakfast, or the computer.....just say NO

[jmad]

Mantus, I have been going through the same funk as you, going on two weeks now. I sit around all day watching movies and tv shows or dicking around on my computer. A productive day for me is going to work out followed by the beach. I'm studying abroad right now, so apart from when I'm travelling, I have no structure to my life whatsoever. And let me tell you, it's all or nothing for me. Either I get crap loads of stuff done in a day(usual catalyst is getting out of bed, heading straight for the shower, and walking out my front door right after), or I do nothing, like I have been for the past 1/2 month. I am craving to go back home just so I can get back on my usual routine (school, job, working out, university organizations), where I accomplish more on a daily basis than I do in a month here.

I actually don't feel too bad about accomplishing nothing, because this is the only time in my life I can get away with kicking back and relaxing as much as I like. I'm only here for another 6 weeks, and thankfully I plan to travel for another week or two of the 6 I have left.