BogeyDope

I have a big tendency to start strong, stay strong, then suddenly become lazy and procrastinate, usually resulting in my grades slipping [which is the last thing you want to happen in college]. I was hoping that some of you could give me some insightful tips as to how I can beat procrastination and laziness. I would be much obliged.

snowy

Sheer bribery.

Promise yourself a certain reward after meeting particular goals, and do it. For instance, I love to indulge in a good recreational reading session, or play World of Warcraft, but I get what I need to get done before I allow myself to relax and engage in recreational activities.

Lists are great for keeping track of what you need to do. I have three lists going at all times--one for keeping track of chores, one for keeping track of to-do items, and one for keeping track of assignments. When I need to know what needs doing, the lists are there. I also keep a dry erase calendar on my bedroom wall with all my important events listed on it.

So, keep track of your shit, do your shit, and reward yourself for doing it.

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Cynthetiq

wait until tomorrow...

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Merlocke

I'd have to agree with this one. I set small attainable bite sized goals and attach rewards to myself for each of the steps. Naturally the biggest reward is at the very end, so I'm enticed to reach the other side.

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Charlatan

Try to find out why you are doing it. Then fix that problem.

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Fotzlid

is it procrastination and laziness or are you getting bored by the end of the semester by the repititous assignments and uninteresting lectures?

Ustwo

Do it the way I used to.

Start weak, go slow, and then cram at the end in a moment of panic.

Its not great for your grades either, but it IS another way.

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Plan9

Hahaha, the predominant system in use today.

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Whatever you can carry.

"You should not drink... and bake."

World's King

I'll tell you tomorrow.

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Crack

I came into this thread to type the exact same thing. Dammit. I think we are meant to be together now king...

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Illuminaire

I've always done it the same way ustwo does it. Hell, back when I was in High School, I wrote some of my best papers at 12am the night before.

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ays

Loving what you do is a big help.

It seems when you feel like you're obligated to do something, it sort of loses it's umphh.

Other than that, get off your lazy F-in ass and do something! Time keeps on slipping, slipping, slipping... into the fuuutureee.

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roachboy

typing this is a type of procrastinating.

cleaning my apartment, which is another type of procrastination that i mention here in order to procrastinate some more, is a therapeutic form of procrastination in that it provides a convincing illusion of order and directedness that should indicate something about your mental state when procrastination becomes annoying, kinda how you want to be at that point, but it can and does frequently turn out that cleaning your apartment is actually just another form of procrastination, which you become aware of particularly when you notice that the clean apartment and your mental state do not line up----there is a whole region of time-consuming speculation that can be entered into as you try to figure out, for therapeutic reasons, why the therapeutic form of procrastination called cleaning your apartment did not have the desired effect---or rather why it is that, as you were cleaning the apartment, working on what you should be doing seemed a desired effect, but now that you are not cleaning the apartment any more, the effect that was then desired is somehow no longer a desired effect-----but now that you think about it, perhaps it never really was a desired effect----not really---or perhaps it was only a desired effect only when you weren't doing what you have to do----but now that you are nearer to doing what you have to do, it isn't so desirable----because you really dont want to do what you have to do for some reason---but this is a problem, because perhaps cleaning the apartment is not in fact a therapeutic exercise--but this is bad because if i dont clean my apartment, it just stays as it is when it is not clean---so perhaps what i am supposed to be doing is the procrastination device and cleaning the activity i really should be doing---either way, what is it about me that makes me so inclined to avoid doing what i have to do?--am i going to spent the rest of my life here, doing this?

and so yet another seam opens up and you can slide right along that as you can waste alot of time trying to figure out why what seemed like something that you were going to want to do in the abstract, that is before, when you weren't doing it, no longer seems like something that you want to do now. then there are the concerns that arise from cleaning the apartment and all its potential meanings, and while thinking about that one, and of the relation between that and your seeming inability to do what you have to do, and why it is that as you wonder about this relation, you get confused about which is the activity and which the procrastination....time can continue to pass and a state of affairs be reached in which you are not even able to procrastinate efficiently.


these problems multiply like gnats.
worse still, you can do this with any operation, real potential or imagined:
even the most innocuous activity can generate a vast network of problems and meta-problems.


that's why it's better to devote yourself to what you need to do.
it is simpler.

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Willravel

It's not suicide. Put down the cheese grader and step down from the step stool. Suicide is never the answer unless the question is: "What is never the answer?", and even then, it's a toughy.

I'd love to see you put in braces.

Ustwo

After the court order I am required to wear pants, so you will be disappointed.

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Crack

Do you hail from Arizona Ustwo?

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Crack, you and I are long overdue for a vicious bout of mansex.

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Willravel

I was referring to the procedure... it's odd you instantly assumed I was thinking about your junk.
Were you asking because you were interested...?

roachboy

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a gramophone its corrugated trumpet silver handle
spinning dog. such faithfulness it hear

it make you sick.

-kamau brathwaite

Hain

I have to say that the repetition of the same thing all the time makes it hard to keep going, especially in college. Back when I was motivated, I actually had all sorts of time to go running and work out, have study sessions, hang with friends...

The only thing that kept me together was a big-fuckin'-calendar-book. I don't mean one of those pocket day planners- I mean "the goddamn history of the universe is inscribed on the inside cover of this book" calendar book. Just wrote down all my time somehow and managed to have fun... I got to buy another big fuckin' calendar book.

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Ustwo

Nothing odd about it, I was just trying to make you feel comfortable with your chosen lifestyle.

I'm not homophobic, you can look but not touch.

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Agents of the enemies who hold office in our own government, who attempt to eliminate our "freedoms" and our "right to know" are posting among us, I fear.....on this very forum. - host

Obama - Know a Man by the friends he keeps.

skada

Procrastination is a habit and well, you change it, then it will take some time.

First take small steps, plan few activities and DO IT. Let them be small.
Don't take up an activity that you think you will not be able to compete for now.

Don't make and break promises you made with yourself. Like "I will do this by Monday" and don't do it at all or keep it incomplete. Such kind of attitude will kill your self-integration.

Remain motivated. What was it that made you start the activity in first place remember that passion/motivation. Like you wanted great grades, or improved results or better looking bedroom or whatever. Stick to that passion.

And in the end when you are actually procrastinating, say cleaning room, then don't sit! Get into Action! If you are not in mood just pace around fast and START doing. People generally think that body follows mind, but mind too follows body. If you are fast and rapid in action your mind will get excited to do the work.

Hope it helped somehow.

Cheers
SKada

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Hain

Wow Ustwo, I pegged you to say, "Looking's for free; touching will cost you."

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ubertuber

In a free market everything has its price.

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Bear Cub

I wish I could give sound advice here, but, I'm typing this instead of studying for the three finals I have tomorrow.

Plan9

Joke: Live in a third world country. You can't procrastinate much there.

__________________
Whatever you can carry.

"You should not drink... and bake."

jewels

Skada makes a great point here and brings to mind another crucial mindset.

It is inevitable that at some point, for some ludicrous or rationalized reason, you will break a self-promise, but don't allow yourself to fall into the self-deprecating pit. If this happens, just move on with the plan right away.

Anyone who's trying to follow a plan, whether it's a diet, a scholarly endeavor, career goals -- we hit a moment of weakness and begin to see ourselves as failures, so we sink into the same behaviors, thinking we just can't do it. This just isn't so. But it's difficult to learn when many of us have done this all our lives. Write it, say it, find a way. Put that indiscretion, whatever it may be, behind you and continue towards your goal or plan. Refuse to believe that you are a failure, no matter what.

You can do it!

ubertuber

I overcome procrastination and things like it by going completely overboard in the other direction. Half measures and incremental improvement never work for me.

Look at it this way -- procrastination is a luxury. It is you filling all available time, and most of that filler is probably wasteful activity. So get a job, start volunteering, do more stuff. If you are in school, set a goal to do all of the classwork and then more at all times. I found that filling my time gave two benefits. I had to become more organized, and I never slow down. Maybe that sounds unpleasant, but I get better grades, work more efficiently, and enjoy myself more than I used to.

Similarly, I'm not a morning person -- so I get up at 5:30-5:45 for my 9AM class. Waking up later invites me to just hit the snooze alarm or squeeze an extra 15 minutes of sleep. Getting up at a ridiculously early time removes those behaviors from consideration. And I also get uninterrupted time in the morning to do my routine and get more work done.

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Hain

@ Ubertuber:
The problem is finding the motivation to start doing shit like that!

Don't start out with organization... but make random bullshit lists. I became a compulsive list maker for all sorts of goofy damned shit that had nothing to do with what I was doing. Eventually I turned into lists of work I should do and X-ing it out as I finished it. Finally I had to buy a goddamned-big-fuckin'-calendar-book. Today I bought a big fuckin calendar book for 2008. I ... lost my other planner. I feel better about my time all ready.

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ubertuber

Maybe I'm crazy, but motivation isn't something you need a lot of. It's not like gasoline, it's just a choice. Big choices that look scary are really nothing but a bunch of little choices.

For me, it all started with setting the alarm for 5:30 AM one day a few years ago.

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Cogito ergo spud -- I think, therefore I yam

Luke Cage

Q. What's the best way to beat procrastination?



A. Sit down, make a list of the things you need to do.. then pick up remote control and think about the things you want to do.

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fatmanforprez

One day I sat down and decided that i could beat procrastination and decided I would find the way. Needless to say that only lasted 5 minutes before the distractions started again.

The only method I have to beat procrastination is the worst possible method. I stay busy, and I mean busy. It's a 24/7 "I am always late for something, I never sleep, my social life is a mess" joo joo flop.

I am the busiest person at work cause as long as I am on my toes I can force myself to get it all done. Mix that with a intense guilt response for missing work or doing it incorrectly. As long as i fight off the apathy I am a killer, once the apathy kicks in though its worse than the procrastination.

Don't use my method it is just a really slow suicide, on the plus side I discover new abilities every day (that may have more to do with elitist narcissism), I work hard , I play hard, I will die hard (or is that just the lack of social life and thus sex?).