How to stop severe procrastination? (33)

5 Name: Anonymous : 2007-02-07 09:52 ID:GbAZDL6Y

>>1
http://www.lifehack.org/

http://studygs.net/ (lots of good links, this is good even for stuff that aren't study situations)
http://studygs.net/attmot3.htm
http://studygs.net/adhd/index.htm

http://stevepavlina.com/blog/ (use the category links in the left link section)
http://www.stevepavlina.com/forums/personal-effectiveness/

>>1, >>4 is very harsh, but without a doubt has a big grain of truth in their message. If you need to do non-computer stuff, having your computer on is like leaving a big glass of boose next to a recovering alcoholic. Not nice, and a too evil and unnecessary temptation. Avoid enabling yourself to easily procrastinate. Chances are that you're procrastinating because it either gives your more intense positive stimulation than what you're supposed to be doing (you might have ADHD), or because you've emotionally put yourself in a situation where you feel avoiding to do the work for as long as possible is the best option (e.g. if you have unreasonably high demands on the results/process).
If you do need to do computer work, then create a second account for yourself, and cripple it in all the good ways (i.e. ban website access for everything but a few select sites, deny access to the leisure parts of your HDD except for perhaps your music or so, etc). Also, if you need constant stimulation then you might want to get a stress ball or something similarly not too distracting to semi-play with while you're working, to ensure that you won't get too twitchy, lacking enough stimulation. >>2's "Be organized" is very true. >>2 has lots of good stuff, really.

>Maybe consider buying a PDA

Or make a hipster PDA! xD Paper technology ftw? The sucky bit is that it takes more effort to sync any online/computer calendars/agendas with it.
Never have an un-dated To-Do list. Schedule in things you need to do in your paper calendar (pocket-sized, to always bring with you), either at a certain time at a certain day, or schedule it in for some month if it's not that urgent, and then later put it into a certain time-slot.

Also, NEVER EVER schedule yourself to get a certain amount of work done in a very specific amount of time (as in "I need to do these chapters within these two hours"). Schedule time to work on things, and try to get as much done on them as possible, but never set a too tight plan (as in "I'll try to get as much as possible done of these chapters within these two hours". You need margins: you're not a machine.
Also, never forget: planning and strategies exist for your sake, not you for their sake. You will, and will need to constantly re-tune and change your plans when comes to the finer details, possibly even the bigger details, depending on how much things change. Don't feel you're a slave for your calendar, that's exactly the opposite of what it's supposed to be like. Plans exist as a tool, an aid for your sake. Never forget that.

If you get too twitchy without enough stimulation, you might want to try stuff along the line of chamomille tea/valerian "medicin" or tea/soothing herbal incense, meditation (will up your focus skillz), and get yourself checked for ADHD or mental problems (such as not dealing well with performance anxiety etc - yep, performance anxiety isn't just for sex).

Exercising daily for a minimum of 30 minutes also tends to have a very beneficial result for people that are too restless.

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