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> I don't want to get things done Exactly. This is a really, really difficult and essential observation to make. Humans are built to procrastinate because it c

by cel1ne 9y ago

> I don't want to get things done Exactly. This is a really, really difficult and essential observation to make. Humans are built to procrastinate because it conserves energy. Do an experiment: Sit down and start doing what you are supposed to do. If you're not able to work or start, don't find excuses. Don't go looking for physical reasons like "Hungry", "Cold", "Tired". Don't procrastinate. Don't walk around. Don't work around the issue. Don't change the project. Those are all excuses. Just accept that you are not able to start and keep sitting there until you start. When you stop finding excuses or looking elsewhere, you will realise the immense stress that's building up inside you. That is the mountain you have to scale to stop procrastinating. A kind of stress that's not always there, luckily, but it's definitely built into humans.

EGreg 9y ago
I find that the problem is often the context switching. To get things done, I often have to take a step back and make a list of things that need to get done. This is the top-down brainstorming, that gets me more in the mood. I can do this when I'm not working, to get me thinking about the problem. Then when the time comes for working, you choose the easiest or shortest task and start on it. The "McDonalds theory" as stated on phpjs is that you can do a shitty job on your first iteration as long as you get it done. When you did it, or usually even as you are working, you have the urge to improve it. And that's where the excitement and emotional investment comes. Russians have an expression for this: Appetite comes when you start eating.
- cel1ne 9y ago
  Yes, I do that as well. Start somewhere and work yourself into the mood. I keep the larger issue in mind though, to not spend too much time on improving "alibi"-subprojects. Regarding the "McDonalds theory": I call that "Don't mix production and criticism of your work." Either produce something or improve on you've already done. Otherwise these two modes of operation interfere with each other.
posterboy 9y ago
> try to lift a 100kg weight > just accept that you won't lift it, until you tried > if you try, you will feel a stress that might just crush you, but there is no other solution, you are absolutely expected to lift the weight
- cel1ne 9y ago
  Not sure what you wanted to say, but I'll rephrase my tip in your words: Don't tell yourself the weight is light, you just never got around to lift it for reasons X, Y and Z, when really the weight is heavy.
  - posterboy 9y ago
    I'm not sure either but I guess I was trying to say that the weakness to lifting a weight is exactly the same as to getting up, ignoring x, y and z and do something. Because first of all, the brain is the biggest muscle and second of all, because training is impeded by distractions, whether training to ignore distractions or to lift weights.

by cel1ne 9y ago

EGreg 9y ago

I find that the problem is often the context switching. To get things done, I often have to take a step back and make a list of things that need to get done. This is the top-down brainstorming, that gets me more in the mood. I can do this when I'm not working, to get me thinking about the problem. Then when the time comes for working, you choose the easiest or shortest task and start on it. The "McDonalds theory" as stated on phpjs is that you can do a shitty job on your first iteration as long as you get it done. When you did it, or usually even as you are working, you have the urge to improve it. And that's where the excitement and emotional investment comes. Russians have an expression for this: Appetite comes when you start eating.

cel1ne 9y ago
Yes, I do that as well. Start somewhere and work yourself into the mood. I keep the larger issue in mind though, to not spend too much time on improving "alibi"-subprojects. Regarding the "McDonalds theory": I call that "Don't mix production and criticism of your work." Either produce something or improve on you've already done. Otherwise these two modes of operation interfere with each other.

posterboy 9y ago

> try to lift a 100kg weight > just accept that you won't lift it, until you tried > if you try, you will feel a stress that might just crush you, but there is no other solution, you are absolutely expected to lift the weight

cel1ne 9y ago
Not sure what you wanted to say, but I'll rephrase my tip in your words: Don't tell yourself the weight is light, you just never got around to lift it for reasons X, Y and Z, when really the weight is heavy.
- posterboy 9y ago
  I'm not sure either but I guess I was trying to say that the weakness to lifting a weight is exactly the same as to getting up, ignoring x, y and z and do something. Because first of all, the brain is the biggest muscle and second of all, because training is impeded by distractions, whether training to ignore distractions or to lift weights.