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Same here, except my urge goes as far as writing to-do list tools (but obviously never actually getting to the point of having something usable). I guess it's e

Same here, except my urge goes as far as writing to-do list tools (but obviously never actually getting to the point of having something usable). I guess it's easier to blame current solutions for not having {insert essential feature I just came up with that would finally turn me into a productive individual} than actually working with what I have and focusing on what needs to be done. I wonder if there is some kind of all-encompassing solution (software-based or whatever) that actually manages to conduct you into a so-called "flow state" in some way. I've tried automating things like blocking websites, turning the computer off at certain times and so on, but it always either feels too constraining (which just makes me disable everything after some time) or too "manual" (which I never have the discipline to maintain). And ultimately, it doesn't really make me want to do the task any more than I would otherwise.

metaobject 8y ago
For me, it's when I open my .emacs file and start working on my personal TODO items. The last time I ended up writing some elisp functions to make adding code comments/documentation easier and to auto-generate project layouts and source code skeleton files.
- jdormit 8y ago
  Yup, hacking on emacs is my procrastination method of choice. It is enough a part of my daily life that I can convince myself that writing a function to generate org mode links from epub files will genuinely make me more productive down the line.
  - gkya 8y ago
    Thing is, it does. I am a very distractible person, but using a combination of Org mode's recurring tasks and clocking has helped me get many long-time tasks that I'd normally just procrastinate away done. And all those little bit of configuration and scripting has indeed made me if not more productive per se, more efficient in using Emacs and Org to be more productive at least, and that is no little thing at all.
marban 8y ago
Eventually I just stop staring at whatever list but instead, off the top of my head, jot down what seems to be important on a piece of paper since crossing it off physically gives a lot more satisfaction. Anything else just goes into hundreds of notes in Apple Notes that I review every week. (After having tried every app under the sun, I've come to the conclusion that I'm a sucker for native integration).
losteric 8y ago
Discipline is the solution. I'm not being facetious, the bottleneck to individual human productivity is usually the human. Over-planning and focusing on tangential problems are frequently just rationalizing away procrastination... "maybe this mountain of work will take less effort with a better organization system" - probably not. These days I prefer using org-mode for notes, MoSCoW for triaging, and Omnifocus for execution. It took months to become proficient, but now getting in the zone is effortless.
- nikki93 8y ago
  What's MoSCoW? Wasn't able to find anything in this domain named that from a couple simple Google searches...
  - PeterStuer 8y ago
    "The MoSCoW method is a prioritization technique used in management, business analysis, project management, and software development to reach a common understanding with stakeholders on the importance they place on the delivery of each requirement; it is also known as MoSCoW prioritization or MoSCoW analysis. The term MoSCoW itself is an acronym derived from the first letter of each of four prioritization categories (Must have, Should have, Could have, and Won't have), with the interstitial Os added to make the word pronounceable. While the Os are usually in lower-case to indicate that they do not stand for anything, the all-capitals MOSCOW is also used." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MoSCoW_method https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MoSCoW_method
    - losteric 8y ago
      ^- this. If I execute without a prioritized list, I tend to focus on the fun/easy "could" and "won't" tasks. Creating a MoSCoW list for myself keeps me honest and acts as a forcing function for discipline.
- vinceguidry 8y ago
  Discipline is the solution, with the caveat that the mountain of work needs to actually be worth accomplishing. Procrastination is often the mind's way of forcing you to consider your deeper priorities.
PebblesRox 8y ago
I find it helpful to write an ordered list of my to-dos on a piece of paper. Then I plot them on a chart below - usually I do effort for the x axis and urgency for the y axis. Then I chart a path for myself by drawing arrows from one item to the next. I start with the easiest things so that I can knock off the low-hanging fruit and gain momentum. I find it helpful to decide what order to do everything ahead of time, because then in the moment when I don't know what to do, I just look at the chart and get a clear answer. The graphing process also helps me evaluate my to-dos more rationally instead of going off of vague feelings. Often I find that a task that feels really difficult actually won't take very much time. That helps me buckle down and do it, since I know I can get it over with quickly. Making the graph also helps me let go of things that aren't actually important or urgent. I can put them at the tail end of my path and not worry about whether I'm able to get to them or not. It helps me stay disciplined and not fill up my time with them just because they feel easier than the important stuff.
inteleng 8y ago
Classic HN humblebrag.
applecrazy 8y ago
I've tried so many things in the past (Microsoft To-Do, Google Tasks, Google Keep, Trello), but nothing seemed to work or was very distracting. And then I tried org-mode, and I swear by it. It's great and flexible. I've used it to plan projects, complete assignments, and schedule appointments. I also set up sync to two cloud providers, allowing me to view my TODOs in a web browser or my phone in an instant. In addition, the clockin feature of org provides me with quantifiable measures of my productivity. And best of all, there's zero vendor lock-in, since all org files are plain text. Speaking of work, I should probably get off HN now :)

metaobject 8y ago

For me, it's when I open my .emacs file and start working on my personal TODO items. The last time I ended up writing some elisp functions to make adding code comments/documentation easier and to auto-generate project layouts and source code skeleton files.

jdormit 8y ago
Yup, hacking on emacs is my procrastination method of choice. It is enough a part of my daily life that I can convince myself that writing a function to generate org mode links from epub files will genuinely make me more productive down the line.
- gkya 8y ago
  Thing is, it does. I am a very distractible person, but using a combination of Org mode's recurring tasks and clocking has helped me get many long-time tasks that I'd normally just procrastinate away done. And all those little bit of configuration and scripting has indeed made me if not more productive per se, more efficient in using Emacs and Org to be more productive at least, and that is no little thing at all.

marban 8y ago

Eventually I just stop staring at whatever list but instead, off the top of my head, jot down what seems to be important on a piece of paper since crossing it off physically gives a lot more satisfaction. Anything else just goes into hundreds of notes in Apple Notes that I review every week. (After having tried every app under the sun, I've come to the conclusion that I'm a sucker for native integration).

losteric 8y ago

Discipline is the solution. I'm not being facetious, the bottleneck to individual human productivity is usually the human. Over-planning and focusing on tangential problems are frequently just rationalizing away procrastination... "maybe this mountain of work will take less effort with a better organization system" - probably not. These days I prefer using org-mode for notes, MoSCoW for triaging, and Omnifocus for execution. It took months to become proficient, but now getting in the zone is effortless.

nikki93 8y ago
What's MoSCoW? Wasn't able to find anything in this domain named that from a couple simple Google searches...
- PeterStuer 8y ago
  "The MoSCoW method is a prioritization technique used in management, business analysis, project management, and software development to reach a common understanding with stakeholders on the importance they place on the delivery of each requirement; it is also known as MoSCoW prioritization or MoSCoW analysis. The term MoSCoW itself is an acronym derived from the first letter of each of four prioritization categories (Must have, Should have, Could have, and Won't have), with the interstitial Os added to make the word pronounceable. While the Os are usually in lower-case to indicate that they do not stand for anything, the all-capitals MOSCOW is also used." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MoSCoW_method https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MoSCoW_method
  - losteric 8y ago
    ^- this. If I execute without a prioritized list, I tend to focus on the fun/easy "could" and "won't" tasks. Creating a MoSCoW list for myself keeps me honest and acts as a forcing function for discipline.
vinceguidry 8y ago
Discipline is the solution, with the caveat that the mountain of work needs to actually be worth accomplishing. Procrastination is often the mind's way of forcing you to consider your deeper priorities.

PebblesRox 8y ago

I find it helpful to write an ordered list of my to-dos on a piece of paper. Then I plot them on a chart below - usually I do effort for the x axis and urgency for the y axis. Then I chart a path for myself by drawing arrows from one item to the next. I start with the easiest things so that I can knock off the low-hanging fruit and gain momentum. I find it helpful to decide what order to do everything ahead of time, because then in the moment when I don't know what to do, I just look at the chart and get a clear answer. The graphing process also helps me evaluate my to-dos more rationally instead of going off of vague feelings. Often I find that a task that feels really difficult actually won't take very much time. That helps me buckle down and do it, since I know I can get it over with quickly. Making the graph also helps me let go of things that aren't actually important or urgent. I can put them at the tail end of my path and not worry about whether I'm able to get to them or not. It helps me stay disciplined and not fill up my time with them just because they feel easier than the important stuff.

inteleng 8y ago

Classic HN humblebrag.

applecrazy 8y ago

I've tried so many things in the past (Microsoft To-Do, Google Tasks, Google Keep, Trello), but nothing seemed to work or was very distracting. And then I tried org-mode, and I swear by it. It's great and flexible. I've used it to plan projects, complete assignments, and schedule appointments. I also set up sync to two cloud providers, allowing me to view my TODOs in a web browser or my phone in an instant. In addition, the clockin feature of org provides me with quantifiable measures of my productivity. And best of all, there's zero vendor lock-in, since all org files are plain text. Speaking of work, I should probably get off HN now :)