4 ms·

Maybe you're not in the right spot right now, not doing what you really want to do? Maybe a new job, new scenery would be good. Maybe taking a bit of a break.

atian 6y ago
Maybe all one needs is a small dose of amphetamines, and all will get back on track.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
svat 6y ago
Actually I've already changed jobs/teams two times in the last ~2 years. But I wasn't even talking about "work" alone. I also procrastinate, to an incredible (to most people) extent, on: exercise, chores (laundry, dishes, taxes), which I guess everybody procrastinates to some extent on, and on personal fun projects (those I've told others about, and those that are only ideas in my head), and things as simple as sending a short "hey how are you" email to a very dear friend -- all with serious consequences over the last couple of decades. For instance, when you look forward with eagerness and anticipation all week to doing some particular thing on the weekend, and then when the time comes you just scroll Twitter all day for two days in a row. Basically anything I wish my future self would do: my future self doesn't seem to like getting messages from its past self :-) Yes the reason for procrastination can often be some kind of "not wanting to do it", but it can also be perfectionism (wanting it too much / to do it to a very high standard), counterproductive habits/addictions, and it turns out on reflection (checking in with emotions), that it is even possible to be "uncomfortably excited" and not know how to handle that discomfort. Whether and how much you procrastinate is a function of both your motivation and your basic efficacy (I guess "executive dysfunction" is a clinical version of this problem) -- or to put it another way, it's a function of not just "value" but also "expectancy" and "impulsiveness" in the procrastination equation (see e.g. https://alexvermeer.com/getmotivated/ https://alexvermeer.com/getmotivated/), and it's OK (and good!) to try addressing in whatever order, trying any possible solution and experimenting until you find what works for you. My intention with my previous comment was simply to highlight that there are degrees of procrastination, and to warn those who may need it against avoiding solutions that may help them (out of "this isn't the ideal way" perfectionism). It was not my intention to go into detail about myself, but I've done that here (thanks to your well-meant advice and) to make the point again.
Apocryphon 6y ago
That's really not helpful advice to the vast majority of people who are stuck by circumstances to do what they don't truly want to do.

atian 6y ago

Maybe all one needs is a small dose of amphetamines, and all will get back on track.

deleted 6y ago
[deleted]

svat 6y ago

Actually I've already changed jobs/teams two times in the last ~2 years. But I wasn't even talking about "work" alone. I also procrastinate, to an incredible (to most people) extent, on: exercise, chores (laundry, dishes, taxes), which I guess everybody procrastinates to some extent on, and on personal fun projects (those I've told others about, and those that are only ideas in my head), and things as simple as sending a short "hey how are you" email to a very dear friend -- all with serious consequences over the last couple of decades. For instance, when you look forward with eagerness and anticipation all week to doing some particular thing on the weekend, and then when the time comes you just scroll Twitter all day for two days in a row. Basically anything I wish my future self would do: my future self doesn't seem to like getting messages from its past self :-) Yes the reason for procrastination can often be some kind of "not wanting to do it", but it can also be perfectionism (wanting it too much / to do it to a very high standard), counterproductive habits/addictions, and it turns out on reflection (checking in with emotions), that it is even possible to be "uncomfortably excited" and not know how to handle that discomfort. Whether and how much you procrastinate is a function of both your motivation and your basic efficacy (I guess "executive dysfunction" is a clinical version of this problem) -- or to put it another way, it's a function of not just "value" but also "expectancy" and "impulsiveness" in the procrastination equation (see e.g. https://alexvermeer.com/getmotivated/ https://alexvermeer.com/getmotivated/), and it's OK (and good!) to try addressing in whatever order, trying any possible solution and experimenting until you find what works for you. My intention with my previous comment was simply to highlight that there are degrees of procrastination, and to warn those who may need it against avoiding solutions that may help them (out of "this isn't the ideal way" perfectionism). It was not my intention to go into detail about myself, but I've done that here (thanks to your well-meant advice and) to make the point again.

Apocryphon 6y ago

That's really not helpful advice to the vast majority of people who are stuck by circumstances to do what they don't truly want to do.