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I don’t think it’s correct to see procrastination as only a negative. At least for me it’s often a signal that whatever activity I’m trying to push myself to wi

I don’t think it’s correct to see procrastination as only a negative. At least for me it’s often a signal that whatever activity I’m trying to push myself to will not have the desired outcome. So as I see it procrastination is sort of the internal equivalent of a hesitant investor, asking “will this work really pay off?” That’s a very important question, and asking it has obvious survival benefits.

lazide 4y ago
It does - if the signal turns into addressing the underlying issue. So, if someone recognizes the tendency to procrastinate on studying on a test as a sign they need to study more, and then does it? Good. Getting stuck, then in a fear loop where they wait until it’s too late to actually do well on the test, then hurt themselves trying to study at the last minute and do poorly (or just good enough)? Bad. Most people consider the latter behavior procrastination, and the first one not.
- bjornsing 4y ago
  I think you misunderstood me. I meant that I see procrastination as a signal e.g. that studying for the test will not have the intended result of doing well on the test, or that I may not actually want to do well on the test. So the hesitant investor is asking “Do I really want this? Is it worth the time and energy investment of studying?”
  - lazide 4y ago
    Ah, ok thanks! That does explain it a bit better. But if you actually believe it isn't worth the effort or that you don't actually want to do well on the test, then it's also unlikely to be a stressful or unpleasant experience, right? Procrastination is pretty universally unpleasant. If it was really what you believed, you'd just not spend extra effort on it, and shrug when the expected result occurs, and you'd probably be right! My experience has been that is just not giving a shit, which isn't procrastination, per-se, and often necessary and healthy in at least some parts of our lives. Procrastination is the cycle of avoidance/anxiety/shame where one is trying to convince themselves of the above state, despite them not really believing it, as a way to attempt to regulate themselves. Reality almost always intervenes eventually though. One of the more common types of stress (in my experience) is when ones actions don't match what they know they should do to produce the outcome they want or need. And it's generally a dysfunction if it gets in the way of doing what they want, and can do, if they were better regulating. Anyone with ADHD is quite familiar with it and the analogy of 'the wall of awful'. The big issue with true procrastination, in my experience, is that the worse it gets, the worse it gets, and if someone gets to a certain point, it can become life destroying (ex: Hoarders, folks who avoid Dental issues until their teeth fall out, avoid going to the Doctor for that twinge in their chest until they die of a heart attack, etc.). Procrastination almost never happens when someone is confident in their ability to actually do something, and is in a place where they are actually healthy/feeling ok. So procrastinating to the point someone gets super anxious even if they eventually succeed, or fails at something really important, builds up 'the wall of awful'. Success at something, or feeling good when something is accomplished, tears it down. So for instance: If an investor gets the twinge of 'Do I really want this, is this worth the time and energy investment'; - A good investor will generally notice and figure out - is this a self limiting belief on their side (and if so, can they resolve their personal issue healthily and then re-evaluate), or a legitimate red flag that it's not worth it. If they are so attentive and able to see what is going on with them and self-regulate well enough, they'll tend to pick more successful options in general, and avoid scams more often. That leads to more confidence in those decisions and in my experience higher overall returns. They won't be bogged down in failures they (kind of) saw coming, and will be able to capitalize on good opportunities when they present themselves instead of avoiding them or saying No. - A bad investor will not do so (and will resort to either dismissing the concern outright, or trusting it outright), and either force themselves to invest regardless (and hence be scammed more often), or not invest and miss out on good investments (and hence miss out on opportunities). This leads to more self limiting beliefs and real problems and they often work themselves into a deeper hole, or go bankrupt. As individuals, executive function is that same type of behavior but for our own actions. It can be, and is, exhaustible for everyone. ADHD, for instance, is the name we give to folks who have a harder time keeping it and not exhausting it. But everyone is on a spectrum.

lazide 4y ago

It does - if the signal turns into addressing the underlying issue. So, if someone recognizes the tendency to procrastinate on studying on a test as a sign they need to study more, and then does it? Good. Getting stuck, then in a fear loop where they wait until it’s too late to actually do well on the test, then hurt themselves trying to study at the last minute and do poorly (or just good enough)? Bad. Most people consider the latter behavior procrastination, and the first one not.

bjornsing 4y ago
I think you misunderstood me. I meant that I see procrastination as a signal e.g. that studying for the test will not have the intended result of doing well on the test, or that I may not actually want to do well on the test. So the hesitant investor is asking “Do I really want this? Is it worth the time and energy investment of studying?”
- lazide 4y ago
  Ah, ok thanks! That does explain it a bit better. But if you actually believe it isn't worth the effort or that you don't actually want to do well on the test, then it's also unlikely to be a stressful or unpleasant experience, right? Procrastination is pretty universally unpleasant. If it was really what you believed, you'd just not spend extra effort on it, and shrug when the expected result occurs, and you'd probably be right! My experience has been that is just not giving a shit, which isn't procrastination, per-se, and often necessary and healthy in at least some parts of our lives. Procrastination is the cycle of avoidance/anxiety/shame where one is trying to convince themselves of the above state, despite them not really believing it, as a way to attempt to regulate themselves. Reality almost always intervenes eventually though. One of the more common types of stress (in my experience) is when ones actions don't match what they know they should do to produce the outcome they want or need. And it's generally a dysfunction if it gets in the way of doing what they want, and can do, if they were better regulating. Anyone with ADHD is quite familiar with it and the analogy of 'the wall of awful'. The big issue with true procrastination, in my experience, is that the worse it gets, the worse it gets, and if someone gets to a certain point, it can become life destroying (ex: Hoarders, folks who avoid Dental issues until their teeth fall out, avoid going to the Doctor for that twinge in their chest until they die of a heart attack, etc.). Procrastination almost never happens when someone is confident in their ability to actually do something, and is in a place where they are actually healthy/feeling ok. So procrastinating to the point someone gets super anxious even if they eventually succeed, or fails at something really important, builds up 'the wall of awful'. Success at something, or feeling good when something is accomplished, tears it down. So for instance: If an investor gets the twinge of 'Do I really want this, is this worth the time and energy investment'; - A good investor will generally notice and figure out - is this a self limiting belief on their side (and if so, can they resolve their personal issue healthily and then re-evaluate), or a legitimate red flag that it's not worth it. If they are so attentive and able to see what is going on with them and self-regulate well enough, they'll tend to pick more successful options in general, and avoid scams more often. That leads to more confidence in those decisions and in my experience higher overall returns. They won't be bogged down in failures they (kind of) saw coming, and will be able to capitalize on good opportunities when they present themselves instead of avoiding them or saying No. - A bad investor will not do so (and will resort to either dismissing the concern outright, or trusting it outright), and either force themselves to invest regardless (and hence be scammed more often), or not invest and miss out on good investments (and hence miss out on opportunities). This leads to more self limiting beliefs and real problems and they often work themselves into a deeper hole, or go bankrupt. As individuals, executive function is that same type of behavior but for our own actions. It can be, and is, exhaustible for everyone. ADHD, for instance, is the name we give to folks who have a harder time keeping it and not exhausting it. But everyone is on a spectrum.