Procrastinator's Anonymous

this topic hits close to home man.

im up at 315 bc i read a book i had to have finished for my 8am class. up at 620 to do some hw, then nap at 10. train, lift, review for midterm, class from 4-8.

procrastination. yep. gots it covered.

Same story as you waylander, I am just older. I didn’t get my shit together until after college. I made it through my first to years without trying, got good scholarships, and then went to almost losing them and failing a class. I got by but now I look back and see it as an opportunity wasted. I could of got more out of it, and I could have done better. Luckily it didn’t screw me out of any future opportunities.

I’m 33 now and doing fine, but I still hate the fact that I didn’t do my best.

Getting pissed off is a good start, at least you are not completely apathetic.

I wish I could tell you what you could do to break out, but I can’t. I don’t think anyone could. It all comes down to what you want the most. I started telling myself that everything I could ever want is mine, I just had to go get it. Still works for me.

FWIW, I am having the same problem with my son (stepson technically). He is 17 and reminds me of myself to a scary degree. I have tried everything in the world to keep him from making the same mistakes I did. Then I realized the only reason I am who I am is because of my many fuck-ups and what I had to do to right them.

Good luck way!

[quote]waylanderxx wrote:
Hi, my name is Waylander and I’m a Procrastinator.

Haha. Ok, I really need to break this habit. I am fucking everything up, relationships, grades, whatever, because I procrastinate and seem to be generally apathetic, and it pisses me off.[/quote] Due to my smartass nature I would like to point out that being pissed off about procrastination automatically negates apathy. Just thought you’d like to know you’re not apathetic towards the situation, you’re already making progress!!! [quote] I never used to be this way either. For several years I went to a very advanced school, one which you had to be IQ tested and have some weird ass social aptitude test, and score well in both to even enter the school.

I thrived in this environment and did very well, but after 4 years my family had to move to another state for my dad’s job. I was put into just a regular school and I was so far ahead that I literally had to do absolutely nothing for the next 3 years of school and still made 4.0’s.

However, once I got to the end of high school and into college where I actually had to apply myself, it seemed impossible to make myself do so after this period of doing jack shit. I have moments where the switch just seems to flip and I get super motivated and get tons of things done, but I can’t stay that way for long.

Any suggestions on how to flip the switch on this permanently? I miss being the highly motivated individual I once was and other than the obvious “just fucking do it”, I’m hoping to hear something helpful from others who have broken out of a rut like this.[/quote]

Easy, stop doing that which pisses you off.

Start doing that which makes you happy.

This may take practice but if you follow these two difficult steps you’ll lead a life or riches and happiness (or a lot of drugs. Drugs make some people happy. Diffn’t Strokes for diffn’t folks I guess).

Seriously … I used to procrastinate like a motherfucker when I was right out of high school until I was about 22-23 … then I started following those two difficult steps and now they’re not so difficult and I’m pretty successful and happy.

You should try making one long term goal and back tracking towards the present day, setting up little goals that will eventually lead to you accomplishing your long term goal; this should be an everyday thing.

For example, (this is one of my short goals that I also broke down into increments to accomplish) I wanted to read The Fountainhead immediately followed with Atlas Shrugged so I figured out how much reading that was (a lot!) and gave myself a goal of two months to complete … broke it down into sections and next thing I knew I had em both read in a month and a half. All the while accomplishing other things also. It’s all about positive time management.

[quote]waylanderxx wrote:
However, once I got to the end of high school and into college where I actually had to apply myself, it seemed impossible to make myself do so after this period of doing jack shit. I have moments where the switch just seems to flip and I get super motivated and get tons of things done, but I can’t stay that way for long. [/quote]

Just about sums up the last 8 years of my life right there. I still cannot figure out what is different about those days, but sometimes I’ll just wake up, do all my homework for the next 2 weeks, clean my whole apartment, and do whatever else needs to be done and not think anything of it. Then there is most days where nothing gets done unless it absolutely has to be done that day. One thing I have noticed is that dwelling on what you need to do makes it seem a lot more painful than actually doing it. Still not enough to get me moving though.

Michael Jordan plays ball, Tiger Woods plays golf, I get shit done.

It sounds cheesy, but read some self help books. Some of them suck balls, other ones are great, it all depends on what system you really buy in to.

Also, motivational quotes always get me going. Here’s the latest one I’ve been repeating in my head about 50 times a day:

“Whatever it takes, all the time, everyday.”

I don’t know who said it, some kid from my high school used it as his yearbook quote.

[quote]bushidobadboy wrote:
I hate to always be ‘that guy’ who jumps on the pharmaceutical solution to lifes ills, but until you have tried modafinil, you won’t appreciate just how effective it is at lighting a fire under your ass.

Having said that, I did find that my two trips to a hypnotherapist to get back in touch with my inner core, and why I was doing what I was doing, greatly aided my motivation.

Buuut, you do have to have some reason/goals to persue, for the hypnotherapy to connect with, or you likely won’t achieve much from the sessions.

If that’s the case, then it’s back to modafinil for motivation, lol.

BBB[/quote]

BBB I am truly in love with you (yeshomo).

Where can I get this wonder drug that you speak of?

[quote]polo77j wrote:

You should try making one long term goal and back tracking towards the present day, setting up little goals that will eventually lead to you accomplishing your long term goal; this should be an everyday thing.

For example, (this is one of my short goals that I also broke down into increments to accomplish) I wanted to read The Fountainhead immediately followed with Atlas Shrugged so I figured out how much reading that was (a lot!) and gave myself a goal of two months to complete … broke it down into sections and next thing I knew I had em both read in a month and a half. All the while accomplishing other things also. It’s all about positive time management.[/quote]

This is very practical advice Polo. I think a part-time procrastinator like myself would do well to heed this example and apply it to all my projects at work. Thanks

BBB, seriously, tell us more about attention aiding drugs.

Preferably OTC.

[quote]bushidobadboy wrote:
ImSkinny wrote:
bushidobadboy wrote:
I hate to always be ‘that guy’ who jumps on the pharmaceutical solution to lifes ills, but until you have tried modafinil, you won’t appreciate just how effective it is at lighting a fire under your ass.

Having said that, I did find that my two trips to a hypnotherapist to get back in touch with my inner core, and why I was doing what I was doing, greatly aided my motivation.

Buuut, you do have to have some reason/goals to persue, for the hypnotherapy to connect with, or you likely won’t achieve much from the sessions.

If that’s the case, then it’s back to modafinil for motivation, lol.

BBB

BBB I am truly in love with you (yeshomo).

Where can I get this wonder drug that you speak of?

PM me and I’ll tell you.

BBB[/quote]

Done.

[quote]bushidobadboy wrote:
LankyMofo wrote:
Also, motivational quotes always get me going. Here’s the latest one I’ve been repeating in my head about 50 times a day:

“Whatever it takes, all the time, everyday.”

I don’t know who said it, some kid from my high school used it as his yearbook quote.

Really? That works for you? I have tried it, but lose the will to keep repeating the quote to myself.

My familly motto is “Tante Que Je Plus” which means ‘All That I Can’. Always thought this was a cool motto, but when I tried using it to motivate myself, I just realised that it is an impossibly high and potentially dangerous bar to set and that by not living up to it, I was demoralising myself.

BBB[/quote]

I find the key is to keep finding new quotes to keep repeating. I’ve got a word document with many, many quotes that I’ve run across and will read over that from time to time. Whenever I feel myself slipping, I pull up the document and find a new quote to motivate me. Whenever I come across a new quote I like, I pull up the document and add it to the list.

At the end of the day, it’s not the quote that keeps me going. Motivation has to come from within, but I find the quotes give me a good kick in the ass during those moments when I need it.

[quote]bushidobadboy wrote:
ImSkinny wrote:
BBB, seriously, tell us more about attention aiding drugs.

Preferably OTC.

You should be aware that modafinil is a controlled drug in the US (God alone knows why but there you are - it has no addictive properties, doesn’t alter your perception or descision-making abilities and cannot be converted into anything dangerous) and is definitely NOT OTC.

In fact, anything that actually works, is likely to be prescription only.

BBB

EDIT: And there are 2 threads devoted to study/attention/memory drugs and supplements. Look up ‘brain boosters’.[/quote]

Is it a controlled drug outside the US? If so how would I get my hands on it? PM me so then I can screenshoot it, print it, and frame it. Thanks.

[quote]kross001 wrote:
polo77j wrote:

You should try making one long term goal and back tracking towards the present day, setting up little goals that will eventually lead to you accomplishing your long term goal; this should be an everyday thing.

For example, (this is one of my short goals that I also broke down into increments to accomplish) I wanted to read The Fountainhead immediately followed with Atlas Shrugged so I figured out how much reading that was (a lot!) and gave myself a goal of two months to complete … broke it down into sections and next thing I knew I had em both read in a month and a half. All the while accomplishing other things also. It’s all about positive time management.

This is very practical advice Polo. I think a part-time procrastinator like myself would do well to heed this example and apply it to all my projects at work. Thanks[/quote]

Occam’s Razor … now with 25% more Occam!!

[quote]Ghost22 wrote:
It helps if the stuff you’re doing really fascinates you.

[/quote]

This.

When I was in college, I suffered from an academically debilitating case of chronic procrastination until I switched my major and started taking classes that actually interested me. And just like that- practically overnight- I stopped procrastinating.

Maybe it’s time to reconsider your major…

[quote]bushidobadboy wrote:
ImSkinny wrote:
bushidobadboy wrote:
I hate to always be ‘that guy’ who jumps on the pharmaceutical solution to lifes ills, but until you have tried modafinil, you won’t appreciate just how effective it is at lighting a fire under your ass.

Having said that, I did find that my two trips to a hypnotherapist to get back in touch with my inner core, and why I was doing what I was doing, greatly aided my motivation.

Buuut, you do have to have some reason/goals to persue, for the hypnotherapy to connect with, or you likely won’t achieve much from the sessions.

If that’s the case, then it’s back to modafinil for motivation, lol.

BBB

BBB I am truly in love with you (yeshomo).

Where can I get this wonder drug that you speak of?

PM me and I’ll tell you.

BBB[/quote]

I sent you a PM.

Yea, this thread definately hits home. The major problem for me is that expectations are so low nowadays, I can literally put in about 25% effort on nearly anything and recieve a passing score, be it work, or relationships etc… The sad part is I myself FEEL better when I do much better and give it that 75% or higher effort.

I mean it makes others around me in awe of just how good I can be, yet I rarley do it. It does piss me off, because it’s like I could have already achieved so much more, I just turned 30, and there is still a lot of time left, but I could already be so far ahead of where I am on my “path” but I just skate by day after day like a half zombie. Maybe the zombie apocolypse will start off by mutating lazy people into Zombies? I hope not because I would be a top candidate.

Anyways, Good thread topic, lots of good in there, and BBB Yea I went to my doctor to specifically get a prescription for modanafil and tried to BS my way through what he would want to hear to give me the prescription. Unfortunately he saw through my BS and prescribed Excercise and diet to me. I was like WTF? LOL oh well, Maybe I can find some other way to grab some I would at least like to try it.

V