How to Stop Procrastinating

[Catalie]

Oh, the art of procrastination. I specialize in it. Every day, I wake up and procrastinate. Eventually, I get out of bed and eat breakfast. Then, I procrastinate some more. I keep procrastinating until I have missed my ride. Then, even after all of the chaos of arriving late, I procrastinate some more. That's just how the human mind works: It's okay. I have time. Just one more episode. Just one more minute. I'll do it later. So, how exactly can you defeat the evil demon that we call "procrastination"? There is a method that I always find helpful: rewards.

Rewards? Isn't that for children? Yes. Yes it is. But that doesn't make it any less effective. What I find to be helpful is to have a reward ready; something that I really want. Let's say, for example. there is a show on Netflix that I have been wanting to watch for a while. But I have errands to run. I would make an agreement with myself that I can watch one episode of the show after each errand. The errands MUST come first, or else I can't watch the show. This motivates me to run the errands, because I know that there is a "reason" I am doing it. Without motivation, nothing in this world would ever get done.

[peachblossomluck]

I kept seeing this topic on my feed and kept telling myself I'd read it later. Some people procrastinate because they feel more productive doing something under pressure at the last moment. Others do because there isn't enough of a reward system. Then I think there are some people with attention deficits who can't help it and need more reinforcements to stay on track.

[Catalie]

Yeah everyone is different when it comes to procrastination.

[Spiorad_Aisce]

I am 47 and have to line up rewards to make me do things, to stop procrastinating - I see nothing childish in that, you are making sure the thing gets done which is the responsible thing to do.

[bloodmountain1990]

I'm bad with procrastination and time management myself. I need to discipline myself by actually putting together a schedule or listen to music while doing important things or even chores so it makes me tolerate doing them more.

[Anonymous]

I always procrastinate. I should be sleeping now but I'm procrastinating. But rewards doesn't work for me, if I decide not to do what I want until I do my homework for example I just end up thinking about what I want all the time and can't focus. The only way is to do everything I want so I have nothing else to do but my homework

[YourFutureEx]

I'm doing this right now. For every 2 questions I learn, I'll give myself 15 minutes to surf the net :)

[Mesonfielde]

Here are some modules designed to help with putting off procrastination.

www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/.../infopax.cfm

[WhatTheHellAmy]

I'm a professional procrastinator so I'll read that later

[the_rake]

intelligent people 'procastinate' because they know there is something more creative and fulfilling for them to do than what they have written on their daily to-do list.

[Catalie]

Or they procrastinate by doing things that are not creative or fulfilling.

[the_rake]

sometimes we think that what we are doing is not creative or fulfilling, we just do it because we want to avoid whatever else it is that needs doing. however, there is usually a reason why you procastinate and that reason is usually that you have an emotional and passionate connection to whatever it is you are doing - more so than what it is you are delaying. the truth is that there is no such thing as laziness, we just shame ourselves into believing it and society reinforces this process by saying that the things we are passionate about are useless. the secret to overcoming procastination is to overcome shame, find ways to make your passion part of your everyday life and to make use out of what it is you love doing the most. this is also the best way to avoid working 40 hour weeks like the rest of the world!

[Catalie]

So if I spend all day watching TV, then that can be considered creative and passionate? Because usually when I procrastinate I am literally watching TV when there are a lot of better, more fulfilling things that I could be doing with my life. I consider that laziness.

[the_rake]

depends. you could be watching cartoons or you could be watching more intellectual nature and history documentaries. even if you were watching cartoons, you could interpret this as a creative endeavour (for example you might want to do the voice overs one day, make the cartoons yourself or do a research degree at university about the impact popular culture has on young kids). in both cases, it is how you interpret your activities. if you see something to be ashamed of, you will gain very little. if you see something to grow from, maybe there is something that you can gain.

maybe watching cartoons really was boring and unfulfilling for you. but then, if you stopped enjoying it, that is really just your brain saying it wants to find something else to 'procastinate' over. funnily enough, when we are actually procastinating (and enjoying the process) we have higher concentration for what we do.

[Bunny212]

Love this, since procrastination gets in my way of success

[justagirl5]

I do the rewards thing too! It really works well

[apple24]

Same but I set myself a dude date! lol

[AdamThomas]

That's a great tip, I'll try it next week.

[John_Doesnt]

I find that caffeine and drugs help.

[Walls_and_Doors]

...

My face. It is in my palm.

I cannot.

[Catalie]

Um okay

[Walls_and_Doors]

I want to be 13 again. Operant conditioning (what you call "rewards") actually encourages procrastination.

[Catalie]

It doesn't encourage procrastination for me. Obviously, not everyone is the same, but it is what works for me so I decided to share it.

[Walls_and_Doors]

No, for you it does, because run an errand and then watch a show and then run an errand and watch a show and... do you not see that there are 22 minute gaps between your errands?

Instead of proactivity you reward yourself for mundane actions which in turn encourages you to seek rewards for mundane actions; if no reward is available however...

[Catalie]

I don' watch the whole show. I watch like a short youtube video for like 5 mins

[Walls_and_Doors]

Still, it's 5 minutes you're spending not finishing tasks that probably don't take you that long.

As you get older and run into harder assignments (not talking about school necessarily) this becomes a very difficult habit to break. But you'll deal with it when it comes. GOOD LUCK TO YOU! :D

[COCOCHANEL]

i tried i really did