Ask Entrepreneurs: Productivity tips for a chronic procrastinator?
34 comments
Suck it up. Stop reading blogs, stop reading HN, stop making excuses. Start working. There are no tips that will break you out of it - just self discipline.
I was you once. GTD by David Allen helped. Going to the gym daily with my brother (who is a gym rat) helped, but I finally realized that I had everything in the world that people are dieing to get and I was squandering that gift by wasting my time.
Procrastinating is not an illness, it is a decision. You have chosen to be lazy, only you can change that.
Everything else is just smoke and mirrors.
I was you once. GTD by David Allen helped. Going to the gym daily with my brother (who is a gym rat) helped, but I finally realized that I had everything in the world that people are dieing to get and I was squandering that gift by wasting my time.
Procrastinating is not an illness, it is a decision. You have chosen to be lazy, only you can change that.
Everything else is just smoke and mirrors.
I've found this never worked for me. By attacking the problem head on, I made it more of a big deal than it already was, which just made it more stressful and unpleasant, which made me less inclined to do it.
Instead, I noticed that almost all instances of my procrastination fit into three categories:
1.) I was trying to do something too ambitious, which I didn't have the skill level for, and so I couldn't complete it, yet wasn't able to admit that to myself.
2.) I was trying to bite off too big a chunk at once, so I'd get confused and wouldn't know where to start.
3.) The task is really boring and takes no real skill to complete, so I just wouldn't bother.
#1 is fixed by backing up and doing something easier - and oftentimes the "something easier" ends up being far more useful than the original task. For example, I spent like 3 years on FictionAlley.org (a PHP/MySQL rewrite of a website that had previously been 40,000 hand-written HTML pages), vs. a week on Scrutiny (Amherst's course-evaluation system). Once I'd done Scrutiny, though, FictionAlley was quite a bit easier for the practice.
#2 is tricky until you get some practice in breaking things down, but then it becomes quite manageable. For example, I was starting a new project for work this morning, one of those unsolicited I'll-build-it-and-then-show-my-manager things. Spent a half hour or so doing nothing but checking HN, then I created a git repository and figured "Hey, I can create a Django app. That's no problem." Then I figured "Hey, I create a basic HTML page with just the app's name on it. That's no problem." Then I figured "Hey, I can wire it up with django.views.generic.simple.direct_to_template", and suddenly I've got working code that just needs to be refined. The rest should be smooth sailing.
#3 is best solved with habits and routines, so that it really does become thoughtless. For example, I think paying bills and opening mail is about the most boring thing ever, so I always do it Saturday morning before going to the supermarket. It gets done, and since it's always at the same time of week I usually don't have to think about it. Same with responding to e-mail - usually, I make sure to respond immediately after reading or else not respond at all.
The smoke and mirrors can be quite useful. It works for me, at least.
Instead, I noticed that almost all instances of my procrastination fit into three categories:
1.) I was trying to do something too ambitious, which I didn't have the skill level for, and so I couldn't complete it, yet wasn't able to admit that to myself.
2.) I was trying to bite off too big a chunk at once, so I'd get confused and wouldn't know where to start.
3.) The task is really boring and takes no real skill to complete, so I just wouldn't bother.
#1 is fixed by backing up and doing something easier - and oftentimes the "something easier" ends up being far more useful than the original task. For example, I spent like 3 years on FictionAlley.org (a PHP/MySQL rewrite of a website that had previously been 40,000 hand-written HTML pages), vs. a week on Scrutiny (Amherst's course-evaluation system). Once I'd done Scrutiny, though, FictionAlley was quite a bit easier for the practice.
#2 is tricky until you get some practice in breaking things down, but then it becomes quite manageable. For example, I was starting a new project for work this morning, one of those unsolicited I'll-build-it-and-then-show-my-manager things. Spent a half hour or so doing nothing but checking HN, then I created a git repository and figured "Hey, I can create a Django app. That's no problem." Then I figured "Hey, I create a basic HTML page with just the app's name on it. That's no problem." Then I figured "Hey, I can wire it up with django.views.generic.simple.direct_to_template", and suddenly I've got working code that just needs to be refined. The rest should be smooth sailing.
#3 is best solved with habits and routines, so that it really does become thoughtless. For example, I think paying bills and opening mail is about the most boring thing ever, so I always do it Saturday morning before going to the supermarket. It gets done, and since it's always at the same time of week I usually don't have to think about it. Same with responding to e-mail - usually, I make sure to respond immediately after reading or else not respond at all.
The smoke and mirrors can be quite useful. It works for me, at least.
I think for most people your advice will work a lot better than the parents. I've had the same work behaviors myself, but never identified them until I read your post. Every time I've made something great, it's been from hacking on something that's manageable and then expanding. When I bite off more than I can chew, that's when I fail.
I suspect I'm note alone. Thanks for your post.
I suspect I'm note alone. Thanks for your post.
Leo Babauta has a lot of that stuff on his blog.
E.g.
http://zenhabits.net/2007/07/how-to-actually-execute-your-to...
E.g.
http://zenhabits.net/2007/07/how-to-actually-execute-your-to...
I just wanted to say that when I voted you up, I clicked really hard.
I often struggle with time management procrastination and a high level of distractibility. It really comes down to just being honest with yourself and understanding the choices you're making. The gym is a huge help too, it's good for you, it gives you energy and it helps you focus.
I often struggle with time management procrastination and a high level of distractibility. It really comes down to just being honest with yourself and understanding the choices you're making. The gym is a huge help too, it's good for you, it gives you energy and it helps you focus.
From now on I will put more thought into how hard I click.
Absolutely agreed. Make a conscious decision about what you're doing wrong. I found that I was spending too much of my time on aggregators like digg and reddit, and getting little to nothing in return.
Both sites, among others, are now banned via my /etc/hosts file - this is a very good technique I find. It's not permanent, but having to sudo to get to it puts in a conscience filter.
HN is now the only aggregator I follow regularly, and even then I've become more disciplined about how much time I spend on here.
Become more conscious about what you're doing. When you find yourself idling surfing Wikipedia or whatever, catch yourself and ask yourself if there's something else you ought to be doing right now. Catch yourself enough and you will be surprised at how much more productive you become.
Both sites, among others, are now banned via my /etc/hosts file - this is a very good technique I find. It's not permanent, but having to sudo to get to it puts in a conscience filter.
HN is now the only aggregator I follow regularly, and even then I've become more disciplined about how much time I spend on here.
Become more conscious about what you're doing. When you find yourself idling surfing Wikipedia or whatever, catch yourself and ask yourself if there's something else you ought to be doing right now. Catch yourself enough and you will be surprised at how much more productive you become.
I hope you would find the following links useful at least in some ways.
PG's Brilliant Essay: http://www.paulgraham.com/procrastination.html
How to Procrastinate Like Leonardo da Vinci: http://chronicle.com/temp/reprint.php?id=zs61txc4kwr4kd1q1rj...
Procrastinating Again? How to Kick the Habit: http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=procrastinating-again
Letter to a Young Procrastinator: http://www.slate.com/id/2190918/pagenum/all/
Also, a quick search of HN using Google, should provide a lot of food for thought and anecdotes. There have been a number of discussions on this topic here.
http://www.google.com/search?q=site:news.ycombinator.com+pro...
PG's Brilliant Essay: http://www.paulgraham.com/procrastination.html
How to Procrastinate Like Leonardo da Vinci: http://chronicle.com/temp/reprint.php?id=zs61txc4kwr4kd1q1rj...
Procrastinating Again? How to Kick the Habit: http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=procrastinating-again
Letter to a Young Procrastinator: http://www.slate.com/id/2190918/pagenum/all/
Also, a quick search of HN using Google, should provide a lot of food for thought and anecdotes. There have been a number of discussions on this topic here.
http://www.google.com/search?q=site:news.ycombinator.com+pro...
From pg's essay: One reason is that you may not get any reward in the forseeable future.
I find it helps to spend some time laying out a plan of attack that will yield results along the way - like an adventurer laying out a route with ports/oases/base-camps for reprovisioning - and ruthlessly cutting out nice-to-have features that don't contribute (while keeping some nice-to-have features that do contribute). A side-effect of getting results is that they act as a check on whether you are on the right track. There's still the basic fear, of "will I ever get to the end"; the cure for that is to clarify the mission. If things get confusing, step back and simplify, because that is the way to move forward.
And laying out the approach actually also begins the journey (because I think about the issues I'll encounter), without feeling like it, so it is easier to start on this than on the task itself. So this is one way to overcome procrastination, and get started: "I'll just have a little daydream about the cool little outcomes along the way"
I find it helps to spend some time laying out a plan of attack that will yield results along the way - like an adventurer laying out a route with ports/oases/base-camps for reprovisioning - and ruthlessly cutting out nice-to-have features that don't contribute (while keeping some nice-to-have features that do contribute). A side-effect of getting results is that they act as a check on whether you are on the right track. There's still the basic fear, of "will I ever get to the end"; the cure for that is to clarify the mission. If things get confusing, step back and simplify, because that is the way to move forward.
And laying out the approach actually also begins the journey (because I think about the issues I'll encounter), without feeling like it, so it is easier to start on this than on the task itself. So this is one way to overcome procrastination, and get started: "I'll just have a little daydream about the cool little outcomes along the way"
I'm currently in the progress of writing a novel (not my first, but the one I want to get published) and I believe your quote from pg is possibly the most influential factor upon me.
It's extremely difficult to sit down and write when I can easily make a living with what I can already do. However, writing is what I've always wanted to do and when I first committed I knew I was not going to get paid for it for a long time. I believe it's been about 7 years now, and I finally know it's time to finish the job.
Right now, the reward for my current actions is likely to pay off in maybe 2-3 years. There's always the chance I could make a tasty advance, however this is highly unusual. The first book usually doesn't matter anyway, it won't be until my third that I get a true pay-off.
I believe you have to have incredible determination, planning skills (so you do feel somewhat rewarded, I do this by printing out a chapter as soon as it's complete to give to my wife to read). It's very hard to do, however it helps a lot that I find doing it incredibly enjoyable. When you wake up dreaming from a different world, it's quite an amazing feeling.
I also don't believe that sitting at a computer screen is work. My brother is an excellent programmer and from what I can perceive is that his processes are entirely the same as mine. In fact, I learnt a few tricks from him. Ideas and solutions usually appear when your mind is relaxed, simply piling on the pressure by stressing out isn't likely to help.
However, if you don't have the motivation to start a project, I wouldn't necessarily call it procrastination. It's quite possibly it could be atychiphobia (Fear of Failure), as not starting a project is entirely different from losing your way during it as the start of a project is usually immense fun, until the real work kicks in.
If anyone has a fear of failure, I don't believe I know how to help with that. I have no real fear of failure, I jump into everything from the deep end. I've lost a large number of projects along the way to attrition, all are failures but a failure teaches you and I have learnt a great deal. The first time I'd ever hit a golf ball was when I went out with my future father-in-law who had no clue I didn't play golf. I've found that sheer confidence can usually make up for nearly all lacking. So to anyone with a fear of failure, I'd say fail on purpose because after that it can only get better.
It's extremely difficult to sit down and write when I can easily make a living with what I can already do. However, writing is what I've always wanted to do and when I first committed I knew I was not going to get paid for it for a long time. I believe it's been about 7 years now, and I finally know it's time to finish the job.
Right now, the reward for my current actions is likely to pay off in maybe 2-3 years. There's always the chance I could make a tasty advance, however this is highly unusual. The first book usually doesn't matter anyway, it won't be until my third that I get a true pay-off.
I believe you have to have incredible determination, planning skills (so you do feel somewhat rewarded, I do this by printing out a chapter as soon as it's complete to give to my wife to read). It's very hard to do, however it helps a lot that I find doing it incredibly enjoyable. When you wake up dreaming from a different world, it's quite an amazing feeling.
I also don't believe that sitting at a computer screen is work. My brother is an excellent programmer and from what I can perceive is that his processes are entirely the same as mine. In fact, I learnt a few tricks from him. Ideas and solutions usually appear when your mind is relaxed, simply piling on the pressure by stressing out isn't likely to help.
However, if you don't have the motivation to start a project, I wouldn't necessarily call it procrastination. It's quite possibly it could be atychiphobia (Fear of Failure), as not starting a project is entirely different from losing your way during it as the start of a project is usually immense fun, until the real work kicks in.
If anyone has a fear of failure, I don't believe I know how to help with that. I have no real fear of failure, I jump into everything from the deep end. I've lost a large number of projects along the way to attrition, all are failures but a failure teaches you and I have learnt a great deal. The first time I'd ever hit a golf ball was when I went out with my future father-in-law who had no clue I didn't play golf. I've found that sheer confidence can usually make up for nearly all lacking. So to anyone with a fear of failure, I'd say fail on purpose because after that it can only get better.
Well, you said you already had some ideas, but maybe these help as well.
Things that work for me:
- Tasks you really don't like doing are harder to start with. But, are the tasks you have to do really important? What happens if you don't do them? Eliminate as much as possible.
- Start working on a task as late as possible. The pressure, it helps. (See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkinson%27s_law)
- Break it up in small steps. Working on a task "Build the next google" is not going to get you started. Split it up in smaller steps, and associate little milestones or 'victories' to completing a small step.
- Another reason for procrastination is feeling overwhelmed (decision paralysis, action paralysis). If you have so much to do that no matter what you finish, it still feels like you have a lot left, it's impossible to start. Again, try to eliminate or make a feasible schedule for yourself, such that you are able to finish your list for the day.
- Stop feeling bad about procrastination. Actually, plan in some procrastination time. Forcing yourself to work all the time and feel bad about not doing it will cause you to procrastinate more. Plan in some time for 'slacking', or even better: exercise, do some sports and get back to work afterwards.
- If you would give yourself 1 hour/day for procrastination; what would you rather do? Read digg about lolcats or sit outside in the sun, and talk with some friends? If you go at it like this, you'll notice how valuable your limited time actually is, and you'll stop reading those websites.
- Again, more sports! Clear mind == more productive.
- If you allow yourself the time to 'procrastinate' (i.e. reading websites, RSS, email, etc.), it will also make it easier to read news/mail in batches. Limit it to max. 3 times per day or so.
- If you want help to get into some new (productivity) habits, start a "Seinfeld calendar" (Google it if you haven't heard of it before)
- Do NOT, _EVER_, start your day with reading news/mail/etc (or keep it to offline news -- yes, news papers ;).
- Unplug. Information overload == bad.
- Start the day with an easy task. It's not hard to start with and it will get you in the "getting-s*-done mood". Once you start ticking of tasks - no matter how little it was - it feels like getting done more!
Hope this helps!
- Tasks you really don't like doing are harder to start with. But, are the tasks you have to do really important? What happens if you don't do them? Eliminate as much as possible.
- Start working on a task as late as possible. The pressure, it helps. (See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkinson%27s_law)
- Break it up in small steps. Working on a task "Build the next google" is not going to get you started. Split it up in smaller steps, and associate little milestones or 'victories' to completing a small step.
- Another reason for procrastination is feeling overwhelmed (decision paralysis, action paralysis). If you have so much to do that no matter what you finish, it still feels like you have a lot left, it's impossible to start. Again, try to eliminate or make a feasible schedule for yourself, such that you are able to finish your list for the day.
- Stop feeling bad about procrastination. Actually, plan in some procrastination time. Forcing yourself to work all the time and feel bad about not doing it will cause you to procrastinate more. Plan in some time for 'slacking', or even better: exercise, do some sports and get back to work afterwards.
- If you would give yourself 1 hour/day for procrastination; what would you rather do? Read digg about lolcats or sit outside in the sun, and talk with some friends? If you go at it like this, you'll notice how valuable your limited time actually is, and you'll stop reading those websites.
- Again, more sports! Clear mind == more productive.
- If you allow yourself the time to 'procrastinate' (i.e. reading websites, RSS, email, etc.), it will also make it easier to read news/mail in batches. Limit it to max. 3 times per day or so.
- If you want help to get into some new (productivity) habits, start a "Seinfeld calendar" (Google it if you haven't heard of it before)
- Do NOT, _EVER_, start your day with reading news/mail/etc (or keep it to offline news -- yes, news papers ;).
- Unplug. Information overload == bad.
- Start the day with an easy task. It's not hard to start with and it will get you in the "getting-s*-done mood". Once you start ticking of tasks - no matter how little it was - it feels like getting done more!
Hope this helps!
Block all those sites at your router. My firmware (tomato) lets me block some sites all the time (digg) and some for certain times of day (hn).
Convince yourself that every line of code you write is worth $10k.
Finally, make this your mantra: http://seoblackhat.com/2007/01/29/do-it-fucking-now/
Convince yourself that every line of code you write is worth $10k.
Finally, make this your mantra: http://seoblackhat.com/2007/01/29/do-it-fucking-now/
I have the same problems. There are two tricks that i find quite helpful:
1. Find a team partner - and you will be cornered to start "get things done". Otherwise, you can't keep show up everyday without any progress
2. Have a weekly team target - we have it as weekly iterations. Always release something out every week.
Well, the good news are, you realize your problems and looking for solutions.
Bill Gates seems to have the same problem with procrastination, early on in his career: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ic1Ro4LkKw
1. Find a team partner - and you will be cornered to start "get things done". Otherwise, you can't keep show up everyday without any progress
2. Have a weekly team target - we have it as weekly iterations. Always release something out every week.
Well, the good news are, you realize your problems and looking for solutions.
Bill Gates seems to have the same problem with procrastination, early on in his career: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ic1Ro4LkKw
Instead of aiming to do 1 thing and failing to do it, aim to do 20 things and accept that 5 of them will slip.
Do that and basically shift to whatever you feel like doing at the time (with the only caveat that it should be relatively productive stuff - ie. not "play WoW", more like "write a blog post" or "design a new homepage").
You probably will still get stuff done just before the deadline when it has a hard deadline, but the result is that you'll do a LOT of other stuff along the way.
Do that and basically shift to whatever you feel like doing at the time (with the only caveat that it should be relatively productive stuff - ie. not "play WoW", more like "write a blog post" or "design a new homepage").
You probably will still get stuff done just before the deadline when it has a hard deadline, but the result is that you'll do a LOT of other stuff along the way.
Funny, that's exactly the opposite of what I would suggest: Work on only the most important thing and nothing else. It's helped me maintain focus no matter how crazy things get.
pg says it much better here:
http://www.paulgraham.com/procrastination.html
"What's the best thing you could be working on, and why aren't you?"
Just goes to show you: Ask 2 hackers a question and get 3 answers. You'll just have to figure out what works best for you.
pg says it much better here:
http://www.paulgraham.com/procrastination.html
"What's the best thing you could be working on, and why aren't you?"
Just goes to show you: Ask 2 hackers a question and get 3 answers. You'll just have to figure out what works best for you.
I didn't read that before...brilliant!
I would add one more category of procrastination: doing something when the time is right. It's an idea I borrowed from "Zen and the Art of Archery" where the author was struggling with how to know the right moment to shoot so that his arrow will have the right trajectory. His instructor told him that "it" will shoot when the time is right (what I've written doesn't do justice to the lesson I learned in this simple example - so I highly recommend reading this ~96 page book).
Many might translate this behavior to doing it whenever I feel like doing it (or procrastinating), but most of these downtimes are spent thinking or designing in my head what needs to be done. It would seem that "it" has a life of its own in my mind and perhaps at the right moment, I am compelled by something do get "it" done. I must say that this is merely a model (that works well for me) about transforming procrastination from a negative to a positive.
I suppose my answer to the original posting would be that if I feel like I'm "type-C" procrastinating, then this can be remedied by thinking about the more important tasks that need to be done. Usually when the thought gets translated into action, the results are much better than if I forced myself to take action without properly preparing myself mentally.
I would add one more category of procrastination: doing something when the time is right. It's an idea I borrowed from "Zen and the Art of Archery" where the author was struggling with how to know the right moment to shoot so that his arrow will have the right trajectory. His instructor told him that "it" will shoot when the time is right (what I've written doesn't do justice to the lesson I learned in this simple example - so I highly recommend reading this ~96 page book).
Many might translate this behavior to doing it whenever I feel like doing it (or procrastinating), but most of these downtimes are spent thinking or designing in my head what needs to be done. It would seem that "it" has a life of its own in my mind and perhaps at the right moment, I am compelled by something do get "it" done. I must say that this is merely a model (that works well for me) about transforming procrastination from a negative to a positive.
I suppose my answer to the original posting would be that if I feel like I'm "type-C" procrastinating, then this can be remedied by thinking about the more important tasks that need to be done. Usually when the thought gets translated into action, the results are much better than if I forced myself to take action without properly preparing myself mentally.
Yeah, I read and applied that advice many times, but in the long run, I've found it to have some really nasty side-effects.
Unless I'm doing something obviously unproductive (e.g. watch TV or play a game), I'm rarely sitting there doing nothing for ages. The only time when this happens, consistently, is precisely when I tell myself "This is what I have to do, above all other things" and it just so happens that that one thing is something that I just don't want to work on or think about right now.
The "Number 1 priority" trick works for a while, and while it's working, it's great - but once you hit one of those snags, a whole day can vanish without a trace or any output. The only time "Number 1 priority" works reliably for me is when there is an imminent deadline and I cannot not do it. Any form of artificial "I'm going to do only this today" has a high probability of reducing my overall output instead of increasing it.
When, instead, I tell myself "I can do any of these 20 things, or even anything else I can think of", suddenly I run through things at a really rapid rate - especially if I know that in that list is one task that I just don't want to do... it's like I'll do all the other stuff just to avoid doing that one task.
So, anyway, not just different people, but different techniques - both work, superficially, imho - i've just found that the "focus on one thing" approach hits some terrible snags every once in a while that devalue it on the whole...
Unless I'm doing something obviously unproductive (e.g. watch TV or play a game), I'm rarely sitting there doing nothing for ages. The only time when this happens, consistently, is precisely when I tell myself "This is what I have to do, above all other things" and it just so happens that that one thing is something that I just don't want to work on or think about right now.
The "Number 1 priority" trick works for a while, and while it's working, it's great - but once you hit one of those snags, a whole day can vanish without a trace or any output. The only time "Number 1 priority" works reliably for me is when there is an imminent deadline and I cannot not do it. Any form of artificial "I'm going to do only this today" has a high probability of reducing my overall output instead of increasing it.
When, instead, I tell myself "I can do any of these 20 things, or even anything else I can think of", suddenly I run through things at a really rapid rate - especially if I know that in that list is one task that I just don't want to do... it's like I'll do all the other stuff just to avoid doing that one task.
So, anyway, not just different people, but different techniques - both work, superficially, imho - i've just found that the "focus on one thing" approach hits some terrible snags every once in a while that devalue it on the whole...
I think the way to "solve" the problem of procrastination is to let delight pull you instead of making a to-do list push you. Work on an ambitious project you really enjoy, and sail as close to the wind as you can, and you'll leave the right things undone.
Does making a to-do list for my problem/project count as procrastination?
I'm actually working on a simple to-do/task list manager right now as a final project for this PHP class I'm taking, but upon reading pg's article I almost feel as if I'm contributing to the problem of procrastination rather than solving it...
pg sorts tasks according to value, (a) nothing, (b) something less important, or (c) something more important, rather than your typical formulation, according to state (1)do, (2)doing, (3)done...aren't the two formulations of task interdependent [with maybe the exception of nothing]?
Does making a to-do list for my problem/project count as procrastination?
I'm actually working on a simple to-do/task list manager right now as a final project for this PHP class I'm taking, but upon reading pg's article I almost feel as if I'm contributing to the problem of procrastination rather than solving it...
pg sorts tasks according to value, (a) nothing, (b) something less important, or (c) something more important, rather than your typical formulation, according to state (1)do, (2)doing, (3)done...aren't the two formulations of task interdependent [with maybe the exception of nothing]?
I'd say that your issue doesn't need a organizational solution, it's a deeper question.
I go by "when why gets bigger, how gets easier".
I would suggest sitting down and writing out 100 (or however many) reasons for what you are trying to accomplish. As you have those done, your motivation will grow and get you past the little distractions. The more reasons you have for accomplishing your goals, the easier it will be to get desciplined.
That's also been my experience. There is a really good book that can help you get a handle on why precisely you procrastinate: "Procrastination: Why You Do It, What to Do About It" by Jane Burka and Lenora Yuen. It was published in 1983, but I still haven't seen a better one on the psychology of why people procrastinate.
EDIT: The problem is big and complex enough to need a book to cover it. Blog posts and magazine articles usually only cover a specific, narrow aspect of the problem. This book as well as covering the field is readable enough that it doesn't take too long to read through.
EDIT: The problem is big and complex enough to need a book to cover it. Blog posts and magazine articles usually only cover a specific, narrow aspect of the problem. This book as well as covering the field is readable enough that it doesn't take too long to read through.
They have recently come out with an updated edition (2008). It still covers a lot of the same ground but has been updated with current research in neuroscience. I would also say this isn't a book that you read once, but rather is something to refer to/re-read again and again as you are working through your procrastination.
It depends what works for you. In my experience the first thing you need is motivation. Without you have nothing to drive you and all the will in the world will get you nowhere.
Here is something that helped me: http://bobsutton.typepad.com/my_weblog/2009/03/the-cult-of-d...
Seriously though, find your motivation and all else will fall into place...
Here is something that helped me: http://bobsutton.typepad.com/my_weblog/2009/03/the-cult-of-d...
Seriously though, find your motivation and all else will fall into place...
It depends what works for you. In my experience the first thing you need is motivation. Without you have nothing to drive you and all the will in the world will get you nowhere.
Here is something that helped me: http://bobsutton.typepad.com/my_weblog/2009/03/the-cult-of-d...
Seriously though, find your motivation and all else will fall into place...
Here is something that helped me: http://bobsutton.typepad.com/my_weblog/2009/03/the-cult-of-d...
Seriously though, find your motivation and all else will fall into place...
1 word...routine. If you go into your day without a battle plan you'll get distracted by every little thing. Create a schedule and stick to it
My mind works exactly the same way. Best thing for me is to commit to a deadline and have consequences if I miss. Involve third parties somehow (angel investors or get it approved as a school project). Make a deal with another entrepreneur where you owe him money if you miss your deadline. If you don't produce, don't fool yourself - you're not an entrepreneur just a dreamer.
> If you don't produce, don't fool yourself - you're not an entrepreneur just a dreamer.
I think I ought to write that down.
I think I ought to write that down.
Three books have really helped me:
1) Getting Things Done by David Allen gives you a system that works for keeping track of things and choosing what to work on when.
2) The Now Habit by Neil Fiore teaches you how to get rid of some stupid things we do and think that keeps us procrastinating.
3) Tribes by Seth Godin inspires you to go out and do great deeds, big and small.
1) Getting Things Done by David Allen gives you a system that works for keeping track of things and choosing what to work on when.
2) The Now Habit by Neil Fiore teaches you how to get rid of some stupid things we do and think that keeps us procrastinating.
3) Tribes by Seth Godin inspires you to go out and do great deeds, big and small.
My advice isn't for procrastination in general (e.g. putting off paying bills or mowing the lawn), but for that special kind of procrastination that stops you from getting a business or important project going.
Read "The War of Art" by Steven Pressman and internalize its message. You can finish it in a day. In a nutshell, the book describes procrastination and some other vices as embodiments of Resistance, an evil spirit that plagues anyone who tries to do anything worthwhile.
The strategy Pressman outlines for fighting Resistance dovetails nicely with the techniques described in the other book I'd recommend, which is "The Creative Habit" by Twyla Tharp. With respect to procrastination, Tharp talks about recognizing (1) that creative work is still work and (2) the importance of developing solid daily routines and rituals so that you stop treating your work as something you do only when you're "inspired." She more or less adds details to the Pressman's description of the "hard hat mentality" necessary to get anything done.
The hard hat mentality is that you don't procrastinate on your job or wait until you "want" to do it, you just put the hard hat on every day and do the work so that you can get paid (whatever "paid" means for you). You're doing it not because you're inspired or motivated; you're doing it because it's your job. Period.
http://www.amazon.com/War-Art-Through-Creative-Battles/dp/04...
http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Habit-Learn-Use-Life/dp/07432...
Read "The War of Art" by Steven Pressman and internalize its message. You can finish it in a day. In a nutshell, the book describes procrastination and some other vices as embodiments of Resistance, an evil spirit that plagues anyone who tries to do anything worthwhile.
The strategy Pressman outlines for fighting Resistance dovetails nicely with the techniques described in the other book I'd recommend, which is "The Creative Habit" by Twyla Tharp. With respect to procrastination, Tharp talks about recognizing (1) that creative work is still work and (2) the importance of developing solid daily routines and rituals so that you stop treating your work as something you do only when you're "inspired." She more or less adds details to the Pressman's description of the "hard hat mentality" necessary to get anything done.
The hard hat mentality is that you don't procrastinate on your job or wait until you "want" to do it, you just put the hard hat on every day and do the work so that you can get paid (whatever "paid" means for you). You're doing it not because you're inspired or motivated; you're doing it because it's your job. Period.
http://www.amazon.com/War-Art-Through-Creative-Battles/dp/04...
http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Habit-Learn-Use-Life/dp/07432...
I'd recommend The Power of Less by Leo Babaute. It's written by the Zen Habits guy, and it offers a productivity system designed for people like you (and me).
I've come to believe that online distractions are legitimately addictive in the same way that gambling is addictive. I.e. a behavior that becomes all-encompassing to the point where it negatively affects the rest of your life.
I say this because I used to think I was a major procrastinator and looked for all manner of tips and tricks to solve the problem. But I was trying to solve the wrong problem. if I turn off the internet entirely, I have no problem at all doing what I want to do during the day.
However, if the internet is on, i can get into states where I not only don't do any of the work I need to do, I don't leave the house, I don't hang out with friends, I forget to eat, etc.
I realized my online behavior was a bigger issue when I started screwing up dates because I was doing something on the internet. Blowing off a boring work task to watch youtube videos is one thing, but when I started missing out on getting laid because I was refreshing HN and getting sucked into a Wikipedia vortex, it realized I had a real problem.
So, maybe you're not really procrastinating, maybe you're addicted to the internet. Maybe not, but it is something to consider.
I say this because I used to think I was a major procrastinator and looked for all manner of tips and tricks to solve the problem. But I was trying to solve the wrong problem. if I turn off the internet entirely, I have no problem at all doing what I want to do during the day.
However, if the internet is on, i can get into states where I not only don't do any of the work I need to do, I don't leave the house, I don't hang out with friends, I forget to eat, etc.
I realized my online behavior was a bigger issue when I started screwing up dates because I was doing something on the internet. Blowing off a boring work task to watch youtube videos is one thing, but when I started missing out on getting laid because I was refreshing HN and getting sucked into a Wikipedia vortex, it realized I had a real problem.
So, maybe you're not really procrastinating, maybe you're addicted to the internet. Maybe not, but it is something to consider.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acceptance_and_Commitment_Thera...
The term therapy here might seem a bit off-putting, but the approach of being a mindful observer of ones thoughts, accepting them and then taking action in accordance with your values seems like it might be of help in getting you over the inertia you are dealing with.
The term therapy here might seem a bit off-putting, but the approach of being a mindful observer of ones thoughts, accepting them and then taking action in accordance with your values seems like it might be of help in getting you over the inertia you are dealing with.
Eat the frogs: http://www.amazon.com/That-Frog-Great-Ways-Procrastinating/d...
Full of practical advice. In the same vein, it's good to read all e-mails / blogs after lunch. Keeping IM, Twitter off till that also helps.
In a nutshell, the mind, like money, is an excellent servant, but a terrible master! Hope this helps.
Full of practical advice. In the same vein, it's good to read all e-mails / blogs after lunch. Keeping IM, Twitter off till that also helps.
In a nutshell, the mind, like money, is an excellent servant, but a terrible master! Hope this helps.
Well, I have had a similar problem. I haven't beaten it but here are some things I have found helps:
1) Exercise: spending time going running or cycling helps relax and really makes you feel like you have more energy for other things.
2) Being Organised: When you are organised you know what has to be done by when and what you can start working on right now. I find this lowers the amount of energy required to get started. A TODO list plus calender are probably enough but more high powered systems like GTD also might be worth considering.
3) Embrace your fears, create safety: In my experience this is the root cause of procrastination. In my case it is the fear of failure, so we try to avoid the experience temporarily be engaging in other activities that don't remind us of our fear. This is covered in "The Now Habit", in which is called "creating safety". You might also might consider looking at something called "Acceptance and Commitment Therapy" which provides strategies for accepting which is aimed at overcoming "experiential avoidance". There is a good self help workbook "Get out of your mind and into your life".
4) Internet blocker: I was unhappy with with Leechblock as its approach was a bit authoritarian. I wrote a firefox extention that made me type in "this browsing is for the purpose of completing my degree" or "i have worked hard and deserve a break", which unlocks the internet for 20 minutes. I can still browse the internet as much as I want but this helps remind me that some sorts of browsing can wait. It helps but I still don't win constantly (right now for instance).
5) Time off, sharpen the saw, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. You could combine this with 1) and take up a sport, running, cycling, yoga, tai chi, etc. "The Now Habit" recommends scheduling free time to look forward to after your work is done.
1) Exercise: spending time going running or cycling helps relax and really makes you feel like you have more energy for other things.
2) Being Organised: When you are organised you know what has to be done by when and what you can start working on right now. I find this lowers the amount of energy required to get started. A TODO list plus calender are probably enough but more high powered systems like GTD also might be worth considering.
3) Embrace your fears, create safety: In my experience this is the root cause of procrastination. In my case it is the fear of failure, so we try to avoid the experience temporarily be engaging in other activities that don't remind us of our fear. This is covered in "The Now Habit", in which is called "creating safety". You might also might consider looking at something called "Acceptance and Commitment Therapy" which provides strategies for accepting which is aimed at overcoming "experiential avoidance". There is a good self help workbook "Get out of your mind and into your life".
4) Internet blocker: I was unhappy with with Leechblock as its approach was a bit authoritarian. I wrote a firefox extention that made me type in "this browsing is for the purpose of completing my degree" or "i have worked hard and deserve a break", which unlocks the internet for 20 minutes. I can still browse the internet as much as I want but this helps remind me that some sorts of browsing can wait. It helps but I still don't win constantly (right now for instance).
5) Time off, sharpen the saw, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. You could combine this with 1) and take up a sport, running, cycling, yoga, tai chi, etc. "The Now Habit" recommends scheduling free time to look forward to after your work is done.
In early high school, I was a chronic procrastinator. I became really freaking good at it too.
Then I got to college and had to start doing work. Not because college is hard (it's actually easier than my high school), but because I'm much busier now.
To help balance things, I did a number of things. For one, I started putting everything into The Hit List. This works great and it helps me stay sane. Everything gets out of my head, which is important. The second was that I began practicing a process known as gatekeeping. Basically, you have to start making conscious decisions about what you allow into your work flow. (Shameless plug here: I wrote about gatekeeping on an introductory level here: http://loganleger.com/effective-gatekeeper/) This really helped me get down to business and focus.
Then I got to college and had to start doing work. Not because college is hard (it's actually easier than my high school), but because I'm much busier now.
To help balance things, I did a number of things. For one, I started putting everything into The Hit List. This works great and it helps me stay sane. Everything gets out of my head, which is important. The second was that I began practicing a process known as gatekeeping. Basically, you have to start making conscious decisions about what you allow into your work flow. (Shameless plug here: I wrote about gatekeeping on an introductory level here: http://loganleger.com/effective-gatekeeper/) This really helped me get down to business and focus.
[deleted]
I've overcome procrastination by doing the following: 1) Never make a long TODO list. Having a long list makes choosing something on it overwhelming because you're simultaneously not choosing the other things. Often the path of least resistance is to choose nothing from the list. So keep short lists. After all anything that's really important will get done whether it's on a list or not. 2) When sitting down at your computer do a tiny bit of work first. Do this before surfing the net, checking email, etc. Often times this tiny bit of initial work will make doing more work easy. 3) Simply don't surf the net on 50% of days. Getting things done really comes down to choosing your project over, say, learning things by reading HN.
I have started making TODO lists which deal with what I have to do the next day instead of writing long lists for the entire week or month. I review my list before I go to sleep and write down the tasks for the next day.
I find this helps a lot.
I find this helps a lot.
When you have to work, disconnect your Ethernet cable.
For many, that's not an option. My work requires Internet access.
For that there's leechblock : https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/4476
It's analogous to noprocrast.
Any idea where I can get something like LeechBlock that works system wide (on OS X Leopard)? I usually access news feeds via NetNewsWire and my primary browser is Opera, so LeechBlock is not an option for me.
For news feed you should use a planet aggregator like Planet Venus: http://intertwingly.net/code/venus/
It generates a static html page that I read once a day.
And why don't you switch to ff ?
And why don't you switch to ff ?
Planet Venus looks nice. Thanks :)
> And why don't you switch to ff ?
I like Opera better.
> And why don't you switch to ff ?
I like Opera better.
Better yet, get 2 computers and put them in separate rooms.
- Set lots of deadlines. Weekly, daily, hourly, even minutely.
- Plan out your daily deadlines the day before and stick with it.
- Do NOT extend a deadline. If you go over a deadline, stop the activity and move on to the next one on the schedule. This will condition you to prioritize more effectively next time. (e.g. Knowing that you only have two hours to code something really boost up your code productivity.)
- Plan out your daily deadlines the day before and stick with it.
- Do NOT extend a deadline. If you go over a deadline, stop the activity and move on to the next one on the schedule. This will condition you to prioritize more effectively next time. (e.g. Knowing that you only have two hours to code something really boost up your code productivity.)
I had the same problem, a bunch of ideas without focusing on any particular one of them. I think you have to sit down and analyse:
1) The market for the idea
2) Feasibility
I wouldn't advise against reading, the more knowledge you acquire should result in a more sound understanding of the current situation around you.
1) The market for the idea
2) Feasibility
I wouldn't advise against reading, the more knowledge you acquire should result in a more sound understanding of the current situation around you.
It could be a chemical imbalance, have you looked into adderall for ADHD? I know it sounds weird, and nobody wants to think of themselves as having any type of disorder as if their a defective piece of software, but seriously talk to a doctor and be sure.
I'm sure it's not a disorder. As I said, I manage to get a lot done if I just start doing it. The only problem I'm having is overcoming the "inertia".
External deadlines and accountability. I tell people what I'm doing. Then if I fail to do it I have the guilt of disappointing them on top of my own frustration at inertia. It's more or less cured the latter. :p
Note: for the faint of heart not interested in reading my stupidly long post, feel free to scroll to the bottom to see the summary+
One thing that drives me absolute crazy is waiting. I am very impatient. So any time I am performing a programming or administration task that requires waiting for more than 10 seconds or so, I end up looking for ANYTHING to ease my boredom. So when I need to kill 30 seconds while something processes, I end up distracted by reddit, blogs etc. Then, 30 minutes later, I realize I have been off on some tangent instead of working, and have essentially wasted 29 minutes of my work day.
One recent approach I tried was less effective but perhaps still interesting thing I've done lately is fill in the gaps by learning my editor during long waits. In my case, this is vim (specifically macvim). You end up sometimes missing the completion of the task, but at least its arguably more productive than getting lulled to reddit sleep. And how else would I know that zomfg, vim has a built in genafyngr gb ebg13 command ("g?").
But then one day I accidentally stumbled across a very profound idea. If I have something happening in the background that is just interesting enough to prevent me from getting bored, but not interesting enough to consume my attention, then I don't end up off on tangents every time I have to wait 30 seconds to 5 minutes for something to finish.
Several different approaches work and I'm sure their efficacy varies according to individual habits and taste. I used to put on a movie in a tiny window and turn my attention to it when I get bored for a few minutes. But that takes up screen real estate and can be distracting. You're also less likely to notice that the task you were waiting for has completed...
So how do I prevent the tangents but still manage to focus on my work? AUDIO BOOKS. Especially audio books that I've already read in paper or audio form. If it's the first time you are listening to it, it's easy to get distracted by the story since you don't want to miss it. But if you already know what happens, it's easy to completely ignore it while its playing in the background. Then, as soon as you click a button and strike a key that fires off a task that is going to take some time to finish, you turn your attention mostly to the audio book, but keep one eye on the task so you know it's over.
This approach has done wonders for my productivity. Now, I tend to look at reddit, hacker news and google reader as a planned task, or just to kill time when I'm not already coding. Try it my friend. You will love it!!
As an aside, about six months ago I switched from Windows land to Mac land, mostly because: 0) linux has caused me too much pain in my short cruel life 1) I am a languages geek, and it seems like they're available for mac before Windows 2) as a web developer, I often deploy my products on a linuxy server and macosx is much closer to linuxy then windows is. So until recently, I had a much more difficult time staying on task than I do now. Part of the motivation to change came from a reasonably careful assessment of my days, and how each was spent. I downloaded Slife http://www.slifelabs.com/ and Rescutime http://www.rescuetime.com/ ++, both of which can give you a pretty accurate picture of where your time goes when you are sitting on your computer.
-----
+ Summary: Listen to audio books that you've already read while you code.
++ Unfortunately, I don't feel comfortable recommending one over the other. But I will say that Slife required less time to configure and maintain, but at least felt less flexible. I'd recommend either at least in the short term to help you exorcise your procrastination demons. My macbook was stolen about a month ago and I haven't (yet?) installed them on my new one. They were definitely instrumental though in inspiring me to become more productive.
One thing that drives me absolute crazy is waiting. I am very impatient. So any time I am performing a programming or administration task that requires waiting for more than 10 seconds or so, I end up looking for ANYTHING to ease my boredom. So when I need to kill 30 seconds while something processes, I end up distracted by reddit, blogs etc. Then, 30 minutes later, I realize I have been off on some tangent instead of working, and have essentially wasted 29 minutes of my work day.
One recent approach I tried was less effective but perhaps still interesting thing I've done lately is fill in the gaps by learning my editor during long waits. In my case, this is vim (specifically macvim). You end up sometimes missing the completion of the task, but at least its arguably more productive than getting lulled to reddit sleep. And how else would I know that zomfg, vim has a built in genafyngr gb ebg13 command ("g?").
But then one day I accidentally stumbled across a very profound idea. If I have something happening in the background that is just interesting enough to prevent me from getting bored, but not interesting enough to consume my attention, then I don't end up off on tangents every time I have to wait 30 seconds to 5 minutes for something to finish.
Several different approaches work and I'm sure their efficacy varies according to individual habits and taste. I used to put on a movie in a tiny window and turn my attention to it when I get bored for a few minutes. But that takes up screen real estate and can be distracting. You're also less likely to notice that the task you were waiting for has completed...
So how do I prevent the tangents but still manage to focus on my work? AUDIO BOOKS. Especially audio books that I've already read in paper or audio form. If it's the first time you are listening to it, it's easy to get distracted by the story since you don't want to miss it. But if you already know what happens, it's easy to completely ignore it while its playing in the background. Then, as soon as you click a button and strike a key that fires off a task that is going to take some time to finish, you turn your attention mostly to the audio book, but keep one eye on the task so you know it's over.
This approach has done wonders for my productivity. Now, I tend to look at reddit, hacker news and google reader as a planned task, or just to kill time when I'm not already coding. Try it my friend. You will love it!!
As an aside, about six months ago I switched from Windows land to Mac land, mostly because: 0) linux has caused me too much pain in my short cruel life 1) I am a languages geek, and it seems like they're available for mac before Windows 2) as a web developer, I often deploy my products on a linuxy server and macosx is much closer to linuxy then windows is. So until recently, I had a much more difficult time staying on task than I do now. Part of the motivation to change came from a reasonably careful assessment of my days, and how each was spent. I downloaded Slife http://www.slifelabs.com/ and Rescutime http://www.rescuetime.com/ ++, both of which can give you a pretty accurate picture of where your time goes when you are sitting on your computer.
-----
+ Summary: Listen to audio books that you've already read while you code.
++ Unfortunately, I don't feel comfortable recommending one over the other. But I will say that Slife required less time to configure and maintain, but at least felt less flexible. I'd recommend either at least in the short term to help you exorcise your procrastination demons. My macbook was stolen about a month ago and I haven't (yet?) installed them on my new one. They were definitely instrumental though in inspiring me to become more productive.
This worked pretty well for me:
http://www.43folders.com/2005/09/08/kick-procrastinations-as...
http://www.43folders.com/2005/09/08/kick-procrastinations-as...
Randy Pausch on time management: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTugjssqOT0
Take an Adderall pill one time every day for two days. Heh.
You'll work like a machine from that point forward.
You'll work like a machine from that point forward.
Didn't work for me, at an initial low dose (5 mg). I found my mind "slipping off of things". It was "on to the next thing" before I'd really thought through the current thing. I "just sent" some emails and did some other things that, upon reflection, were not good choices.
I cut the low starting dose in half, and that helped; at that level, "pause and check" still has enough control to keep me from disregarding consequences.
I'm a bit hesitant to share this, but I'm curious whether anyone else here has had a similar reaction. You can email me if you don't want it out in public (pseudonymous email address, presumably).
I cut the low starting dose in half, and that helped; at that level, "pause and check" still has enough control to keep me from disregarding consequences.
I'm a bit hesitant to share this, but I'm curious whether anyone else here has had a similar reaction. You can email me if you don't want it out in public (pseudonymous email address, presumably).
No. No drugs, please. My problem are my habits. I do not have a disease.
Oh. Eh, well, I wrote a small blog post a while back about little things that help me stay on-track:
http://whitepaperclip.com/blog/post/2-Avoiding-Procrastinati...
Everyone is different, though.
http://whitepaperclip.com/blog/post/2-Avoiding-Procrastinati...
Everyone is different, though.
"No. No drugs, please. My problem are my habits. I do not have a disease."
Drugs are not just for disease.
Is it possible that your habits come (to whatever extent) from neuropharmacology?
If you have a dopamine imbalance, can will power alone overcome it?
Drugs are not just for disease.
Is it possible that your habits come (to whatever extent) from neuropharmacology?
If you have a dopamine imbalance, can will power alone overcome it?
Just starting makes the task 50% done. That gave me motivation to start.
Get rid of distracting bookmarks / hide your bookmarks bar.
Read "The Path of Least Resistance." It's not about procrastination, but I assure you, it will change your life, in a small but critical way.
The other books scratch the surface, vainly trying to solve the problem at the level of the behavior. They're like slapping bandaids on a stab wound.
But the Path attacks it at the next lower level, just like that quote from Einstein: "No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it."
The other books scratch the surface, vainly trying to solve the problem at the level of the behavior. They're like slapping bandaids on a stab wound.
But the Path attacks it at the next lower level, just like that quote from Einstein: "No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it."
Of course, once I do start working on something, I get in the zone and completely lose track of time. Once in the zone, I'll work at a task until I've completed it. Overcoming the "inertia" is the difficult part.
This is what I've done to combat my situation: I've started keeping a TODO list. I've also cleared my desk of unneeded items and removed useless feeds from my RSS reader. I'm getting into the habit of putting my MacBook to sleep when I'm not working. That way, I can't wander off to Digg or the WTF subreddit. I feel I'm about 2x more productive now, but I'm still far from the stage where I can spend more than 50% of my computer time doing productive tasks.
Tips? Links? Blogs? Also, I love anecdotes :)