I want to stop procrastinating.

[Lago PARANOIA]

So here I am. Up at 4:30 in the morning writing a lab report because I blew off three separate opportunities this week to write a paper I KNOW I had to do. Like, all of those times I actually sat down at the computer and started typing with no distractions (not even Internet), but I went for like an hour before giving up all of those times. And it's not just labs, either, I procrastinate with practically everything even if it's something important like grocery shopping or getting my car fixed.

I know procrastination just makes things more stressful and it's going to kill my grade and it's going to make any job more demanding than security job extremely stressful so I'll never be happy.

I thought it was an Internet addiction at first, but I've been cutting way the hell back on it (I've been doing a lot less on these boards if you haven't noticed) and it hasn't helped at all. Internet makes procrastination easy, but even if I don't have Internet it just gets replaced with walks or books (except for what I NEED to read) or talking.

I really need some help.

[RobbyPants]

I find myself doing that a lot too, but mostly for non-important things. The more important something is, the quicker I am to just do it.

And I think you're right that it's not just something as simple as "Internet addiction". I'll find myself bored, with no excuse not to do what I know I should, and I'll instead play a game that I don't really want to do.

Fixing it is probably a matter of reevaluating your priorities. Once doing the work becomes more important than the discomfort of doing it, you'll do the job. It's mostly all in your attitude, which is mostly under your control.

[Zinegata]

Find a totally unrelated activity to the Internet.

I go for long boardgames when I'm finding myself posting so much.

[cthulhu]

I sympathise, I do the same thing. I am absolutely a chronic procrastinator to the point it interfers with my social life and my work. (It's doing it right now, I should be in bed!)

Solutions heavily depend on exactly what it is you procrastinate about - it's generally either poor work discipline or a fear of failure (for me me it is certainly low consciousnesses and poor work discipline)

Managing it is all about routine and positive reinforcement. Break down your paper (for example) into many small tasks that you can finish in small chunks. Establish a routine where you will spend a number of periods a day doing required tasks, but only in small blocks of time (and make sure your tasks are small enough that you can complete them in the time allocated!). Don't ever set up big tasks that will take hours to complete, that is doomed to failure. I have no idea what your threshold is, but 20 minute tasks is not a bad idea ;P

That gives you a structure to improve your work discipline and a sense of accomplishment that helps make you stick to the routine.

[RobbyPants]

Managing it is all about routine and positive reinforcement. Break down your paper (for example) into many small tasks that you can finish in small chunks. Establish a routine where you will spend a number of periods a day doing required tasks, but only in small blocks of time (and make sure your tasks are small enough that you can complete them in the time allocated!). Don't ever set up big tasks that will take hours to complete, that is doomed to failure. I have no idea what your threshold is, but 20 minute tasks is not a bad idea ;P

That gives you a structure to improve your work discipline and a sense of accomplishment that helps make you stick to the routine.

I fully agree. I've done the same for some tasks. I can be driven if I have a true goal, but if the objective is "do this task at some point in time", then I just keep saying "later".

[ubernoob]

//

[Surgo]

I used to be convinced that I procrastinated, but after many years I figured out that no matter what my workload is, all the work gets completed at about the right time (though I believe I hit my limit last semester). So, are you positive that "procrastination" is a real problem?

[Juton]

I still procrastinate on big projects, since their completion date is so far off. With small projects I find the best thing to do is start on them the first day their due, either right when I get home or after supper, no later. Things like labs are a lot of grunt work, but I find their a lot more tolerable once you've started them, you realize that it's not going to eat up your entire week and you're ready to get it out of the way and on with life.

[Calibron]

*awesome advice*

Pretty much this. Have scheduled work times, relax a bit before said time, set yourself an alarm on your phone if necessary, break the work up into small chunks, give yourself intermittent rewards for doing things right, and do the appropriate drugs.

[CatharzGodfoot]

Aside from Ubernoob's drug regimen, the only solution to procrastination is to just do it. I find that that longer I wait after a task is assigned (whether it be grocery shopping, fixing the car, writing letters of intent to grad school, etc), the less likely I am to do the task until the deadline. The longer I put off a task, the easier it is to put it off.

So do things as soon as you can. If your car needs fixing, immediately schedule a time to bring it in to the garage. If papers need writing, start on them as soon as they are assigned and try to finish as quickly as possible. I find that trying to do this reduces my procrastination by about half, which means that I get about 45% of my work done early and 45% done barely in time. It could be better, but it could also be a lot worse.

[Josh_Kablack]

Work on a schedule and use a cooking timer to hold yourself to it.

45 minutes of focusing on paper, then BRRRRRNG time for 15 minute walk/chat/snack/cig/phone home then BRNNNG back to work. This is the pavlovian conditioning school drilled into you, so use it. It also forces you to get something done between each bell while leaving you enough breaktime to step away and calm down.

[Doom]

When I was in school in the 70's, I had an alarm clock radio. Every morning for months I was awoke to DJs talking about their contest. It was a 'procrastination contest'.

I had no idea what they were talking about, I but I resolved to look up the word.

In college I got hold of one of those dictionaries, and looked it up. True story, had a good laugh.

One of these days I'll track down those DJ's and ask them if I've won the contest.

[Sashi]

When I schedule my time and run on a 25/5minute timer I get an enormous amount of work done. When I just kind of loaf around and Internet all the time I get basically no work done.

And, like ubernoob said, don't underestimate the power of guilt. It's crazy how much more I get done when there's someone else in the room who can tell if I'm working or not (this is part of the basis for Pair Programming). And this guy has basically the same idea.

[JonSetanta]

I get addicted to internetting when life is stressful. Maybe it's the same for you.

If so, ask yourself why you're stressed, and if your approach to the work has something to do with it.
Is it the act of writing a paper stressful, or are you simply not accustomed to it?
You could get some advice at your college from free tutors. Most colleges have such a setup.
I'm applying to be one for English papers since I get near-perfect grades on essays.

My strategy is to write an outline as soon as I get ideas, sometimes even in the class while it's being assigned.
Then, write the draft within days of that outline. Sit on it. Reflect on it at times.
And no later than a week before it's due, write the final.

But if you're a stimulant-ridden spaz like ubernoob, maybe drugs are the solution, and my advice is a moot point.
I avoid caffeine in the process of writing but do reward myself for its completion. Stimulants make my essays worse. Every time.

[ubernoob]

//

[Sashi]

Paul Erdős would agree with you. The hard part's getting them without breaking the law or lying to your doctor.

[name_here]

I don't know if that's entirely true for people without ADD. The reason stimulants are effective for people with ADD is because of the same brain chemistry changes that give us problems in the first place.

On an only mildly related note, every time someone uses the word "neurotypical" or says, "it's a difference, not a disease" I want to punch them.

[Maj]

Fact: Stimulants get shit done. Except sleep.

For my husband, it's just the opposite. If he's at a point in his work where he needs stimulants to keep going, he's better off taking a nap.

If he sucks it up, it takes him longer to do simple tasks and he makes significantly more errors that require him to redo chunks of his work. So he can pile on the drugs and take longer to get things done over all (side effect: he's grumpy and since he works at home we all have to deal with it), or he can take a nap and breeze through the work no sweat (side effect: he's happy and we all have to deal with it - guess which state I prefer).

But it requires planning to get his work done. A calendar is useful here, but the real key has been making himself beholden to someone else. Using the calendar as a basis, Ess tells people when things will be done so that he has an outside regulator for himself. Sometimes it's just me, other times it's his clients. If he plans things sanely, it gives him wiggle room if there's a problem (ie: Client says do X by Friday, and Ess says he'll get it done by Thursday morning. This leaves enough time that should something pop up, the client's goal is still met).

Another thing that works well is rewards. Provided you have the will power, set yourself a goal with a defined treat at the end - going to the movies, a candy bar, whatever (if you don't have the will, maybe you can conscript a friend who does - which also leads back into making yourself beholden to someone else). Or compete with yourself. The last time you had to write a paper, it took you five days. This time, you'll get it done in four.

Good luck.

[Count Arioch the 28th]

I usually have to take some sort of (legally prescribed) drugs to keep going. When I procrastinate it's usually because my PTSD is kicking up again and a couple mgs of Lorezapam calms me down enough to keep going.

[Zinegata]

I tend to avoid stimulants and drugs like the plague too. I don't really think they're a very good long term solution.

[JonSetanta]

Naps get shit done. It's true.

[Kaelik]

Stimulants actually send me into crazy overdrive mode where I get no sleep for 24-36 hours, so while I technically do get more done in the early stages, the lack of ability to sleep, followed by epic sleep crash usually makes it no worthwhile.

My method of procrastination breaking is to wait until literally the last hour, and then do it (exceptions for stuff that takes more than one hour).

[Calibron]

For my husband, it's just the opposite. If he's at a point in his work where he needs stimulants to keep going, he's better off taking a nap.

If he sucks it up, it takes him longer to do simple tasks and he makes significantly more errors that require him to redo chunks of his work. So he can pile on the drugs and take longer to get things done over all (side effect: he's grumpy and since he works at home we all have to deal with it), or he can take a nap and breeze through the work no sweat (side effect: he's happy and we all have to deal with it - guess which state I prefer).

If you're taking them to stay awake you're doing wrong; if you're tired then rest. To get the most activity, and enjoyment, out of them you take them when you feel normal and you end up with laser-like focus and boundless energy with which you accomplish much more than you normally would. That's just plain old dollar store energy pills, I've seen what adderall does to my friend; cleaned his house from top to bottom in a couple hours and felt fucking amazing doing it.

[CatharzGodfoot]

Calibron, stimulants just don't work well for everyone. Some people can harness the energy into getting a lot done; others get distracted and perform useless tasks at high speed (like cleaning the house when you should be writing a paper). Considering that side effects of the harder stuff can include aggression and psychotic symptoms, I wouldn't suggest it for everyone.

[K]

Stims tend to turn me into a mushy automaton (stupid amounts of caffeine are my poison of choice).

So that works for some low-end tasks, and it bones any complex tasks or memory tasks. I'm also a bigger dick than usual.

On procrastination, I find the less happiness my life gives me, the harder it is to do things I hate. Hating life makes me want to vanish into a book or movie or game or drinking.

So I suggest hating life less, if you can. Might work for you. Works for me.

Setting little rewards for myself helps. So I might say "OK, I'll watch Chuck after I get this bit of work done."