Self mental manipulation

[Zergling]

College has started again, in what looks to be a hard semester, involving a lot iof new ideas and a lot of work, plus looking for some sort of job after the lab thing didn't work out, plus a large amount of other random goals and simple things I feel like doing, and I constantly find myself procrastinating still.


I'm interested in any mental tricks people can use to get themselves to do something, whatever it involves, since the usual tricks I use aren't working, and a few other ones haven't been working either. (Such as listing everything out and putting it in an easy to see place.) I know in general what the goals are and have some idea of how to go about them, but somehow it seems I get taken over a lot by another part of my brain that just wants to surf the internet all day.

(I realize this isn't a serious problem compared to someone's death in a family, say, but it is quite a problematic one for me at the moment that tends to feed itself, and these forums do in general seem to involve people asking for help.)

 

[ygolo]

I have the same issues. Too much stuff I want to do, and not enough focus to do them.

Something has helped a bit though:

Writing down the goal, figuring out what the next physical step is towards that goal, and taking it.

It is slow, but I have gotten myself to do some rather difficult things in the worst of moods using this technique.

 

[Natrushka]

I'm interested in any mental tricks people can use to get themselves to do something, whatever it involves, since the usual tricks I use aren't working, and a few other ones haven't been working either. (Such as listing everything out and putting it in an easy to see place.) I know in general what the goals are and have some idea of how to go about them, but somehow it seems I get taken over a lot by another part of my brain that just wants to surf the internet all day.

I find if I take one thing and do that, I can get my groove going. When there is a lot to do and I'm suffering from inertia, taking it slow and deciding that I'm going to do Just This right now usually gets me going again. Then it bulds on itself.

A kin to eating an elephant.

 

[JivinJeffJones]

The only sure-fire way I've found of getting a lot done is to have something else more pressing and urgent which I'm avoiding doing. As the pressure to do that thing grows, I become amazingly productive with lesser priorities.

Primary priorities of choice:

1. Taxes. Forget the accountant. Do them yourself. Eventually. Maybe next week. Soon.
2. Chest pains or other potentially-terminal symptoms. You should really get that checked out.
3. Drug withdrawal. You may have to take up drugs first, but it's for a worthy cause.
4. Speeding fines. The possibility of legal action being taken against you should have you anxiously flying through the debris of lesser priorities.
5. Upcoming rent-inspections. This only works for P hovels.
6. A structurally-unsound tower of dishes with accompanying irate housemate.

 

[The_Liquid_Laser]

I agree with what everyone has said so far. In addition to these what I like to do is give myself little rewards. Like "When I accomplish task 3 on my list then I can go to the movie I've been wanting to see" or something like that. I find it helps give me extra motivation.

 

[Matt22]

You just have to fight it out. Get out of your slothful routine. Take a cold shower in the morning if you have to. Do only the minimum work you have to. You will be a happier person if you get the work done than if you procrastinate.

but somehow it seems I get taken over a lot by another part of my brain that just wants to surf the internet all day.

Get rid of the computer and see what happens

 

[digesthisickness]

I agree with what everyone has said so far. In addition to these what I like to do is give myself little rewards. Like "When I accomplish task 3 on my list then I can go to the movie I've been wanting to see" or something like that. I find it helps give me extra motivation.

oh god, that made me laugh. that'd never work on me. i'd just go to the movie instead of what i had to do.

the only thing that works on me is telling myself:

this needs to be done

it won't go away by itself

no one else is going to do it

if you "choose" to do it, then it's not a "have" to do it

if you do it, it'll go away. if you don't, it'll stay there.

in that case, i choose to go ahead and get it out of my life

*looks at whatever it is and says...* "come here, you bastard. you are going down!"

*does it*

 

[Zergling]

A lot of the stuff suggested is stuff I actually do, mainly this thread was asking for help since those strategies had been failing.

 

[heart]

6. A structurally-unsound tower of dishes with accompanying irate housemate.

When you want a bowl of cereal and even the Bundt pan and the ice cream scoop are dirty, it is time to do dishes.

 

[Vortex]

I'm sure someone will laugh at this, but FlyLady.net: Your personal online coach to help you gain control of your house and home when all else fails I set a timer for 15 minutes and see what I can accomplish in that time. I'm awfully good at getting sidetracked, but for me it's the only way to get through heavy texts, cleaning, laundry etc. "You can do anything for 15 minutes" .

Edited to add: mentally it helps me to have a set time for a task and the knowledge that as soon as the timer goes off won't have to do any more. I get overwhelmed otherwise.

 

[Sahara]

I am with digthisickness on this, nothing works aside from pretty much saying "Right, let's do this shit", and pretty much making myself do it.

I make lists and ignore them, goals and ignore them, rotas and ignore them, lol it's pretty hard for me to stay focused and on track.

 

[lastrailway]

When I am in my very lazy periods but have to do things, what works for me is to do a very extensive list of what would I like to do in my free time. That way I remind myself how much I enjoy my free time and that the only way to free time up is to finish with work/chores.
Luckily I have found that, growing up, the lazy periods tend to disappear and work can be a motivation on its own sometimes