[INTP] INTPs - How do you deal with procrastination/motivation issues?

[The Decline]

 

[INTPness]

That's hilarious. Hilarious because of how true it is.

 

[Orangey]

Wow I literally just went through that process in the last hour!

 

[Fluffywolf]

Lol, that picture.

It all makes so much sense it's scary.

 

[Willfrey]

Lists have helped me efficiently organize things that I'll still put off. Usually I'll make a list, have enough motivation to do the first item on it and then take the rest of the day off because I earned it.

 

[neptunesnet]

I'm sorry if this topic has been discussed, but it's one that's bothering me lately. I, like I'm sure most INTPs, have a serious issue with motivation and procrastination.

When I finally realize my habits are getting really bad, what I usually try to do is make a schedule for myself and plan whatever work I need to to out in a doable fashion. This generally works for me for things like school work (when I'm successful in forcing myself to follow it, anyways), but it tends to not work so well when I apply the same method to personal projects and whatnot.

What do you guys do to help keep yourselves motivated?

I don't know if this is just an INTP problem so much as an NP problem. Sometimes, I have terrible issues with motivation and tend to procrastinate a lot. It's the reverse for me, though. I can really delve into personal projects. Work and work with something I'm really passionate about, but school work, if I'm not interested or it doesn't have much meaning in the overall scope of my life, is the most difficult thing to be motivated about.

The only thing I can advise is looking at how it, whatever you're holding off, will benefit you in the end. School work can have sereval motivations (getting into a good undergraduate/graduate school, academic honors, general knowledge), and personal projects to me just have appeal. I wouldn't know how to get motivated about something I naturally enjoy.

 

[paperoceans]

I have to make a schedule and plan things ahead of time to get things done. I often leave little notes all over the place to remind me, because I forget a lot of the time or get distracted.

 

[Twixt]

I don't know if this is just an INTP problem so much as an NP problem. Sometimes, I have terrible issues with motivation and tend to procrastinate a lot. It's the reverse for me, though. I can really delve into personal projects. Work and work with something I'm really passionate about, but school work, if I'm not interested or it doesn't have much meaning in the overall scope of my life, is the most difficult thing to be motivated about.

I'd say its an NP problem. I don't know if it afflicts the SPs as much, because they 'live in the world of action' (as oft repeated by type descriptions) - at least, maybe the SPs just don't care (?) If they want to do something, they do it; if they don't, they don't. Simple as that. No half-assed procrastination issues? (somebody correct me if im wrong!)

I think NPs invented procrastination.
No one does it better.

But for each NP, the reason is different.

INTPs - get bogged down by self-esteem issues, fear of failure, need for accuracy (slow process of checking all details)
ENTPs - get caught up in trying so many different approaches, interested in the innovative process but not the maintenance of it
ENFPs - get distracted, lose focus, try to handle 1001 things at the same time. (which is how an ENFP functions. its okay ENFPs, we love you.)
INFPs - perfectionistic, need for perfection hampers their actions

In my experience, the first step is the hardest. GET THE BALL ROLLING, NPS!

 

[INTP]

I think about it untill its too late to do it enymore.

 

[durentu]

I'm sorry if this topic has been discussed, but it's one that's bothering me lately. I, like I'm sure most INTPs, have a serious issue with motivation and procrastination.

When I finally realize my habits are getting really bad, what I usually try to do is make a schedule for myself and plan whatever work I need to to out in a doable fashion. This generally works for me for things like school work (when I'm successful in forcing myself to follow it, anyways), but it tends to not work so well when I apply the same method to personal projects and whatnot.

What do you guys do to help keep yourselves motivated?

After thinking about it, I didn't have any good answers myself. After some research, I have found something called Cognitive Emotive Narrative Therapy or CENT. This is based off of Albert Elli's REBT and ABC model which I have been aware of for a while.

What is Cognitive Emotive Narrative Therapy (CENT)?

[YOUTUBE="crbBjYT2BZU"]procrastination CENT part 1[/YOUTUBE]
[YOUTUBE="z-o5gU0l4rQ"]procrastination CENT part 2[/YOUTUBE]
[YOUTUBE="cxDhlIiJq2g"]procrastination CENT part 3[/YOUTUBE]


The basic idea in REBT is to change the beliefs about things, and in CENT it's about how you frame procrastination. REBT is essentially a practical form of a quote from Epictetus's Enchiridion

What upsets people is not things themselves but their judgments about the things. For example, "death is nothing dreadful (or else it would have appeared dreadful to Socrates)..."
-- Chapter Five of the Handbook[1].

The ABC model goes something like this

A (activating event) - I don't want to study
B (beliefs) - If I study, I'll fail anyway
C (consequences) - Poor grades

While the activating events can almost never be changed (it's in the past), the beliefs are what mitigates the perception of that event that leads to the consequences. By changing the beliefs, it alters the consequences. There are techniques the extend this as well.

While it sounds too simplistic, in practice it's not. Our beliefs are generally unconscious and true ones are buried deep within. Whether unconsciousness can be brought into consciousness is another debate. So you keep doing this ABC until you arrive at some truth.

It's also easy for the novice to use this method improperly because there are ways that it can go awry. I encourage you to look more into REBT / CENT for procrastination and for general life issues as they happen.

Here's a great overview/intro to REBT

http://www.rational.org.nz/prof/docs/Intro-REBT.pdf

 

[marquix]

I've created an environment and set of rules to help me survive in this realm.

Here are some details:

Live alone (no excuses)

Healthy lifestyle? (create rules like keeping a near empty fridge so that you can go more often to the grocery store and keep from having to clean the fridge because most of the time you eat everything.)

Washing your vehicle? (buy a bucket and cleaning supplies and let yourself go broke so that you can learn to relish washing it yourself)

living the freelance life? (find a set of hobbies that you really enjoy or bring value to your life, ex. I swim in the summer, ride my bike year round, go to the gym and try to work the least amount of time possible) This way you justify your stress free lifestyle with the fact that you actually do what you want to do. Do what you want and don't worry about labeling yourself as a procrastinator when in all actuality you are simply busy doing what you want.

Have some kids. (believe it or not, it's not as bad as everyone thinks. I mean, how quick can they actually grow up, reallly. Their days are just as long as yours. By the time they get wound up, you'll be picking up the pace as well, right along with them.

Inspire your intellect in creative ways. (for example, I've recently took up singing - what does it do for me? It adds value on the romantic side, synchronizes my brain hemispheres, clears up the feeling bad for yourself feeling in your throat and makes you drink lots of water. Believe it or not, getting up to pee all the time keeps you on your toes and before you know it your metabolism has changed and girls are looking at you everywhere.) When you end up with girl options everywhere, you want to kick yourself in the *ss because you need more money. You push harder for more options and a cycle begins where you know something needs to give. In fewer words, keep dreaming. Take tiny steps towards being the Tom Cruise, Casanova, successful guy you want to be. Just remember, these guys live a relaxed life. Focus on the end results, not all the hard work to get there. In two words. RETIRE EARLY and consider yourself a lucky guy!!!

 

[think2much]

I have to work up a lot of self-hatred in order to get myself to do stuff I normally do not want to do. If I don't work out I will be undesirable to my partner. If I don't do well in school I will be stupid. If I don't get these invoices done I will be inept and incompetent. Probably not the healthiest thing in the world, but it's really the only thing that works.

INTPs, first and foremost, must believe they are doing something because they want to. If they feel forced by another they won't do it. They will, even irrationally and against all logic, be compelled to disobey. If they cannot see why they should want to do something, they won't, so that's what you have to try to do. Show the INTP why he wants to do something.

^ for me, I think it's VERY important for INTP to find something they LOVE to do. which is pretty hard to find....

 

[Randomnity]

I'd say its an NP problem. I don't know if it afflicts the SPs as much, because they 'live in the world of action' (as oft repeated by type descriptions) - at least, maybe the SPs just don't care (?) If they want to do something, they do it; if they don't, they don't. Simple as that. No half-assed procrastination issues? (somebody correct me if im wrong!)

I can only speak for myself, but I've always been an expert procrastinator It causes me a lot of stress in the final stretch but I guess it works out ok other than that, so I probably won't find the motivation to try to change anytime soon.

I manage to time things so they still get done, of course, and I don't pull allnighters which make me miserable, but it's still a late night - usually down to about 6 hours of sleep. I have a strong drive to actually do things (if I need to), it's just that I can't make myself do it until I know I need to.

This cuts out the revision process unfortunately, so I try to improve things by setting earlier deadlines with other people ("can you look at my draft on tues") which tends to make me keep those deadlines. I don't even bother self-imposing deadlines anymore, it never works.

this weekend was a prime example, and why I'll actually be working my ass off today...

 

[Himself]

There are so many posts in this thread I could +1-quote, but suffice it instead to say simply that I fail epically at motivating myself to do anything that doesn't fascinate me. I suppose I'm glad I'm not the only one who suffers from this problem, but it seems to have gotten worse with me in recent months. There are definitely days where I'd much rather be working full-time on one or both of the start-up ideas I've had recently than going to class and writing papers. (Needless to say, as a junior in college, this is not exactly a viable option.)

 

[copperfish17]

FFFFFFFFFFF

For some strange reason, the only times I become productive are when I'm extremely (and I mean EXTREMELY) stressed out. It goes:

'Well, man I feel sh!tty but super productive. LET'S GET THINGS DONE DAMMMIT!'

Could this be the so-called J-rebellion?!

 

[marquix]

There are so many posts in this thread I could +1-quote, but suffice it instead to say simply that I fail epically at motivating myself to do anything that doesn't fascinate me. I suppose I'm glad I'm not the only one who suffers from this problem, but it seems to have gotten worse with me in recent months. There are definitely days where I'd much rather be working full-time on one or both of the start-up ideas I've had recently than going to class and writing papers. (Needless to say, as a junior in college, this is not exactly a viable option.)

I feel you on the start up ideas. We need to find the people to follow through with them so that we can come up with more. Anyone know the Types that follow up with crazy ideas INTP's come up with?

 

[goodgrief]

If I'm unmotivated, could I still be an INTJ? I always struggle with laziness.

 

[marquix]

I think it is a general feeling between all types. Others just have laziness in thinking so they rather do something without thinking, while others have different variations of the same.

 

[Ozzy26]

Adderall, though I'm starting to watch the videos durentu posted and hopefully than can be a much healthier alternative.

 

[incomple...]

I'm still trying to figure out... Extreme time pressure helps me to finally do my job, but for longer periods it's unhealthy, making me aggressive and depressed.

I really could post a long list about what I've tried. But nothing seemed to really work.