• You are currently viewing our forum as a guest, which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community, you will have access to additional post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), view blogs, respond to polls, upload content, and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free, so please join our community today! Just click here to register. You should turn your Ad Blocker off for this site or certain features may not work properly. If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us by clicking here.

[ENTP] ENTP intensity and procastination

Qre:us

New member
Joined
Nov 21, 2008
Messages
4,890
Sometimes, I wonder what reinforces my procastinating ways, and, although I know that it's because I haven't (yet) faced dire consequences for my procastination (seen bad, but, always could've been worse before I weasled out).

And, I had a conversation with my mom over the weekend, and she said, about me, "The results of your work, when you finally decide to jump into it, is very thorough, and always complete. Only problem, nobody knows when you will jump in. Your dad can be telling you for weeks to help him set up the new TV, and grumble that you seem to find time for going out with friends, etc., but not to help him. But, when you finally do, whenever that is, the job is done, without needing follow-up, and at lightening speed. Interesting quirk you have, and I see this in pretty much every task you do."

And, I've realized that my procastinating ways are reinforced because the byproduct of it is, default intensity, which is a must for me to tackle something. If I wait until the 11th hour to do something, the urgency of the task gets amphed, and, as such, I can finally dive into it full force. Otherwise, I can barely muster up interest in a task. The same, sadly, with school work. I need it to be a challenge, and, obviously the content of the work doesn't change, so, that added dimension of challenge, I create by skewing the odds (subconsciously?) AGAINST my favour (like leaving it until the end). Which ups the intensity.

If this is true, how do I get around overcoming my procastination if my main thirst is intensity? Can anyone else relate? ENTPs? Other Ps?
 

jenocyde

half mystic, half skeksis
Joined
Jan 2, 2009
Messages
6,387
MBTI Type
ENTP
Enneagram
7w8
Oh goodness Q, if I had a helpful answer for you, I'd even procrastinate in giving it to you.

I procrastinate for 2 reasons:
- the task just does not interest me and I don't want to do it and I then make said task interesting by creating a challenge to overcome (an impossible deadline that would cripple others). Then I get to pat myself on the back for how bad ass I am to have accomplished all that, so perfectly, in such a small amount of time.
- I get distracted by other things and I simply forget because the task was not interesting. See above.

All around: I suck. (but I still get the job done and am so bad ass for accomplishing it, so perfectly, in such a small amount of time).
 

Kasper

Diabolical
Joined
May 30, 2008
Messages
11,590
MBTI Type
ENTP
Enneagram
9w8
Instinctual Variant
so/sx
Amen sister!

If it's not challenging or fun for me then I find any reason I can to distract myself. Nothing is harder for me to do then sit down with an assignment in front of me that I need to do but am not interested in, 2 minutes in or less my mind has totally left me on my own and I don't stand a chance. The only solution for uninteresting work is a tough time schedule and knowledge that I have to do it. Urgency adds an element of challenge, the tighter and more important the deadline the more productive I am. I always kicked ass in school exams, essays given as homework however were done last minute (lesson or break before the class they were due in).

Every one of my school reports from pretty much all of my teachers said something along the lines of "Trina has great potential if only she'd use it", I seriously thought that was something all teachers wrote about all students, as in it was a form of padding they could use on any report to make the parents think they took it seriously, upon reflection it probably wasn’t :D
 

BerberElla

12 and a half weeks
Joined
Sep 25, 2008
Messages
2,725
MBTI Type
infp
As a fellow P I feel your pain, I also can not motivate myself to complete a task without an insane deadline to meet because of how long I procrastinated for.

I have no solutions, I think the only way it gets changed is by forcing yourself daily to act in a way that isn't you, until it becomes you and even then you would burn out, I know I do anyway.
 

ThinkingAboutIt

New member
Joined
Apr 8, 2009
Messages
264
MBTI Type
INTP
I am the same way. I do not see it as a problem for myself, just how I am, but I know it is really not fair to force others to work the way I do...most people just can't operate 'under fire' and/or are incapable of the focus needed to get it done, and done right in a short amount of time.
 

Qre:us

New member
Joined
Nov 21, 2008
Messages
4,890
Bellas, should we have a celebratory shindig or a therapy session for this condition?

I think it's cuz we know we work best at improvising, and time is a great mediator of need for improvisation...so, we create our work to become an improvisation, even when it could have very well been done through taking time and careful planning.

And, I agree, the distraction is a bitch, especially since I know I'm silently challenging the task to be interesting enough to NOT need me to be distracted....and, it only gets there, when it becomes a 'can't be done' challenge, like leaving it until the last minute. Vicious circle.

Is this essentially a fight against nature? A failing battle? There must be some hope? :doh:

Trin, my dad repeatedly tells me that I piss on my potential. :cheese:
I usually reply, At least I never miss.
 

Kasper

Diabolical
Joined
May 30, 2008
Messages
11,590
MBTI Type
ENTP
Enneagram
9w8
Instinctual Variant
so/sx
My solution is to get people around me to take care of the things that I know I don't want to do and would bug me knowing they have to be done but yet still can't bring myself to do them, I’d rather pay someone then have it not done and drive me crazy. With study I find institutes that offer subjects in a way that complements my cruddy study style.

When I get particularly bad writing lists can work for a few days till I lose interest in or lose the list.
 

jenocyde

half mystic, half skeksis
Joined
Jan 2, 2009
Messages
6,387
MBTI Type
ENTP
Enneagram
7w8
Yes, I am much better at improvising than I am at planning.

And lol about the "potential" comments, I've heard that so many times in my life that I thought everybody said that about everybody else. It's a sobering thought to realize that they were all really speaking about me specifically.
 

Wyst

lurking....
Joined
Jul 6, 2008
Messages
1,662
MBTI Type
INFJ
Enneagram
4w5
As a J, you'd think I wouldn't procrastinate but I'm really good at it.

For me, starting is the hardest part. Either because I don't know where to begin or because I get so caught up in wanting to know how it's all going to go down (all the details) that I falter at taking a first step.

This is true for me with chores around the house, projects at work, and in relationships as well.
 

jenocyde

half mystic, half skeksis
Joined
Jan 2, 2009
Messages
6,387
MBTI Type
ENTP
Enneagram
7w8
My solution is to get people around me to take care of the things that I know I don't want to do and would bug me knowing they have to be done but yet still can't bring myself to do them, I’d rather pay someone then have it not done and drive me crazy. With study I find institutes that offer subjects in a way that complements my cruddy study style.

When I get particularly bad writing lists can work for a few days till I lose interest in or lose the list.

+1.
I outsource all unpleasant tasks - clothes shopping, grocery shopping, cleaning, laundry, bill paying, etc... Of course, I do these tasks sometimes, but as a whole, I have no patience or desire. Which means, it will never get done.
 

BerberElla

12 and a half weeks
Joined
Sep 25, 2008
Messages
2,725
MBTI Type
infp
I used to get told that one alot too lol I was smug enough to believe it was about me and me alone because most of my class mates were really dense. Haha oh the vanity in that. :blush:

It was more "if she applied herself more" but then what grades did they want me to pull in? how much higher can you get? I was already scoring the highest grades in most of my classes aside from maths and PE which I hated anyway, so if you are already getting merits and A+ marks, how much more application did they need to see?

That always baffled me.

I mean Q, you don't produce shoddy work, it's more a case of you do it your own time, and I guess I'm wondering why that needs to be a changable thing for any of us?

As long as it doesn't lead to twittering your life away on things that could have taken you far but you never followed, then it's all good I think.

:)
 

thisGuy

New member
Joined
Mar 14, 2009
Messages
1,187
MBTI Type
entp
Its the same story for me EVERY school term. I end up leaving stuff till the very end and barely pass my classes. I could do soo much better, marks wise...but no, i have to wait till the very last day to work on the lab report and then pull an all-nighter to study for an exam the very next day. I treated first year of uni like high school and got completely annihilated.

Developing some J traits, I started going through two week cycles of laziness and getting work done. That worked for a while but it drained me...following a schedule just aint me and it took more out of me to stick to the schedule than the actual act of working.

Then last school term, i realized that i work the best when im juggling multiple things at the same time. Relationships, reports, some weird knowledge quest, letter to a prof, applying for jobs...guess i like the challenge of getting it all done in time, effectively and somewhat efficiently. Though i'm juggling the actual act of working, I still only finish every one of my projects at 11:45 if they are due at 12

funny thing is, that also applies to my social life...all my relationships with Js are limited to msn and facebook. most of them want a two day notice of hooking up...i just call people whenever

i used to think it was a challenge and what not, but the truth is im just a lazy bum when it comes to getting work done...all the reasons and everything else...they are all just excuses when you filter through the fluff. sure i got that laid back rep but when it comes to work, im not realizing my full potential and that sometimes pisses me off cuz it seems like a waste of what could have been
 

wolfy

awsm
Joined
Jun 30, 2008
Messages
12,251
If the problem is you're addicted to the rush, then the solution is for you is to create artificial pressure to complete the task.
 

Aerithria

Senior Thread Terminator
Joined
May 18, 2008
Messages
568
MBTI Type
INTJ
Enneagram
5w4
Haha, I get the comments about wasted potential a lot. It's terrible. The thing is, I burn out incredibly fast if I force myself to work, and I ending up doing terrible on those assignments anyway. If I wait, though, I can get into a flow of ideas and can finish everything in about half the time as the people who work diligently, and it seems that I do better than those people as well. This is why I tend to test well, because it's the same kind of pressure.

I think the issue is positive reinforcement. If I do little to no work and yet still manage a decent grade, where's the incentive for me to work harder? I know I tended to force myself to work more for classes that I did worse in, though it didn't seem to help much.

This is why I've stopped taking courses that involve straight-up memorization. Procrastination seems to work better for classes that involve doing work, rather than knowing things, unless the subject is really interesting to begin with.
 

thisGuy

New member
Joined
Mar 14, 2009
Messages
1,187
MBTI Type
entp
If the problem is you're addicted to the rush, then the solution is for you is to create artificial pressure to complete the task.

its like when one of those gates, the ones that get lowered and indiana jones rolls right through just before they close. what would happen if the rope lowering the door snapped

i know i know...thats the excitement lol

its so flippin stupid, i had an assignment due (online) at 11:45 last tuesday, i submitted at 11:43...i got one due tomorrow night too, don't even know what its on yet
 

Qre:us

New member
Joined
Nov 21, 2008
Messages
4,890
If the problem is you're addicted to the rush, then the solution is for you is to create artificial pressure to complete the task.

I've tried not looking at due dates, and having friends in the class lie about the actual due date....doesn't work too well.

Can you give an example of how this would play out?
 

wolfy

awsm
Joined
Jun 30, 2008
Messages
12,251
I've tried not looking at due dates, and having friends in the class lie about the actual due date....doesn't work too well.

Can you give an example of how this would play out?

What motivates you to do it in the end?

I can put pressure on myself by focusing on peoples reaction to my work. Then I'll slog through just to see the reaction. But that's me.
 

entropie

Permabanned
Joined
Apr 24, 2008
Messages
16,767
MBTI Type
entp
Enneagram
783
And, I had a conversation with my mom over the weekend, and she said, about me, "The results of your work, when you finally decide to jump into it, is very thorough, and always complete. Only problem, nobody knows when you will jump in. Your dad can be telling you for weeks to help him set up the new TV, and grumble that you seem to find time for going out with friends, etc., but not to help him. But, when you finally do, whenever that is, the job is done, without needing follow-up, and at lightening speed. Interesting quirk you have, and I see this in pretty much every task you do."

You prolly laugh, but I spent $500 on a organizer, which alerts me to keep track of issues :D.

No the thing is, I am the same as you are. Promising things but forgettin about them, being unreliable for showing up to work, telling friends I'll do it then forgettin about it. It has grown that worse, I even got fired out of my last job.

I figured in the long run, I can not expect from people to accept my behaviour in the longrun and still like me. Cause I myself wouldnt like such a friend either. Besides that I figured that that way I'll never get into a job position in which I'll have Chicks, money power and Chicks or like a wise man once said:

[YOUTUBE="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jd9pzC3G-T0"]:D[/YOUTUBE]

But back too topic, I tried changing myself by taking my appointments seriously and by buying an organizer to keep track of my dates.

And I seriously spent a lot of time and energy into the effort to stand to that principle, more effort than actually one single entp can stand. And you know what ? I got a kick out of it.

Nowadays I developed a view on things like bubbles slowly closing around me (ok this is gettin nerdy :D). I visualize the appointments I have as a symmetric puzzle and I like to go in the weekend having completed the puzzle if possible.

If someone asks me to put up the TV with him, I do it immediantly. Therefore its done and I dont have to feel sad about it later.
If someone asks me to do a thing for him at work, I calculate in the double amount of time, I thought of myself I would need to finish it, to give me enough space to act. That way I have grown more slower and appear to be slower than I am actually are, but that way everyone works at my office and its pretty much necessary if you want to stay healthy in the long run.
I dont promise things that easily anymore. If someone asks me to do something I will respond "I will see what I can do about it" and not "Consinder it to be on your desk next day".

So I basically can just tell you, you will get a kick out of it if you manage to organize your life. We entp's can pretty rule at this and can become ressourceful leaders, if we just have the courage to put it up with our own egos.

I am barely at the end of the process, I keep falling back in old habits and showing again laziness (today I said I will be at my office at 10 o clock, but I chatted till 6 on vent yesterday and actually showed up at 12). Things like that are unnecessary, cause I could have said I will show up at 12.

And thats the key to success a realistic assessment of your own abilities + a certain amout of extra time.

You will get a real kick out of it, if you suceed at it and will harmonize with yourself more.
 

Qre:us

New member
Joined
Nov 21, 2008
Messages
4,890
I mean Q, you don't produce shoddy work, it's more a case of you do it your own time, and I guess I'm wondering why that needs to be a changable thing for any of us?

As long as it doesn't lead to twittering your life away on things that could have taken you far but you never followed, then it's all good I think.

:)

Well, to be perfectly honest, my work is good enough, but, I know that I could have done hella better, if I took the time and patience for the task. Maybe it's a fear of facing my limitations? Meaning, Aesop's, the fox and the grapes syndrome....I didn't want them anyway, they were prolly sour. So, if I try to the best of my abilities (including preparation) then I'd find out my true merit? Which, if left in the theoretical realm, I can still appease myself that well, I don't know exactly how good I am because I didn't give it my all. And, if I do give it my all, then, I'd have to accept the results as my highest limit, which might...fall short?

The interesting thing is, when I was younger, like middle school to the first year of high school, when my dad (ESTJ) was really micro-managing my school work, I was all about schedule, starting assigments as soon as I get them, studying everyday for a set amount of time, etc, etc. Over-achiever, brown-noser. (I was pretty screwed up in elementary school, and my parents moved us to a new location, and came down hard on me, so I did a 180).

And, then it was like, if 100% exist, I will get it. And, I did. I won the Math, English and Science awards for my year in Middle school. Got into a specialized program for high school. In grade 6, I remember, my teacher used to give this assigment where we had to write on the topic, max 100 words, I was so anal that every assigment of mine would be exactly 100 words, without fail. My grade 9 year, my average was around 99% (English, very hard to get 100% as there is no right answer). My math class final grade was 110% (because I got perfect on every test and exam, including bonus marks). And, then, I got tired around the middle of grade 10. Like, well, I've proved to myself I can do it, where's the fun in that? And, it went downhill from there.....that in my final year, I had to appease to the same math teacher to round my mark UP, so I didn't fail, because I did shit all in class, and got almost passing marks by literally coming to the exam, and DURING exam, learning, through deductive intuitive reasoning, Algebra & Trig. I can't believe I taught myself enough to not majorly fail. The only reason she passed me is because she knew who/what I was in Grade 9. Most shameful conversation, her telling me that she is so suprised that the only student to get above perfect in her class is coming to ask her to pass. :cry:

And, I've never gotten back those days and ways, when now, I wish I could grasp that motivation that I had long ago. Sigh.
 

wolfy

awsm
Joined
Jun 30, 2008
Messages
12,251
And, I've never gotten back those days and ways, when now, I wish I could grasp that motivation that I had long ago. Sigh.

Constant and never ending improvement?
Maybe you could set some rules around how the task was to be accomplished above and beyond what was necessary.

For the record, I'm a terrible procrastinator myself. The real problem with procrastination is sometimes it pays off. Problems resolve themselves etc
 
Top