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[INTP] How to stop procrastinating?

Red Herring

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Ahem, ...not sure if you´ve come to the right place to ask this - most come here to procrastinate, I think.

Ask some of the Te doms, they seem have nailed it. On the other hand there might be one or two atypical fellow INTPs who have overcome that widespread problem and might be able to share some insight. It seems to be quite common with Ti users.
 

Oeufa

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We INTPs need to be interested and excited in order not to procrastinate. Make whatever your task is interesting in some way, or promise yourself a reward when you're done. I'm really bad for procrastination as well, and these don't always work, but it's worth a shot eh?
 

Red Herring

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Seriously now, as a freelancer with constant deadlines to be kept I have some experience with the issue.
Personally I need a certain pressure to get going when it is a task that doesn´t really interest me. So I calculate how many pages I can do in how many hours and plan my work schedule accordingly...just in time.

Another possibility is to try and find an interesting side to what it is you´re doing. I enjoy translating diverse texts, but very often its the nth version of the same type of contract with little or no research necessary so that the only possibility to keep this interesting is watching out for how balanced the contract is or to vividly imagine the part of the world the transaction takes place (easy when they mention the Caymans or Curacao!). This is a probably what Oeufa meant.

Rewards only work if you have the discipline to keep to your schedule and you are doing simple tasks like cleaning the house. When you are doing more challenging work, motivational studies have shown that playfulness and freedom at work are more effective than the stick-and-carrot method. I guess they distract or produce unneccessary pressure in many people. It would be interesting to see how far this can be applied in the private arena.

And try to have regular breaks! I had to learn the hard way that it is smarter to have a break when your battery reaches yellow and get it back to green instead of going all the way to red an then having to continue work with yellow indefinitely until you find the time to completely recharge some other day. It´s easy to forget to eat and rest when you are involved in your project.
 

Amethyst

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I'm having trouble with the same thing, although my procrastination leads me to getting a full night's sleep. Once I get started on something I just do it until it's done...it's getting started that's the hardest part. I don't care enough.

Some things that have helped me before include killing all distractions except one (the TV...I need to listen to people talking/singing or I can't focus). Do you know anything that helps you focus at all, or anything that you've noticed distracts you to procrastinate?

Also, taking small breaks is good. Try to set little goals as well, like for writing a paper, say 'oh, I'll write x amount, and then I'll do something for x amount of time as a reward'.
 

Nameless Hero

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My problem is that I need to write. I get so excited by the flow of ideas that I pace around and cannot write. Worse, I sometimes get so excited that I think outloud. I think my neighbors can hear me eloquently explaining stuff. I then procrastinate the actual transmission of the thoughtflow into a workflow. I get really tired when I write my ideas. (Not when posting, but when making it a composition.) I need to write, not pace. How?
 

mrcockburn

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I envision the end result and hold myself accountable for the results. This motivates me into action.

However, obviously this only works for things I care about. So this means that I still procrastinate on mundane/pointless activities, such as doing homework that's worth only 5% of my grade or ironing. I'd rather just buy clothes that didn't need to be ironed in the first place.
 

Craft

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The real question is "Why stop procrastinating?".
 
O

Oberon

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I have the secret to this, but it's kind of a lot to type in.

I'll do it later when I have more time.
 

INTP

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you dont need to stop it if you do it long enough that you dont need to take action anymore.
 

Nameless Hero

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I think I have it upon the answer. I went to a friends facebook page and saw that he was friends with my ex-gf. I hate that ugly bitch. Ugly as my big toe. SHE IS GOING TO GET HER MASTERS DEGREE IN @)!! 2011. Fuck that bitch. I have to get to work. I cannot delay. The dishonor she brings to me is overwhelming.
 

lets eat pie

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Now print that out in big block letters you can read from afar and put that in every room in plain sight.
 

JoSunshine

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My problem is that I need to write. I get so excited by the flow of ideas that I pace around and cannot write. Worse, I sometimes get so excited that I think outloud. I think my neighbors can hear me eloquently explaining stuff. I then procrastinate the actual transmission of the thoughtflow into a workflow. I get really tired when I write my ideas. (Not when posting, but when making it a composition.) I need to write, not pace. How?

I can totally relate to this. I have to write volumes of website content, sales copy and proposals on a regular basis (yawn) and I work from home. It is HAAAAARD to focus especially because my mind is always swirling with thoughts. Here is what I do, you can see if it sounds like it may be helpful to you.

1) De-clutter your space (even better, de-clutter your life). Having crap everywhere is an epic distraction for me. I am not a freakishly neat person, but the first thing I do in the morning before I even start work, is get my space cleared out, dishes washed, floors swept, etc. Having a reasonably neat, clutter free environment is surprisingly important in my productivity.

2) Treat your work day like a work day - I've had to lay down the law with my family and friends. No personal calls between 9-5. No going to the mall. Nothing that wouldn't be acceptable if I had a boss watching me (except for the slippers...lol).

3) I know this may sound strange, but when I am having one of those days that my head is full of chatter, the first thing I do is mindfulness meditation. It is basically a practice not of suppressing your mind but allowing all of your thoughts to flow freely through your mind without judgment. For me it is kind of like clearing out the clutter - I have taken 15 min to allow myself to clear my mind by giving each thought it's due, now I am ready to work. I know this may not be for everyone, but is highly effective for me.

4) Set reasonable goals and write them down before you do a thing. I set goals with benchmarks throughout the day (this done by 10AM, this done by lunch). If I finish in front of a benchmark, I allow myself to play (like visiting typology central)...kind of like my own little reward system. Especially when getting started, set very simple goals...you may think you should be able to write 10 pages by lunch, but if your current rate is 0, start off with 2 pages and work up to 10. Also, when you reach your goal STOP! Enjoy your accomplishment and stick to your schedule.

5) Now that you have your goals set, get to work! If your mind starts to wander, do 2-5 min of the mindfulness meditation, then refocus.

6) Take a walk at lunch time. Get out and walk (or perform some other physical activity) for 15-30 min. It helps me feel less "trapped" and it is much easier to refocus.

7) When it is time to stop for the day STOP! Try not to obsess about work in the evenings because it'll wear you out (at least it does me) and become an incredible burden. If you find yourself obsessing after working hours, try the mindfulness meditation to clear the thoughts and then go and enjoy your personal life :)

That's what I do. It's pretty effective for me...let me know if you think it may work for you.
 

xisnotx

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I once thought I had found away effectively deal with my procrastination. I was wrong. Honestly, my advice is to learn to live with it.
 

mrcockburn

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lol, all these INTPs..."just accept it, why bother."

Eeyore must've been an INTP. :D
 
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