Issues with procrastination and putting things off

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Kouyate42

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This is something which really frustrates me and yet seems to evade any real attempt to do anything about it.

I’ve always been a procrastinator. At school I was always doing stuff like homework last-minute (or forgetting it completely) and only doing something when it NEEDED to be done and not when I had loads of time to do it. Even uni was the same; I tended to leave assignments and even my dissertation last minute for no apparent reason (although I got good marks still)

Another example of this is my bass playing. I’ve been playing for 5 years now and at first I really just messed about at it, not really paying it too much serious thought. It’s only now I’ve begun to get any sort of serious attitude to it. Any attempt to devote time each day to practicing meets with failure.

The other thing that frustrates me is that generally, I become VERY good at anything I choose to take an interest in. But getting that discipline and enthusiasm in the beginning is difficult.

Anyone know what I can do? I really feel I’m letting myself down.
 
Not an easy thing to overcome, I’m still struggling with similar issues myself.

What I have figured out, though, is this. Lists help. A diary helps. And, other people help.

First, get a diary and put it into a prominent position, with a pen that never leaves the same spot (can’t use it for anything else). Each day before you leave your room, look at the current day in your diary. If there is anything listed there, that’s what you need to do. Every night before bed, write a list of things you want to accomplish the next day, allocate times to them. It has taken me about eight years to actually use my diary effectively, but now that I am in the habit, it’s indispensable.

For starters, don’t overdo it or you won’t stick with it. Start with one particular thing you want to get done, and perhaps the absolute essentials (bills, doctor’s appointments etc). Once you have mastered these things, add gradually to the list. Make sure you look at it daily, and fill it in daily.

The longer you put something off, the harder it is to actually get to doing it.

Distraction is the absolute worst thing for me. I have found that I cannot turn on the computer until the important stuff is done because as soon as I start doing computer things, that’s the whole day gone. Therefore, the most important stuff should be first on the list, and you should be very aware of what distractions are worst for you. Reward yourself if you actually complete a task, and cross it off the list once it’s done. There’s something about seeing the list getting crossed off that gives me a lot of satisfaction, and reduces my anxiety levels.

Leave time at the end of the day for the fun distraction stuff, or you will be too tempted to do it during the working time.

Lastly, other people. I work best when I work with others. I can stay on track so much better when someone is watching or helping. I get where I’m supposed to be when I have to meet with someone. No idea how that can help you, it doesn’t help me much, because my kids don’t count as people in that sense.
 
I have some really good thoughts on this issue and feel that I can contribute. I’ll do it later.
 
Kouyate42 said:
This is something which really frustrates me and yet seems to evade any real attempt to do anything about it.

I’ve always been a procrastinator. At school I was always doing stuff like homework last-minute (or forgetting it completely) and only doing something when it NEEDED to be done and not when I had loads of time to do it. Even uni was the same; I tended to leave assignments and even my dissertation last minute for no apparent reason (although I got good marks still)

Another example of this is my bass playing. I’ve been playing for 5 years now and at first I really just messed about at it, not really paying it too much serious thought. It’s only now I’ve begun to get any sort of serious attitude to it. Any attempt to devote time each day to practicing meets with failure.

The other thing that frustrates me is that generally, I become VERY good at anything I choose to take an interest in. But getting that discipline and enthusiasm in the beginning is difficult.

Anyone know what I can do? I really feel I’m letting myself down.
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Did you forget to mention that you tend to be perfectionistic, but it doesn’t stop you from frequently running late?

If that applies to you, then you’re just like me. 👍 Sometimes I’m amazed at the successes I had in life in spite of my faults. 🤷

There’s a lot of articles on procrastination on the internet. I’ll try to read this one… maybe tomorrow.
 

Here are a couple of quotes from St. Josemaria that I found helpful. There are a couple of more, when I get a chance I will look them up.​

Excuses. You will always find plenty if you want to avoid your obligations. What a profusion of well-thought-out nonsense!

Don’t stop to consider it. Dismiss it and do your duty.​

When you bring order into your life your time will multiply, and then you will be able to give God more glory, by working more in his service.​

Do your duty ‘now’, without looking back on ‘yesterday’, which has already passed, or worrying over ‘to-morrow’, which may never come for you​

Those who are engaged in business say that time is money. That seems little to me: for us who are engaged in affairs of souls, time is… glory!​

The Lord has the right to be glorified by us “at every moment” — it is an obligation for each one of us. So if we waste time we are robbing God of his glory.​

You have a warhorse called study. You resolve a thousand times to make good use of your time, yet you are distracted by the merest thing. Sometimes you get annoyed at yourself, because of your lack of will, even though you begin again every day.

Have you tried offering up your study for specific apostolic intentions?

Time is our treasure, the “money” with which to buy eternity​

 
Kouyate42 said:
This is something which really frustrates me and yet seems to evade any real attempt to do anything about it.

I’ve always been a procrastinator. At school I was always doing stuff like homework last-minute (or forgetting it completely) and only doing something when it NEEDED to be done and not when I had loads of time to do it. Even uni was the same; I tended to leave assignments and even my dissertation last minute for no apparent reason (although I got good marks still)

Another example of this is my bass playing. I’ve been playing for 5 years now and at first I really just messed about at it, not really paying it too much serious thought. It’s only now I’ve begun to get any sort of serious attitude to it. Any attempt to devote time each day to practicing meets with failure.

The other thing that frustrates me is that generally, I become VERY good at anything I choose to take an interest in. But getting that discipline and enthusiasm in the beginning is difficult.

Anyone know what I can do? I really feel I’m letting myself down.
Click to expand...
You know the old maxim: “The job expands to fill the time allotted?” Some people need immediate pressure in order to light a fire under our behinds. I never used to be a procrastinator, but my life right now has no great urgency and I can postpone almost anything for another day. Thus, another day is always added. When my kids were young, their lives were the urgency that kept me from procrastinating.

There’s a lot of boredom in my life right now. I put aside my own interests while my kids were growing up and now I am having trouble finding things I want to do. If I had a lot of things to do, instead of long stretches of unfilled time, I wouldn’t have the luxury of procrastination. The way you describe your education, I think you might have been bored by your studies and you knew you’d get good grades even if you left it till the last minute. I never did that because I can’t stand that last-minute stress of a close deadline…too much pressure for me.

One thing I have found is that if I involve others, I don’t put things off. So, with your bass playing, think about starting to offer lessons to younger people. Or join a band.

There can be lots of factors to procrastination. Another one of mine is that I am going through a phase of not wanting to spend any money whatsoever. So there are home repairs that I have been putting off because I don’t want to spend the money needed. The economy is so bad that I have been nervously holding onto resources and not doing things I know I should. It is also avoiding unpleasant things like having people doing repair work, which I hate. You have to go through the experience itself which is like torture, then you have to write a big check at the end. Acccckkkk…

People with ADD tend to be procrastinators, as do those with depression.
 
Sounds like one of the forms of ADD. I can’t remember which one I’ll have to look it up. Basically it is described as an adrenaline disorder. You wait till the last minute to do a project because you lacked the adrenaline earlier to complete the project. Doing things at the last minute gives you an adrenaline surge. People often think of people with ADD as bouncing off the walls, but that is not always the case. Another indicator is people who need caffeine to get basic things done even though they may be well rested. The medication frequently used to treat ADD is adderall which is a stimulant. This helps to keep the adrenaline steady throughout the day. Just some thoughts, I’m not promoting medication or giving medical advice:).
 
TheRealJuliane said:
You know the old maxim: “The job expands to fill the time allotted?” Some people need immediate pressure in order to light a fire under our behinds. I never used to be a procrastinator, but my life right now has no great urgency and I can postpone almost anything for another day. Thus, another day is always added. When my kids were young, their lives were the urgency that kept me from procrastinating.
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In some ways this is also true of myself. I have few or little reasons to do a lot of things immediately, as there was no urgency.
There’s a lot of boredom in my life right now. I put aside my own interests while my kids were growing up and now I am having trouble finding things I want to do. If I had a lot of things to do, instead of long stretches of unfilled time, I wouldn’t have the luxury of procrastination. The way you describe your education, I think you might have been bored by your studies and you knew you’d get good grades even if you left it till the last minute. I never did that because I can’t stand that last-minute stress of a close deadline…too much pressure for me.
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Code: 
 In my case, yes, school was incredibly boring to me. I was always seen as a bright kid and yet I often felt held back because I was forced to do stuff that I knew already but others in my class did not. In any other school system I would have likely been given more advanced work or classes (such as in the US where I could even skip a grade) but that just didn't happen. So I was bored, and also cut off from my fellow classmates who saw me as snobby and pretentious.
One thing I have found is that if I involve others, I don’t put things off. So, with your bass playing, think about starting to offer lessons to younger people. Or join a band.
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I’ve done both of these and I hated teaching, and could never find a band I fitted into.
There can be lots of factors to procrastination. Another one of mine is that I am going through a phase of not wanting to spend any money whatsoever. So there are home repairs that I have been putting off because I don’t want to spend the money needed. The economy is so bad that I have been nervously holding onto resources and not doing things I know I should. It is also avoiding unpleasant things like having people doing repair work, which I hate. You have to go through the experience itself which is like torture, then you have to write a big check at the end. Acccckkkk…
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People with ADD tend to be procrastinators, as do those with depression.
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I suffer from depression and issues to do with self-esteem, and so this may be playing a factor.
 
LucyLight said:
Sounds like one of the forms of ADD. I can’t remember which one I’ll have to look it up. Basically it is described as an adrenaline disorder. You wait till the last minute to do a project because you lacked the adrenaline earlier to complete the project. Doing things at the last minute gives you an adrenaline surge. People often think of people with ADD as bouncing off the walls, but that is not always the case. Another indicator is people who need caffeine to get basic things done even though they may be well rested. The medication frequently used to treat ADD is adderall which is a stimulant. This helps to keep the adrenaline steady throughout the day. Just some thoughts, I’m not promoting medication or giving medical advice:).
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Stimulants do not work the same way in ADD/ADHD people as they do in the general population. What is stimulated for an ADD-er is their “conductor” - the part of the brain that keeps all the other brain stimuli coordinated so the person can function. It helps them turn down that radio in their brains that is on 13,490 stations at the same time.

Now, if someone who doesn’t have ADD/ADHD takes Adderall, it’s like a blast of caffeine and we would get a whole lot done but be rather hyped up while doing it. Stimulants tend to have almost a sedating effect to an ADD-er.
 
Kouyate42 said:
This is something which really frustrates me and yet seems to evade any real attempt to do anything about it.

I’ve always been a procrastinator. At school I was always doing stuff like homework last-minute (or forgetting it completely) and only doing something when it NEEDED to be done and not when I had loads of time to do it. Even uni was the same; I tended to leave assignments and even my dissertation last minute for no apparent reason (although I got good marks still)

Another example of this is my bass playing. I’ve been playing for 5 years now and at first I really just messed about at it, not really paying it too much serious thought. It’s only now I’ve begun to get any sort of serious attitude to it. Any attempt to devote time each day to practicing meets with failure.

The other thing that frustrates me is that generally, I become VERY good at anything I choose to take an interest in. But getting that discipline and enthusiasm in the beginning is difficult.

Anyone know what I can do? I really feel I’m letting myself down.
Click to expand...
There is no easy fix for this.

The first step is to get organized and decide what you want to accomplish in a day, in a week, in a month, in a year, and over the next five years. Have a plan, to begin with. Then, work your plan. Treat it like a real job.

Break everything down into a list of tasks, and add deadlines to them.

Eat a good nutritious breakfast and exercise in the morning, to get the day off to a good start.

Do the easy or short tasks first, so that by coffee break you have two or three things already crossed off your list - that way, you’ll feel like you’re on a roll, and have more enthusiasm to get the rest of your list done throughout the rest of the day.

Anything you don’t accomplish in the time allowed, put at the top of tomorrow’s list.

Finish each day by writing out tomorrow’s list of tasks, so that when you arrive at your desk, you won’t be lost trying to think of what you meant to do first.

Keep your breaks short - 10 minutes for coffee in the morning, and no more than 45 minutes for lunch, to avoid getting sleepy. Save your personal errands for the end of the day or for the weekend, just as if you were working for someone else.
 
Kouyate42 said:
In some ways this is also true of myself. I have few or little reasons to do a lot of things immediately, as there was no urgency.
Code: 
 In my case, yes, school was incredibly boring to me. I was always seen as a bright kid and yet I often felt held back because I was forced to do stuff that I knew already but others in my class did not. In any other school system I would have likely been given more advanced work or classes (such as in the US where I could even skip a grade) but that just didn't happen. So I was bored, and also cut off from my fellow classmates who saw me as snobby and pretentious.
I’ve done both of these and I hated teaching, and could never find a band I fitted into.

** I suffer from depression and issues to do with self-esteem, and so this may be playing a factor.**
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Chronic depression really takes all the wind out of my sails. Just making any kind of decision is so difficult that I don’t want to put the effort in. I think you and I have a lot in common. If I weren’t bored with my life, I think procrastination wouldn’t be as much of a problem. I used to feel that what I did was valued by my husband/kids but I no longer believe that so I just don’t want to do the stuff any more. My attitude is “what’s the point?” I do what I have to do and not much more. It’s not honoring God, but I’m stuck right now, don’t know how to get myself out of the hole.
 
I was planning on replying to this thread because it can be an issue for me as well, but I haven’t gotten around to it.
 
TheRealJuliane said:
Stimulants do not work the same way in ADD/ADHD people as they do in the general population. What is stimulated for an ADD-er is their “conductor” - the part of the brain that keeps all the other brain stimuli coordinated so the person can function. It helps them turn down that radio in their brains that is on 13,490 stations at the same time.

Now, if someone who doesn’t have ADD/ADHD takes Adderall, it’s like a blast of caffeine and we would get a whole lot done but be rather hyped up while doing it. Stimulants tend to have almost a sedating effect to an ADD-er.
Click to expand...
I couldn’t disagree with you more. Yes stimulants have that effect on people who are hyperactive ADD but it has the opposite effect on inattentive type ADD. For them adderall does give them the stimulant effect but in a controlled way throughout the day unlike the highs and lows of caffeine.
 
TheRealJuliane said:
You know the old maxim: “The job expands to fill the time allotted?” Some people need immediate pressure in order to light a fire under our behinds. I never used to be a procrastinator, but my life right now has no great urgency and I can postpone almost anything for another day. Thus, another day is always added. When my kids were young, their lives were the urgency that kept me from procrastinating.

There’s a lot of boredom in my life right now. I put aside my own interests while my kids were growing up and now I am having trouble finding things I want to do. If I had a lot of things to do, instead of long stretches of unfilled time, I wouldn’t have the luxury of procrastination. The way you describe your education, I think you might have been bored by your studies and you knew you’d get good grades even if you left it till the last minute. I never did that because I can’t stand that last-minute stress of a close deadline…too much pressure for me.

One thing I have found is that if I involve others, I don’t put things off. So, with your bass playing, think about starting to offer lessons to younger people. Or join a band.

There can be lots of factors to procrastination. Another one of mine is that I am going through a phase of not wanting to spend any money whatsoever. So there are home repairs that I have been putting off because I don’t want to spend the money needed. The economy is so bad that I have been nervously holding onto resources and not doing things I know I should. It is also avoiding unpleasant things like having people doing repair work, which I hate. You have to go through the experience itself which is like torture, then you have to write a big check at the end. Acccckkkk…

People with ADD tend to be procrastinators, as do those with depression.
Click to expand...
In your first paragraph you talk about having immediate pressure as a way to help you get things done. I agree that this is a problem for a lot of people, they need the addrenaline rush to accomplish things. Some people naturally have this and thus don’t need to wait till the last minute to get things done.
 
Man, I keep trying to get back to this thread to post some thoughts, but just keep putting off. It’s on my list though. I’ll get round to it soon. :o
 
Like several others have said, having deadlines or some clear cut goal is the key. When I first arrived at college, there were two things I noticed:
  1. I intended to keep playing my instrument from high school but failed to sign up for any sort of band my first semester. I intended to just practice on my own but never got around to it and like you, felt bad for not playing it. Once I signed up for a band, that took care of that really easily (and they gave me a credit per semester!)
  2. I’ve consistantly found classes that give no homework to be tougher than those that do, even if that homework is worth 5% of the grade put together. That’s because I don’t want to sit down and study but if I have homework to do I have no choice.
Moral of this story: Doing stuff on your own is tough. Doing stuff when you’re “forced” to do so (even if the penalty is minimal) is easier.
 
It can be that you are struggling with the vice of sloth. That said, you might want to go to the doctor and see if you have adult attention deficit that might also be complicating your struggles. If you were diagnosed as a child, it is usually assumed that you’ll grow out of it. As such you have to get a seperate diagnosis as an adult.

I was diagnosed as an adult. I do not however take medication. I used to be on a very low dosage, but the side effects did not seem worth it. After discussing it with my doctor, I decided to just develop coping strategies.

Anyway thse are my symptoms:
“zoning out” without realizing it, even in the middle of a conversation.
struggling to complete tasks, even ones that seem simple.
trouble starting and finishing projects
constantly losing or misplacing things (I finally put a St. Anthony medal on my keychain!)
underestimating the time it will take you to complete tasks
sense of underachievement
easily flustered and stressed out
trouble staying motivated
hypersensitivity to criticism
low self-esteem and sense of insecurity

But the big symptom I struggle with the most is hyperfocus.
When I was in school, my hyperfocus was so bad that while working on a paper I’d forget to eat. There have been days I’ve gone nearly the entire day without eating. If I were studying for a class, I’d forget to actually go to class. I coped with that by getting a PDA and setting up alarms. I would schedule my entire day out and then set an alarm to remind myself that I needed to move on to the next task.

Right now I’m trying to adjust to having a baby because my strategies in the past just aren’t working with the baby. As such, I’ve downloaded a chiming clock onto my computer for now and have it set to chime every fifteen minutes. Eventually we’re hoping to find a decent chime clock to set up in the apartment so that I don’t have to keep the laptop open.
 
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