6 ms·

At the End of a Procrastinated Day

316 points by pace 15y ago

brandoncor 15y ago
Reading that was pretty eery since I just ate a banana, got a glass of water from the kitchen, have Chrome open with 20 tabs (including, obviously, Hacker News) and have a Pomodoro Android app within reach. The only thing that snapped me out of it was that my app was free.
- dudurocha 15y ago
  The only difference to me is that I'm reading a book in my kindle, and I use the e.ggtimer.com/pomodoro to work. Feels bad man.
  - potomak 15y ago
    Same for me, but using http://tomatoes.heroku.com http://tomatoes.heroku.com
outside1234 15y ago
my tactic: if you are burned out on coding, stop and do something else positive: * go for a run * do an errand that has to be done anyway * balance your checkbook This gets your mind on something else which is probably the problem - we aren't meant to stare at a screen doing exactly the same things over and over for 8 hours. And remember, you are not alone in this. No depression allowed - you are not weak, you are human.
- mrleinad 15y ago
  Doesn´t work for me. After I get my mind off the issue at hand and do an errand, when I come back I´m at the same position I was before. Sometimes even worse, because of the context switching.
wwdevries 15y ago
Just start. Usually the problem is that you unnecessarily look up to your tasks. You think it's boring, difficult, or you don't know where to start. Just start. Once you start, you get into a positive flow and become motivated to finish it.
overshard 15y ago
I have this exact same problem and I just have to get started. I don't start because I know a task is going to be a lot of work but that work will go away if I just get started. It's difficult and I think all coders deal with it.
kapitalx 15y ago
For me, procrastination always come from a lack of having a digestible plan of attack. When you find yourself procrastinating, figure out a single next step for your project, one single feature, or one single task in that feature that needs to be done. If you know what your next step in the project is, you'll have this urge to jump back in and do that task. If you can't find that task, then you need to step back and look at your project from a higher level and analyze it to see if you have a clear picture of what you're trying to achieve. Try it, it works wonders.
- msutherl 15y ago
  Yes, for me this also seems to be the case. Most of my procrastination results from not having scoped out my task load. I overestimate how much work I have to do, get anxious, then engage in various activities to quell the anxiousness in the short term. Lately what works best is to clean my room, do the dishes, do laundry, etc. – anything productive and meditative – and when I've had a minor success and calmed down, I find it easier to confront my TODO.txt + .reminders and sort everything out.
- pawelk 15y ago
  > If you know what your next step in the project is, you'll have this urge to jump back in and do that task. For me it is the next interesting and possibly rewarding step. Just simply knowing what's do be done next doesn't cut it for me when I perceive it as a dull task. Even if I know it can be done in a few minutes I tend to avoid even starting to work on it. I have lots of these little boring things piling up for weeks and I know I'm going to have to finish them one day or another, but for the time being I'm here on HN, following work-related links on twitter, exploring stuff or answering stackoverflow questions. What works for me is finding something interesting, even way outside of the scope of the project. Anything that could make me start to work with the project I should be working on. From there, as soon as I catch the flow, I usually can go to fixing bugs and doing the tasks I have avoided doing for days. I spit code like mad, close a dozen of tickets in an hour, fix things only I knew were broken, doing these final touches here and there. And suddenly even these annoying things start to be highly rewarding, because finishing any of them - and most of them take very little time and effort to complete - makes me feel I've accomplished something and started to dig out of the hole I dug myself in. Then the work day is over, or a distraction comes, I go to a meeting etc, and the next five minute task turns into countless hours of procrastination, followed by finding that itch to scratch which puts me back on the track again. tl;dr: I have to buid elaborate scenarios to lure me into doing anything tangentially related to the project (but funny/rewarding/explorative) from where I can move to the real, but somehow boring tasks.
j_baker 15y ago
I don't understand why some people beat themselves up so much over procrastinating. Sure, it becomes a problem when you can't get anything done because you're so busy procrastinating. But everyone has a day here and there where they just can't be bothered to work on anything. Usually, it's a sign that your brain needs a break. Listen to it! Take a break. If it happens so often it interferes with your work, you need to address the underlying issues. Do you enjoy what you're doing? Are you stressed out about something outside of work? Your problem procrastinating won't go away until you resolve those issues.
- rhizome 15y ago
  So, my procrastination won't stop until I resolve the reasons for my procrastination. Thanks!
  - kaizendc 15y ago
    Isn't he simply suggesting that we might want to address the problems, rather than the symptoms?
herbivore 15y ago
I feel you. I've been procrastinating a project for 3 years already (yes 3 years). I write code maybe half of one day each week. The rest of the time I do as you describe. I'm so ashamed of it I tell no one. Glad to have quite a bit of savings.
- 3pt14159 15y ago
  I don't mean to come off as a dick, but switch projects. I procrastinated for a month straight on something, as soon as I dropped the project the code flowed.
  - herbivore 15y ago
    I did twice already. Both times because competitors beat me due to my chronic procrastination.
    - 3pt14159 15y ago
      Talk to a doctor, it seems like you suffer from something along the lines of ADD. I have a friend that drastically improved his condition through medication.
- jules 15y ago
  I'm in the same kind of boat, though to a lesser degree. It's going in the wrong direction however. Perhaps we can try to help sort things out together. If you're interested, my email is in my profile.
JamesAn 15y ago
How I kicked the same problem: Spend a day procrastinating. Contemplate how unpleasantly wasteful it was (even if it felt superficially 'fun' at the time.) Spend time being productive. Contemplate how I enjoyed doing it, and how I enjoyed having done it. Consider the contrast between a day spent (in my case) learning C++ versus a day messing around on Reddit. I don't have to make an effort any more. After my allotted procrastination time is up, I lose interest, and start to feel drawn towards my studies. It's like an internal productivity timer that automatically dampens my enthusiasm for wasteful activities and makes me keen to return to my books. I guess this is what it feels like to be hypnotized into disliking chocolate and into preferring healthier snacks.
- TheEzEzz 15y ago
  Just a friendly caution: overcoming procrastination to study is very different than overcoming procrastination to work. I'm not exactly sure why. Perhaps because learning is more passive than producing. Perhaps because learning usually feels productive, like you're permanently gaining something, whereas a lot of work will lead you to question the purpose of the work itself, and usually doesn't compound in value of time.
Sukotto 15y ago
I find procrastination is a symptom, not the actual problem. The very root of the problem is that I'm either faced with something I just don't want to do or can see that the NEXT thing is something I really don't want to face. It usually means I need to do some introspection.
- danso 15y ago
  Yes, this. I have no problem working when I'm excited about the work. If I'm not excited, then it's usually some extra-curricular problem or the work is not the kind of work that inspires me.
  - rane 15y ago
    Sometimes you just have to work on less interesting things, there's no way around it.
    - Sukotto 15y ago
      There's a difference between dealing with a little boredom or muckwork in a project (there's always some of that) and the sort of relentless, day-long, can't do anything procrastination the OP describes. Sure, we all have those little jobs we don't want to do... But if you find you just can't get anything done for days at a time, it means your subconscious is trying to tell you something. You'd be wise to try and figure out what, and take steps to address the underlying problem.
- epo 15y ago
  The difference between those who do and those who bemoan not doing is motivation. The Hemingway Trick is a simple way to give yourself the initial motivation. Then again, you might just be lazy.
wattjustin 15y ago
As some say, procrastination may be a symptom not an actual problem I think the less "tools" you have to procrastinate with the better. My top recommendation that I think has helped me become more productive within the past month is deleting all bookmarks and apps involving Reddit. Yes, it is just one site and you can easily replace it with another time filler but it is easy to get lost on that site for quite some time each day. Replace "Reddit time" with work and you can gain back some time to complete tasks each day. It's working for me and I don't really miss it.
angkec 15y ago
Here's a realization that scared me to death that I don't procrastinate any more: The whole life only exists in the current moment. The reason being that the past doesn't exist any more, and the future has yet to come into existence. Hence all my life exists only in the current moment. This leads to the conclusion that if I procrastinate for even a bit moment, I'm wasting away all my life. This is the most scary conclusion I've ever had and it works wonders to drag me back to work.
- kbatten 15y ago
  It seems to me that working away all your life isn't any better that "wasting away" all your life.
  - angkec 15y ago
    You don't need to work every minute. All you need to do is to not waste it away. So go skiing for a full day is still considered making good use of the current moment than reading reddit. For me, I think not wasting my life away means I'm either contributing to the society by working or I'm making my self a better person by working out, skiing, reading books etc.
    - dudurocha 15y ago
      The problem is the half-assed work/activities. I think you have to be fully engaged in any activity you are making. If you want to relax, relax in a full paced way. Not worrying about the work you have to make. If you must work, work in a fast-paced way, and make the job done. The worst kind of works is the one multi-tasked. You dont get in a 'flow' state that is necessary for the most jobs people here in hacker news makes. Two books are very good in the matter, The power of full engagement http://amzn.to/vdS1Tc http://amzn.to/vdS1Tc and Flow http://amzn.to/t2bed6 http://amzn.to/t2bed6
      - angkec 15y ago
        Yup, living only in the current moment without worrying about the past or upcoming moments solves this too. Easier to get into work flow, and much more fun when skiing!
daenz 15y ago
I'm with the "it's ok to procrastinate sometimes" camp. Lot's of exercise plans include a "junk day" where you're allowing yourself to eat whatever you want without guilt. The reason is because it's good to reward yourself with something you like, and because it's near impossible to continue at something forever without little breaks. From the sounds of it, maybe your "junk day" breaks aren't regular enough to keep you balanced, and you've reached an overloaded point. Take regular breaks, don't feel guilty, and your net productivity will benefit.
- jarin 15y ago
  Here's something I noticed: If I spend all day browsing around the web unproductively, I don't feel motivated at all. If I say "You know what, I'm not getting anything done. I'm going to play video games for a few hours.", I feel energized to get work done afterward. I think it's the fact that browsing aimlessly is like knowing you need to run an errand and then sitting in the car with your hands on the wheel, but not turning the key. It's close enough to what you SHOULD be doing that you feel even worse that you're not getting things done. If I take a break to play a game or read a book or something, it's an explicit transition between activities.
- jarin 15y ago
  Here's something I noticed: If I spend all day browsing around the web unproductively, I don't feel motivated at all. If I say "You know what, I'm not getting anything done. I'm going to play video games for a few hours.", I feel energized to get work done afterward. I think it's the fact that browsing aimlessly is like knowing you need to run an errand and then sitting in the car with your hands on the wheel, but not turning the key. It's close enough to what you SHOULD be doing that you feel even worse that you're not getting things done. If I take a break to play a game or read a book or something, it's an explicit transition between activities.
ebiester 15y ago
My trick is mindful meditation, even two or three minutes is often enough to get me back on track.
- babebridou 15y ago
  Mine is to just stand up, push the volume a bit and start dancing as if the world was ending outside. This is so satisfying!
jronkone 15y ago
> I've still no clue why humans procastrinate. I've still no clue why people consider doing stuff so important.
perlpimp 15y ago
I have been fighting somewhat winning battle with procrastination and it sums up to a few things, key ones are: - get a good nights sleep, having less then 8 hours of sleep lowers your IQ and therefore doing complex and rewarding work its a catch 22, you go home feeling bad fret go to bed late. - make a plan before you go to sleep for the next day, visualize, conceptualize results in your head - feel the accomplished goal. - when you wake up focus and tell yourself that you trust that you can be reach each one of those goals. goals can be .. being focused and productive and feeling great! - few pushups crunches goes a long way at the beginning of the day. if you feel a bit tired - i take a shot of double espresso before morning excerize, it all falls into place. Procrastination can be good if it is deliberate, like when you are stuck and you can't move you can deliberately switch focus, take a nap read a book. My 2c.
- 3pt14159 15y ago
  Honestly I find my IQ to be a hindrance for all but the most difficult coding. Getting a night of 4 or 5 hours (half the mornings waking up naturally) does wonders for my productivity. Most of the time I'm not actually working on the math part of what I do (building data analysis applications), I'm working on the glue code. Glue code is terribly boring, but less so when your mind doesn't have the energy to think about more complicated things. Also, TDD really helps because it makes it feel more like a game where dots are XP tokens, but still. Also being sleepy makes me more likely to just say "$#%@ it, I'll just roll it in C" rather than trying to reduce an O(n3) to a O(nlog(n)). Hmmm. After writing all that out, I came to the realization I need a vacation.
billpatrianakos 15y ago
I'm having one of those days today and I need help! The while week has been that way. It sucks. I know much of my procrastination is due to burnout. I totally burned myself out and now I need to recover. But sometimes recovery isn't an option when you've got deadlines to meet. Sometimes you've got no choice. So now it's off to try to force myself to finish and hope to God I end up with just enough time to take a long enough break to recover.
gabaix 15y ago
I found a way to reduce procrastination, while enjoying some of it. I alternate a procrastinate day with days of non-procrastination. For one day, I am allowed to watch as many movies as I want, play chess, do whatever useless and enjoyable I might want. Then I would do variable periods without procrastinating. This could be 1 day, 1 week, 2 weeks, 1 month. It depends on your other priorities, work, family, achievements. During those periods, I have blacklisted the things I usually do when procrastinating. When I go back to my procrastination day, I am very happy since it has been a while I have watched a movie, trailer or play chess. This is very similar to some drug-addiction techniques, and I found it worked for me very well. If you feel bad and haven't tried that yet, try that and let me know how it went.
- sukuriant 15y ago
  So ... you've scheduled in breaks and call them 'procrastination days', because 'break' or 'vacation' or 'sanity holiday' sound wasteful?
  - gabaix 15y ago
    You're right, those are breaks.
firichapo 15y ago
I find that procrastination, at least in my personal case, is strongly correlated to the amount of work I have pending. I tend to procrastinate when I a light work load. I find that I can focus on task when there is a heavy load. Well, at least now days, back when I was a student it was quite a different story and I guess I changed because of that experience.
msutherl 15y ago
I found this article on Less Wrong to be extremely useful: "How to Beat Procrastination": <http://lesswrong.com/lw/3w3/how_to_beat_procrastination/> http://lesswrong.com/lw/3w3/how_to_beat_procrastination/&#62.... The article establishes The Procrastination Equation and outlines some scientifically suggested techniques for increasing Motivation: Expectancy x Value Motivation = ----------------------- Impulsiveness x Delay My notes on the article: Increase your expectancy of success. Increase the task's value (make it more pleasant and rewarding). Decrease your impulsiveness. Success Spirals: small successes one after the other Vicarious Victory: watch inspirational things, read books Mental Contrasting: imagine where you could be vs. where you are now Flow: match the difficult of the task to your ability Meaning: think about what you're doing and make it mean something Energy: sleep, drink water, caffeine, exercise, cold water, music, de-clutter Rewards: reward yourself for success Passion: increase the value of the task Commit Now: commit in advance (tie yourself to the mast) Set Goals: break the ice, then daily goals Set Routines: for instance, exercise every day
sheldor 15y ago
I don't get why stories like this make it to the first page of HN. Seriously.
- rane 15y ago
  I have a problem with procrastination. Seeing this post has led me to possible solutions to the problem.
  - sheldor 15y ago
    There are a million sites on the Internet about procrastination and you found your solution in a mediocre (at best) 15 line blog post? Google. Seriously.
    - dudurocha 15y ago
      The solution is not on the post, is in the comments. So you think that the solution for procrastination is google for it? I see this approach going all way around, and making people procrastinate more. Here in hn we can listen to other peers, that have the same problem and have good solutions.
      - zalew 15y ago
        sheldon wonders why a lazy few lines post "hey, my day today was a lazy day, why is it so? I dunno, lol" is considered valuable enough to be upvoted, and submitted in the first place. how is it insightful in any way?
        roryokane 15y ago
        I think it’s a little bit insightful in that it highlights how not-fun procrastination is, even while we’re doing it (“Procrastination is the worst feeling ever”). A reminder of that feeling, which we often forget when we desire to procrastinate, can give people a little extra motivation to avoid procrastination.
- 15y ago
hammock 15y ago
Relevant: http://failblog.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/job-fails-monday-thru-friday-not-a-lot-of-takers-strangely-enough.gif http://failblog.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/job-fails-monday...
mrleinad 15y ago
Something that helps when acknowledging I´m procrastinating is to fast forward to the future and think: How will I feel after I´ve wasted a perfectly good day doing nothing, when the day before I told myself I was so going to do all of those things? Getting myself out of the present, in a nutshell.
hndl 15y ago
Procrastination shouldn't just suck, it should be unacceptable. Don't tolerate it. No excuses. Not even if it's "just today". Close everything! Ask yourself why you're not enjoying your work today. If you're not enjoying what you're doing, do something about it. Either finish it, so you can move on to something you enjoy. If that's not the case, talk to someone about how boring your stuff is and fix this problem. DON'T ACCEPT PROCRASTINATION!
alf 15y ago
The Hemingway Trick: Stop in the middle. Never stop working at the natural barriers. They next time you start working, the barrier will be the first thing you encounter, and you won't have the momentum to overcome it. Try to stop writing mid-chapter, or mid-sentence (or mid function). Know how to finish, but stop working. The next time you start, you know exactly what needs to be done. There will even be the urge to start working to finish the unfinished. Nearing the end of a unproductive day, accept that the day was not productive, start on what you will work on tomorrow, do a little, and stop in the middle.
- kgen 15y ago
  This works extremely well for me. I wouldn't recommend stopping mid-sentence but leaving an implementation incomplete (eg. just have to fill out another method and everything fits together) allows me to start the next day running.
- peterjs 15y ago
  Thanks for sharing this insight. It really struck me with its simplicity. It happens all the time. When I have a clear notion of how to continue, I can't wait to start coding the next day. Just the opposite happens when I am left with a "blank page", and I have to force myself to start working.
- ugh 15y ago
  Finding a way to start work without immediately hitting barriers was so important while writing my bachelor thesis. I now sort of whish I had known about your tip earlier, that seems easier than having to actively search for a simple way to start while procrastinating. That said, sometimes it seems it was necessary for me to stop work and just do nothing for a while in order to find that important insight.
  - keithpeter 15y ago
    See Psychology of Invention in the Mathematical Field Jacques Hadamard, published around 1900. Once you have immersed yourself in a problem, going about normal daily tasks not related to the problem allows your mind to churn and make connections. Sudden (Gestalt like) insight may occur.
obilgic 15y ago
I think procrastinating is one of the most obvious symptoms of low EQ. You are just to emotional, you feel extremely unmotivated because you do not want to do what you need to do(studying etc). You just can not overcome your emotions and you do what ever your emotions want you to do, which is procrastinating and feeling better for this moment of time. Emotions do not care about what you will feel in the future, they just care about what you feel right now. Procrastinating makes people happy. It is some type of addiction. You just can not ignore your emotions, and you do what makes you happy right now which is procrastinating.
eps 15y ago
You know how sometimes you are reading a book and then at some point you realize that you have no idea what the last few paragraphs were about. There was a study that traced this sudden loss of comprehension to the first word that didn't make sense. Anything between that word and the current position was read, but not understood. I am guessing the procrastination is similar. I would be working and it all would be flowing along, but then I would hit a problem. Something stupid, like having several variable names 5 characters each, and needing another variable, but not being able to find a 5 char name for it. And that's it. I will just keep idling here. The remedy in both cases is to realize there was an unknown word or a stumbling block, explicitly identify it and work around it. This really works, though YMMV.
peteforde 15y ago
It's extremely important to be working on the right thing. That's why some things just don't feel like work. http://www.humblepied.com/jessica-hische/ http://www.humblepied.com/jessica-hische/ I find Jessica's perspective refreshing. I try to end almost every talk I give by quoting her.
zalew 15y ago
> I've still no clue why humans procastrinate http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/mkwf2/why_do_humans_procrastinate_and_how_can_it_be_beat/c31rsxx http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/mkwf2/why_do_hum...
vanni 15y ago
Lot of posts about procrastination past days here on HN. This confirms my feeling that this is a real and widespread issue. Even for startuppers. [On topic shameless plug] This is why I'm building asaclock (http://www.asaclock.com http://www.asaclock.com), an anti-procrastination web community for startup single founders and people working on side projects.
cycojesus 15y ago
A very sad post. Even sadder when to know it represents my exact thoughts... most of the time.
harryf 15y ago
> I've still no clue why humans procrastinate. I do - it's a sign you need a rest and a sign you've been doing too much of the same and some variety is required. Take a day off, do something different, get some fresh input.
narrator 15y ago
At the beginning of the day when I'm lying in bed, after looking at my calendar and reading the morning email when I get up, I picture myself going through my whole day in my mind. Whenever I get stuck in the middle of the day, I take some time to let my right brain image stream through the rest of my current task, which usually gets me back on track.
baby 15y ago
Finally a post that talk about procrastination without giving advice away. Because really, I've read them all. I'm pretty sure I could do a PHD about procrastination. The thing is, I would never start it.
poodougnut 15y ago
I'm procrastinating reading the comments to this post.
- grusk 15y ago
  Same. I just webmarked it along with hundreds of other articles and youtube videos to check out later.
NiceOneBrah 15y ago
Check out the excellent book "Procrastination: Why You Do It, What to Do About It Now" by Burka and Yuen. I discovered it via a HN comment and figure I should repay the favor.
wtracy 15y ago
One partial solution for me: Buy a netbook that won't run any of my favorite games. Work on this netbook, from a location that has no internet access, if necessary. If you need internet access to do your work, go to a public location (say, Starbucks) where you'd be embarrassed to be caught Youtubing.
apurvamehta 15y ago
I can't believe that this has been up 8 hours without any mention of Steven Pressfield's "The War of Art" (http://www.stevenpressfield.com/the-war-of-art/ http://www.stevenpressfield.com/the-war-of-art/) This lays bare the root of procrastination. It is also provides forceful, direct ways for dealing with it. I don't know a single person who has read it and not taken something positive away. And it's a really quick read. I went through it in an evening.
shreeshga 15y ago
Procrastination is also because of a tired mind. I get spaced out after a long/hectic week and lose a day or two without realizing. Then I just work on something else which dosent need too much brain-work [read: blogging]
tdavis 15y ago
This may not apply to everyone, but I found the thing that consistently removed my procrastination was simply to stop working in isolation. Whether it's going to the office of an employer or renting a desk at a co-working space, being around other people who are being productive worked wonders for me. I used to think there was some fundamental flaw with my psyche; I would procrastinate quite often and always feel utterly depressed afterwards. Turns out that external motivation and clear delineation between "work space" and "play space" was all I needed. I still work after work pretty often, but usually on other projects. If I just sit around and watch TV or play video games I don't feel badly about it because I know I just put in 8 hours of solid programming, which is something I used to think myself utterly incapable of. If you're in an environment where watching Hulu all day is acceptable, find an environment where it isn't. I practically guarantee it's all you'll need.
evoltix 15y ago
I find that writing things down on paper in a divide-and-conquer fashion really help in battling procrastination.
namank 15y ago
You know, I think its a manifestation of anxiousness about the work. Haven't figured out why this happens but I've seen that it is easier to overcome when I'm 1. working on a passion project 2. Working in a group. Passion project point is really interesting because this implies that all other projects have something my(our?) subconscious is not quite comfortable with...but what is this?? Is it that I'm scared to attempt this new project for the fear of failure? Or is it that I'm too comfortable with it and therefore don't think its worth my time? Or is it because doing(attempting) this project will take me down an unknown route? Ah!! So many possibilities...but I'm slowly learning to overcome this. One thing that works for me on a bad day: First think about the big picture of what needs to be done and how to go about it (sequentially) - I find this provides me with a time perception of the project, that I can visualize what steps are involved in completing this project. Then just start the project! Just start it without thinking anymore and pretty soon its been 2 hours and you're almost done with phase 1!
deleted 15y ago
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stupidhurts 15y ago
It's pretty simple: When you procrastinate your day away, at the end of the day you feel like a shit. When you work hard and deliver, at the end of the day you feel like a boss. I'm going to keep feeling like a boss :)
lazyeye 15y ago
Tales of mere existence - Procrastination http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItMFWpKofSg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItMFWpKofSg
ed209 15y ago
This question: Why do humans procrastinate, and how can it be beat? prompted an excellent reply from Sneering. "People overestimate the value of the reward if the reward is imminent, and increasingly discount the value of the reward, the further away it is in time." Worth a read if are interested in neuroeconomics [who knew?]. http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/mkwf2/why_do_humans_procrastinate_and_how_can_it_be_beat/c31rsxx http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/mkwf2/why_do_hum...
goblin89 15y ago
At least one post I've read here on HN while ‘procrastinating’ influenced my life quite significantly (in a measurable way). More than pretty much any number of hours spent working instead would. That made me reconsider my classification of activities as useful and useless. What matters more is probably willingness to take action or something along these lines (haven't thought this through yet).

316 points by pace 15y ago

Reading that was pretty eery since I just ate a banana, got a glass of water from the kitchen, have Chrome open with 20 tabs (including, obviously, Hacker News) and have a Pomodoro Android app within reach. The only thing that snapped me out of it was that my app was free.

dudurocha 15y ago
The only difference to me is that I'm reading a book in my kindle, and I use the e.ggtimer.com/pomodoro to work. Feels bad man.
- potomak 15y ago
  Same for me, but using http://tomatoes.heroku.com http://tomatoes.heroku.com

outside1234 15y ago

my tactic: if you are burned out on coding, stop and do something else positive: * go for a run * do an errand that has to be done anyway * balance your checkbook This gets your mind on something else which is probably the problem - we aren't meant to stare at a screen doing exactly the same things over and over for 8 hours. And remember, you are not alone in this. No depression allowed - you are not weak, you are human.

mrleinad 15y ago
Doesn´t work for me. After I get my mind off the issue at hand and do an errand, when I come back I´m at the same position I was before. Sometimes even worse, because of the context switching.

wwdevries 15y ago

Just start. Usually the problem is that you unnecessarily look up to your tasks. You think it's boring, difficult, or you don't know where to start. Just start. Once you start, you get into a positive flow and become motivated to finish it.

overshard 15y ago

I have this exact same problem and I just have to get started. I don't start because I know a task is going to be a lot of work but that work will go away if I just get started. It's difficult and I think all coders deal with it.

kapitalx 15y ago

For me, procrastination always come from a lack of having a digestible plan of attack. When you find yourself procrastinating, figure out a single next step for your project, one single feature, or one single task in that feature that needs to be done. If you know what your next step in the project is, you'll have this urge to jump back in and do that task. If you can't find that task, then you need to step back and look at your project from a higher level and analyze it to see if you have a clear picture of what you're trying to achieve. Try it, it works wonders.

msutherl 15y ago
Yes, for me this also seems to be the case. Most of my procrastination results from not having scoped out my task load. I overestimate how much work I have to do, get anxious, then engage in various activities to quell the anxiousness in the short term. Lately what works best is to clean my room, do the dishes, do laundry, etc. – anything productive and meditative – and when I've had a minor success and calmed down, I find it easier to confront my TODO.txt + .reminders and sort everything out.
pawelk 15y ago
> If you know what your next step in the project is, you'll have this urge to jump back in and do that task. For me it is the next interesting and possibly rewarding step. Just simply knowing what's do be done next doesn't cut it for me when I perceive it as a dull task. Even if I know it can be done in a few minutes I tend to avoid even starting to work on it. I have lots of these little boring things piling up for weeks and I know I'm going to have to finish them one day or another, but for the time being I'm here on HN, following work-related links on twitter, exploring stuff or answering stackoverflow questions. What works for me is finding something interesting, even way outside of the scope of the project. Anything that could make me start to work with the project I should be working on. From there, as soon as I catch the flow, I usually can go to fixing bugs and doing the tasks I have avoided doing for days. I spit code like mad, close a dozen of tickets in an hour, fix things only I knew were broken, doing these final touches here and there. And suddenly even these annoying things start to be highly rewarding, because finishing any of them - and most of them take very little time and effort to complete - makes me feel I've accomplished something and started to dig out of the hole I dug myself in. Then the work day is over, or a distraction comes, I go to a meeting etc, and the next five minute task turns into countless hours of procrastination, followed by finding that itch to scratch which puts me back on the track again. tl;dr: I have to buid elaborate scenarios to lure me into doing anything tangentially related to the project (but funny/rewarding/explorative) from where I can move to the real, but somehow boring tasks.

j_baker 15y ago

I don't understand why some people beat themselves up so much over procrastinating. Sure, it becomes a problem when you can't get anything done because you're so busy procrastinating. But everyone has a day here and there where they just can't be bothered to work on anything. Usually, it's a sign that your brain needs a break. Listen to it! Take a break. If it happens so often it interferes with your work, you need to address the underlying issues. Do you enjoy what you're doing? Are you stressed out about something outside of work? Your problem procrastinating won't go away until you resolve those issues.

rhizome 15y ago
So, my procrastination won't stop until I resolve the reasons for my procrastination. Thanks!
- kaizendc 15y ago
  Isn't he simply suggesting that we might want to address the problems, rather than the symptoms?

herbivore 15y ago

I feel you. I've been procrastinating a project for 3 years already (yes 3 years). I write code maybe half of one day each week. The rest of the time I do as you describe. I'm so ashamed of it I tell no one. Glad to have quite a bit of savings.

3pt14159 15y ago
I don't mean to come off as a dick, but switch projects. I procrastinated for a month straight on something, as soon as I dropped the project the code flowed.
- herbivore 15y ago
  I did twice already. Both times because competitors beat me due to my chronic procrastination.
  - 3pt14159 15y ago
    Talk to a doctor, it seems like you suffer from something along the lines of ADD. I have a friend that drastically improved his condition through medication.
jules 15y ago
I'm in the same kind of boat, though to a lesser degree. It's going in the wrong direction however. Perhaps we can try to help sort things out together. If you're interested, my email is in my profile.

JamesAn 15y ago

How I kicked the same problem: Spend a day procrastinating. Contemplate how unpleasantly wasteful it was (even if it felt superficially 'fun' at the time.) Spend time being productive. Contemplate how I enjoyed doing it, and how I enjoyed having done it. Consider the contrast between a day spent (in my case) learning C++ versus a day messing around on Reddit. I don't have to make an effort any more. After my allotted procrastination time is up, I lose interest, and start to feel drawn towards my studies. It's like an internal productivity timer that automatically dampens my enthusiasm for wasteful activities and makes me keen to return to my books. I guess this is what it feels like to be hypnotized into disliking chocolate and into preferring healthier snacks.

TheEzEzz 15y ago
Just a friendly caution: overcoming procrastination to study is very different than overcoming procrastination to work. I'm not exactly sure why. Perhaps because learning is more passive than producing. Perhaps because learning usually feels productive, like you're permanently gaining something, whereas a lot of work will lead you to question the purpose of the work itself, and usually doesn't compound in value of time.

Sukotto 15y ago

I find procrastination is a symptom, not the actual problem. The very root of the problem is that I'm either faced with something I just don't want to do or can see that the NEXT thing is something I really don't want to face. It usually means I need to do some introspection.

danso 15y ago
Yes, this. I have no problem working when I'm excited about the work. If I'm not excited, then it's usually some extra-curricular problem or the work is not the kind of work that inspires me.
- rane 15y ago
  Sometimes you just have to work on less interesting things, there's no way around it.
  - Sukotto 15y ago
    There's a difference between dealing with a little boredom or muckwork in a project (there's always some of that) and the sort of relentless, day-long, can't do anything procrastination the OP describes. Sure, we all have those little jobs we don't want to do... But if you find you just can't get anything done for days at a time, it means your subconscious is trying to tell you something. You'd be wise to try and figure out what, and take steps to address the underlying problem.
epo 15y ago
The difference between those who do and those who bemoan not doing is motivation. The Hemingway Trick is a simple way to give yourself the initial motivation. Then again, you might just be lazy.

wattjustin 15y ago

As some say, procrastination may be a symptom not an actual problem I think the less "tools" you have to procrastinate with the better. My top recommendation that I think has helped me become more productive within the past month is deleting all bookmarks and apps involving Reddit. Yes, it is just one site and you can easily replace it with another time filler but it is easy to get lost on that site for quite some time each day. Replace "Reddit time" with work and you can gain back some time to complete tasks each day. It's working for me and I don't really miss it.

angkec 15y ago

Here's a realization that scared me to death that I don't procrastinate any more: The whole life only exists in the current moment. The reason being that the past doesn't exist any more, and the future has yet to come into existence. Hence all my life exists only in the current moment. This leads to the conclusion that if I procrastinate for even a bit moment, I'm wasting away all my life. This is the most scary conclusion I've ever had and it works wonders to drag me back to work.

kbatten 15y ago
It seems to me that working away all your life isn't any better that "wasting away" all your life.
- angkec 15y ago
  You don't need to work every minute. All you need to do is to not waste it away. So go skiing for a full day is still considered making good use of the current moment than reading reddit. For me, I think not wasting my life away means I'm either contributing to the society by working or I'm making my self a better person by working out, skiing, reading books etc.
  - dudurocha 15y ago
    The problem is the half-assed work/activities. I think you have to be fully engaged in any activity you are making. If you want to relax, relax in a full paced way. Not worrying about the work you have to make. If you must work, work in a fast-paced way, and make the job done. The worst kind of works is the one multi-tasked. You dont get in a 'flow' state that is necessary for the most jobs people here in hacker news makes. Two books are very good in the matter, The power of full engagement http://amzn.to/vdS1Tc http://amzn.to/vdS1Tc and Flow http://amzn.to/t2bed6 http://amzn.to/t2bed6
    - angkec 15y ago
      Yup, living only in the current moment without worrying about the past or upcoming moments solves this too. Easier to get into work flow, and much more fun when skiing!

daenz 15y ago

I'm with the "it's ok to procrastinate sometimes" camp. Lot's of exercise plans include a "junk day" where you're allowing yourself to eat whatever you want without guilt. The reason is because it's good to reward yourself with something you like, and because it's near impossible to continue at something forever without little breaks. From the sounds of it, maybe your "junk day" breaks aren't regular enough to keep you balanced, and you've reached an overloaded point. Take regular breaks, don't feel guilty, and your net productivity will benefit.

jarin 15y ago
Here's something I noticed: If I spend all day browsing around the web unproductively, I don't feel motivated at all. If I say "You know what, I'm not getting anything done. I'm going to play video games for a few hours.", I feel energized to get work done afterward. I think it's the fact that browsing aimlessly is like knowing you need to run an errand and then sitting in the car with your hands on the wheel, but not turning the key. It's close enough to what you SHOULD be doing that you feel even worse that you're not getting things done. If I take a break to play a game or read a book or something, it's an explicit transition between activities.
jarin 15y ago
Here's something I noticed: If I spend all day browsing around the web unproductively, I don't feel motivated at all. If I say "You know what, I'm not getting anything done. I'm going to play video games for a few hours.", I feel energized to get work done afterward. I think it's the fact that browsing aimlessly is like knowing you need to run an errand and then sitting in the car with your hands on the wheel, but not turning the key. It's close enough to what you SHOULD be doing that you feel even worse that you're not getting things done. If I take a break to play a game or read a book or something, it's an explicit transition between activities.

ebiester 15y ago

My trick is mindful meditation, even two or three minutes is often enough to get me back on track.

babebridou 15y ago
Mine is to just stand up, push the volume a bit and start dancing as if the world was ending outside. This is so satisfying!

jronkone 15y ago

> I've still no clue why humans procastrinate. I've still no clue why people consider doing stuff so important.

perlpimp 15y ago

I have been fighting somewhat winning battle with procrastination and it sums up to a few things, key ones are: - get a good nights sleep, having less then 8 hours of sleep lowers your IQ and therefore doing complex and rewarding work its a catch 22, you go home feeling bad fret go to bed late. - make a plan before you go to sleep for the next day, visualize, conceptualize results in your head - feel the accomplished goal. - when you wake up focus and tell yourself that you trust that you can be reach each one of those goals. goals can be .. being focused and productive and feeling great! - few pushups crunches goes a long way at the beginning of the day. if you feel a bit tired - i take a shot of double espresso before morning excerize, it all falls into place. Procrastination can be good if it is deliberate, like when you are stuck and you can't move you can deliberately switch focus, take a nap read a book. My 2c.

3pt14159 15y ago
Honestly I find my IQ to be a hindrance for all but the most difficult coding. Getting a night of 4 or 5 hours (half the mornings waking up naturally) does wonders for my productivity. Most of the time I'm not actually working on the math part of what I do (building data analysis applications), I'm working on the glue code. Glue code is terribly boring, but less so when your mind doesn't have the energy to think about more complicated things. Also, TDD really helps because it makes it feel more like a game where dots are XP tokens, but still. Also being sleepy makes me more likely to just say "$#%@ it, I'll just roll it in C" rather than trying to reduce an O(n3) to a O(nlog(n)). Hmmm. After writing all that out, I came to the realization I need a vacation.

billpatrianakos 15y ago

I'm having one of those days today and I need help! The while week has been that way. It sucks. I know much of my procrastination is due to burnout. I totally burned myself out and now I need to recover. But sometimes recovery isn't an option when you've got deadlines to meet. Sometimes you've got no choice. So now it's off to try to force myself to finish and hope to God I end up with just enough time to take a long enough break to recover.

gabaix 15y ago

I found a way to reduce procrastination, while enjoying some of it. I alternate a procrastinate day with days of non-procrastination. For one day, I am allowed to watch as many movies as I want, play chess, do whatever useless and enjoyable I might want. Then I would do variable periods without procrastinating. This could be 1 day, 1 week, 2 weeks, 1 month. It depends on your other priorities, work, family, achievements. During those periods, I have blacklisted the things I usually do when procrastinating. When I go back to my procrastination day, I am very happy since it has been a while I have watched a movie, trailer or play chess. This is very similar to some drug-addiction techniques, and I found it worked for me very well. If you feel bad and haven't tried that yet, try that and let me know how it went.

sukuriant 15y ago
So ... you've scheduled in breaks and call them 'procrastination days', because 'break' or 'vacation' or 'sanity holiday' sound wasteful?
- gabaix 15y ago
  You're right, those are breaks.

firichapo 15y ago

I find that procrastination, at least in my personal case, is strongly correlated to the amount of work I have pending. I tend to procrastinate when I a light work load. I find that I can focus on task when there is a heavy load. Well, at least now days, back when I was a student it was quite a different story and I guess I changed because of that experience.

msutherl 15y ago

I found this article on Less Wrong to be extremely useful: "How to Beat Procrastination": <http://lesswrong.com/lw/3w3/how_to_beat_procrastination/> http://lesswrong.com/lw/3w3/how_to_beat_procrastination/&#62.... The article establishes The Procrastination Equation and outlines some scientifically suggested techniques for increasing Motivation: Expectancy x Value Motivation = ----------------------- Impulsiveness x Delay My notes on the article: Increase your expectancy of success. Increase the task's value (make it more pleasant and rewarding). Decrease your impulsiveness. Success Spirals: small successes one after the other Vicarious Victory: watch inspirational things, read books Mental Contrasting: imagine where you could be vs. where you are now Flow: match the difficult of the task to your ability Meaning: think about what you're doing and make it mean something Energy: sleep, drink water, caffeine, exercise, cold water, music, de-clutter Rewards: reward yourself for success Passion: increase the value of the task Commit Now: commit in advance (tie yourself to the mast) Set Goals: break the ice, then daily goals Set Routines: for instance, exercise every day

sheldor 15y ago

I don't get why stories like this make it to the first page of HN. Seriously.

rane 15y ago
I have a problem with procrastination. Seeing this post has led me to possible solutions to the problem.
- sheldor 15y ago
  There are a million sites on the Internet about procrastination and you found your solution in a mediocre (at best) 15 line blog post? Google. Seriously.
  - dudurocha 15y ago
    The solution is not on the post, is in the comments. So you think that the solution for procrastination is google for it? I see this approach going all way around, and making people procrastinate more. Here in hn we can listen to other peers, that have the same problem and have good solutions.
    - zalew 15y ago
      sheldon wonders why a lazy few lines post "hey, my day today was a lazy day, why is it so? I dunno, lol" is considered valuable enough to be upvoted, and submitted in the first place. how is it insightful in any way?
      - roryokane 15y ago
        I think it’s a little bit insightful in that it highlights how not-fun procrastination is, even while we’re doing it (“Procrastination is the worst feeling ever”). A reminder of that feeling, which we often forget when we desire to procrastinate, can give people a little extra motivation to avoid procrastination.
15y ago

hammock 15y ago

Relevant: http://failblog.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/job-fails-monday-thru-friday-not-a-lot-of-takers-strangely-enough.gif http://failblog.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/job-fails-monday...

mrleinad 15y ago

Something that helps when acknowledging I´m procrastinating is to fast forward to the future and think: How will I feel after I´ve wasted a perfectly good day doing nothing, when the day before I told myself I was so going to do all of those things? Getting myself out of the present, in a nutshell.

hndl 15y ago

Procrastination shouldn't just suck, it should be unacceptable. Don't tolerate it. No excuses. Not even if it's "just today". Close everything! Ask yourself why you're not enjoying your work today. If you're not enjoying what you're doing, do something about it. Either finish it, so you can move on to something you enjoy. If that's not the case, talk to someone about how boring your stuff is and fix this problem. DON'T ACCEPT PROCRASTINATION!

alf 15y ago

The Hemingway Trick: Stop in the middle. Never stop working at the natural barriers. They next time you start working, the barrier will be the first thing you encounter, and you won't have the momentum to overcome it. Try to stop writing mid-chapter, or mid-sentence (or mid function). Know how to finish, but stop working. The next time you start, you know exactly what needs to be done. There will even be the urge to start working to finish the unfinished. Nearing the end of a unproductive day, accept that the day was not productive, start on what you will work on tomorrow, do a little, and stop in the middle.

kgen 15y ago
This works extremely well for me. I wouldn't recommend stopping mid-sentence but leaving an implementation incomplete (eg. just have to fill out another method and everything fits together) allows me to start the next day running.
peterjs 15y ago
Thanks for sharing this insight. It really struck me with its simplicity. It happens all the time. When I have a clear notion of how to continue, I can't wait to start coding the next day. Just the opposite happens when I am left with a "blank page", and I have to force myself to start working.
ugh 15y ago
Finding a way to start work without immediately hitting barriers was so important while writing my bachelor thesis. I now sort of whish I had known about your tip earlier, that seems easier than having to actively search for a simple way to start while procrastinating. That said, sometimes it seems it was necessary for me to stop work and just do nothing for a while in order to find that important insight.
- keithpeter 15y ago
  See Psychology of Invention in the Mathematical Field Jacques Hadamard, published around 1900. Once you have immersed yourself in a problem, going about normal daily tasks not related to the problem allows your mind to churn and make connections. Sudden (Gestalt like) insight may occur.

obilgic 15y ago

I think procrastinating is one of the most obvious symptoms of low EQ. You are just to emotional, you feel extremely unmotivated because you do not want to do what you need to do(studying etc). You just can not overcome your emotions and you do what ever your emotions want you to do, which is procrastinating and feeling better for this moment of time. Emotions do not care about what you will feel in the future, they just care about what you feel right now. Procrastinating makes people happy. It is some type of addiction. You just can not ignore your emotions, and you do what makes you happy right now which is procrastinating.

eps 15y ago

You know how sometimes you are reading a book and then at some point you realize that you have no idea what the last few paragraphs were about. There was a study that traced this sudden loss of comprehension to the first word that didn't make sense. Anything between that word and the current position was read, but not understood. I am guessing the procrastination is similar. I would be working and it all would be flowing along, but then I would hit a problem. Something stupid, like having several variable names 5 characters each, and needing another variable, but not being able to find a 5 char name for it. And that's it. I will just keep idling here. The remedy in both cases is to realize there was an unknown word or a stumbling block, explicitly identify it and work around it. This really works, though YMMV.

peteforde 15y ago

It's extremely important to be working on the right thing. That's why some things just don't feel like work. http://www.humblepied.com/jessica-hische/ http://www.humblepied.com/jessica-hische/ I find Jessica's perspective refreshing. I try to end almost every talk I give by quoting her.

zalew 15y ago

> I've still no clue why humans procastrinate http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/mkwf2/why_do_humans_procrastinate_and_how_can_it_be_beat/c31rsxx http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/mkwf2/why_do_hum...

vanni 15y ago

Lot of posts about procrastination past days here on HN. This confirms my feeling that this is a real and widespread issue. Even for startuppers. [On topic shameless plug] This is why I'm building asaclock (http://www.asaclock.com http://www.asaclock.com), an anti-procrastination web community for startup single founders and people working on side projects.

cycojesus 15y ago

A very sad post. Even sadder when to know it represents my exact thoughts... most of the time.

harryf 15y ago

> I've still no clue why humans procrastinate. I do - it's a sign you need a rest and a sign you've been doing too much of the same and some variety is required. Take a day off, do something different, get some fresh input.

narrator 15y ago

At the beginning of the day when I'm lying in bed, after looking at my calendar and reading the morning email when I get up, I picture myself going through my whole day in my mind. Whenever I get stuck in the middle of the day, I take some time to let my right brain image stream through the rest of my current task, which usually gets me back on track.

baby 15y ago

Finally a post that talk about procrastination without giving advice away. Because really, I've read them all. I'm pretty sure I could do a PHD about procrastination. The thing is, I would never start it.

poodougnut 15y ago

I'm procrastinating reading the comments to this post.

grusk 15y ago
Same. I just webmarked it along with hundreds of other articles and youtube videos to check out later.

NiceOneBrah 15y ago

Check out the excellent book "Procrastination: Why You Do It, What to Do About It Now" by Burka and Yuen. I discovered it via a HN comment and figure I should repay the favor.

wtracy 15y ago

One partial solution for me: Buy a netbook that won't run any of my favorite games. Work on this netbook, from a location that has no internet access, if necessary. If you need internet access to do your work, go to a public location (say, Starbucks) where you'd be embarrassed to be caught Youtubing.

apurvamehta 15y ago

I can't believe that this has been up 8 hours without any mention of Steven Pressfield's "The War of Art" (http://www.stevenpressfield.com/the-war-of-art/ http://www.stevenpressfield.com/the-war-of-art/) This lays bare the root of procrastination. It is also provides forceful, direct ways for dealing with it. I don't know a single person who has read it and not taken something positive away. And it's a really quick read. I went through it in an evening.

shreeshga 15y ago

Procrastination is also because of a tired mind. I get spaced out after a long/hectic week and lose a day or two without realizing. Then I just work on something else which dosent need too much brain-work [read: blogging]

tdavis 15y ago

This may not apply to everyone, but I found the thing that consistently removed my procrastination was simply to stop working in isolation. Whether it's going to the office of an employer or renting a desk at a co-working space, being around other people who are being productive worked wonders for me. I used to think there was some fundamental flaw with my psyche; I would procrastinate quite often and always feel utterly depressed afterwards. Turns out that external motivation and clear delineation between "work space" and "play space" was all I needed. I still work after work pretty often, but usually on other projects. If I just sit around and watch TV or play video games I don't feel badly about it because I know I just put in 8 hours of solid programming, which is something I used to think myself utterly incapable of. If you're in an environment where watching Hulu all day is acceptable, find an environment where it isn't. I practically guarantee it's all you'll need.

evoltix 15y ago

I find that writing things down on paper in a divide-and-conquer fashion really help in battling procrastination.

namank 15y ago

You know, I think its a manifestation of anxiousness about the work. Haven't figured out why this happens but I've seen that it is easier to overcome when I'm 1. working on a passion project 2. Working in a group. Passion project point is really interesting because this implies that all other projects have something my(our?) subconscious is not quite comfortable with...but what is this?? Is it that I'm scared to attempt this new project for the fear of failure? Or is it that I'm too comfortable with it and therefore don't think its worth my time? Or is it because doing(attempting) this project will take me down an unknown route? Ah!! So many possibilities...but I'm slowly learning to overcome this. One thing that works for me on a bad day: First think about the big picture of what needs to be done and how to go about it (sequentially) - I find this provides me with a time perception of the project, that I can visualize what steps are involved in completing this project. Then just start the project! Just start it without thinking anymore and pretty soon its been 2 hours and you're almost done with phase 1!

deleted 15y ago

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stupidhurts 15y ago

It's pretty simple: When you procrastinate your day away, at the end of the day you feel like a shit. When you work hard and deliver, at the end of the day you feel like a boss. I'm going to keep feeling like a boss :)

lazyeye 15y ago

Tales of mere existence - Procrastination http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItMFWpKofSg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItMFWpKofSg

ed209 15y ago

This question: Why do humans procrastinate, and how can it be beat? prompted an excellent reply from Sneering. "People overestimate the value of the reward if the reward is imminent, and increasingly discount the value of the reward, the further away it is in time." Worth a read if are interested in neuroeconomics [who knew?]. http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/mkwf2/why_do_humans_procrastinate_and_how_can_it_be_beat/c31rsxx http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/mkwf2/why_do_hum...

goblin89 15y ago

At least one post I've read here on HN while ‘procrastinating’ influenced my life quite significantly (in a measurable way). More than pretty much any number of hours spent working instead would. That made me reconsider my classification of activities as useful and useless. What matters more is probably willingness to take action or something along these lines (haven't thought this through yet).