Sunday, December 29, 2013
Friday, March 18, 2011
For the past four days, I've been keeping up with my "3 tasks a day" commitment -- that's the longest stretch of time that I have kept the commitment... in a long while. I don't know how long I can keep this up, but at this point, I'm still pretty resolved to stick it. It's easy for me to fall into an all-or-nothing mentality, so I'll just have to keep forging ahead and hope I don't falter.
I still do procrastinate. Foremost on my list of things to do are the ton of unpaid bills and the fixing of my credit report after my identity was stolen. Every time I am about to embark on one of these tasks, I get a god-awful feeling of dread because of the seeming enormity of the task looming over me. I'll just have to practice what I've learned about breaking the task up into *specific* and more-manageable sub-tasks, and then tackle each of the sub-tasks in turn. And I also have to bear in mind that my *focus* should be on actually *starting* the tasks, not on how much I am able to accomplish in any given time period, or whether I can get it done on time, or how long it's going to take to finish the task, or any other contemplation that oftentimes would overwhelm and dishearten.
I still do procrastinate. Foremost on my list of things to do are the ton of unpaid bills and the fixing of my credit report after my identity was stolen. Every time I am about to embark on one of these tasks, I get a god-awful feeling of dread because of the seeming enormity of the task looming over me. I'll just have to practice what I've learned about breaking the task up into *specific* and more-manageable sub-tasks, and then tackle each of the sub-tasks in turn. And I also have to bear in mind that my *focus* should be on actually *starting* the tasks, not on how much I am able to accomplish in any given time period, or whether I can get it done on time, or how long it's going to take to finish the task, or any other contemplation that oftentimes would overwhelm and dishearten.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Monday, February 28, 2011
Procrastination Update
I have fallen into the procrastination habit again the past few days. The problem is due partly to my addiction to alcohol. I have been drinking heavily the past week -- 12-pack after 12-pack of beer, bottle after bottle of Seagrams whiskey, bottle after bottle of Wine, and Jagermeister (which, by the way, I found out tastes like cough medicine, or as someone described it, Nyquil). I suppose my battle with procrastination is going to be ongoing and I have to make a fundamental confession to myself -- like they do in AA -- that I'll always be a procrastinator, and at that, I'll also have to confess to myself that I'll always be an alcoholic. I'm finding, of late, the desire to consume alcohol and the desire to put myself in a perpetual state of stupor, more irresistible than giving in to procrastination. I have decided, for the time being at least, to abstain from alcohol and stay sober, so I can be in a clear state of mind to tackle my tasks and stop procrastination.
Strangely, for the last couple of days, I feel renewed strength and a sense of empowerment to keep my commitment to stop procrastinating. And I have been successful in doing my 3-most-importnat-things-of-the-day routine.
Strangely, for the last couple of days, I feel renewed strength and a sense of empowerment to keep my commitment to stop procrastinating. And I have been successful in doing my 3-most-importnat-things-of-the-day routine.
Monday, February 14, 2011
The Procrastination Equation (Book) Notes
The following are notes for The Procrastination Equation book:
- Tackle Intention-Action Gap
You resolve to start a task at a designated time or date but fail to follow through with the resolve when the time comes. Again, you make a fresh resolution to start the task at another preset time or date, and again, you fail to follow through with the resolve when the time comes. This cycle repeats itself many times over.
- Tackle Low Expectancy
Low Expectancy == Learned Helplessness. Through repeated failings, you have been conditioned to believe that your subsequent efforts will be futile. You doubt in your ability to successfully carry the task to completion. You're pessimistic.
Solution:
> Take baby steps. Break down your task into smaller sub-tasks (or "sub-goals"). The mere initiation of an action generates more action. If you're pessimistic or if the task seems daunting, make baby steps, however *small* they may be. You've got nothing to lose.
> Get your hopes up. You can rise up above the delusion that "you can't" and start believing that "you can."
> Do something worthwhile or meaningful that's relatively high on your list of priorities. Exercise, practice on the guitar, blog your journal, clean up your room, do laundry... do something to accomplish something! Any action (meaningful action, that is) is better than inaction!A sense of accomplishment will spill over into your feeling you can take on the task you had previously been discouraged to attempt. (See how even writing up these notes on how to combat procrastination is in itself an action that helps you feel a sense of accomplishment? 'nuf said!)
- Tackle Low [Pleasure] Value
You avoid tasks that you don't particularly enjoy , i.e. tasks that are onerous or irksome. In other words, these are tasks you find no particular pleasure (value) in. You direct your thought to some other pleasurable activities that you'd much rather be doing.
Solution: Hold off the pursuit of what is more pleasurable.
- Tackle Impulsiveness
The fight against impulsiveness in biological terms involves Limbic System vs. Prefrontal Cortex. When you give in to your impulses, you're giving in to the Limbic System. It takes the Prefontal Cortex to talk you out of it an impulsive act that the Limbic System wants to do.
- Tackle Delay
You're given to habitual delay. You designate a time for starting you task. However, when it comes time for you to get down to business, you failed to honor your commitment. The problem is called an Intention-Action Gap (see above). Impulsiveness and Delay are dualistic forces that drive procrastination.
- Use Success Spiral
Set yourself on a "success spiral." Start doing a task that is sufficiently challenging and useful such that when it's completed, you will feel a strong sense of pride and accomplishment. It also has to be something that you enjoy doing (that you've put off doing because you've got more "important" tasks to do, but these are the very tasks that you've procrastinated doing). For example, you can practice on the guitar, work out, back up your files on the computer, or work on a project. The feel-good state makes you want to do more and accomplish more.
- Break Down Tasks
Break down tasks that seem too big or overwhelming for you into smaller sub-tasks. Be specific. For example, instead of "do laundry," try "gather all the dirty laundry strewn on the floor and bed."
- Keep Work and Play Separate
Keep work and play in separate places. For example, a home office space should be used strictly for work. That way you brain associates a work place with work, so you're more likely to get right down to business in a work environment instead of dilly-dallying.
- Exercise Regularly
Committing yourself to an exercise regime and sticking to it has been shown to reduce procrastination.
- Use Mental Contrasting
- Use Social Support
- Set Approach Goals, not Avoidance Goals
- Tackle Intention-Action Gap
You resolve to start a task at a designated time or date but fail to follow through with the resolve when the time comes. Again, you make a fresh resolution to start the task at another preset time or date, and again, you fail to follow through with the resolve when the time comes. This cycle repeats itself many times over.
- Tackle Low Expectancy
Low Expectancy == Learned Helplessness. Through repeated failings, you have been conditioned to believe that your subsequent efforts will be futile. You doubt in your ability to successfully carry the task to completion. You're pessimistic.
Solution:
> Take baby steps. Break down your task into smaller sub-tasks (or "sub-goals"). The mere initiation of an action generates more action. If you're pessimistic or if the task seems daunting, make baby steps, however *small* they may be. You've got nothing to lose.
> Get your hopes up. You can rise up above the delusion that "you can't" and start believing that "you can."
> Do something worthwhile or meaningful that's relatively high on your list of priorities. Exercise, practice on the guitar, blog your journal, clean up your room, do laundry... do something to accomplish something! Any action (meaningful action, that is) is better than inaction!A sense of accomplishment will spill over into your feeling you can take on the task you had previously been discouraged to attempt. (See how even writing up these notes on how to combat procrastination is in itself an action that helps you feel a sense of accomplishment? 'nuf said!)
- Tackle Low [Pleasure] Value
You avoid tasks that you don't particularly enjoy , i.e. tasks that are onerous or irksome. In other words, these are tasks you find no particular pleasure (value) in. You direct your thought to some other pleasurable activities that you'd much rather be doing.
Solution: Hold off the pursuit of what is more pleasurable.
- Tackle Impulsiveness
The fight against impulsiveness in biological terms involves Limbic System vs. Prefrontal Cortex. When you give in to your impulses, you're giving in to the Limbic System. It takes the Prefontal Cortex to talk you out of it an impulsive act that the Limbic System wants to do.
- Tackle Delay
You're given to habitual delay. You designate a time for starting you task. However, when it comes time for you to get down to business, you failed to honor your commitment. The problem is called an Intention-Action Gap (see above). Impulsiveness and Delay are dualistic forces that drive procrastination.
- Use Success Spiral
Set yourself on a "success spiral." Start doing a task that is sufficiently challenging and useful such that when it's completed, you will feel a strong sense of pride and accomplishment. It also has to be something that you enjoy doing (that you've put off doing because you've got more "important" tasks to do, but these are the very tasks that you've procrastinated doing). For example, you can practice on the guitar, work out, back up your files on the computer, or work on a project. The feel-good state makes you want to do more and accomplish more.
- Break Down Tasks
Break down tasks that seem too big or overwhelming for you into smaller sub-tasks. Be specific. For example, instead of "do laundry," try "gather all the dirty laundry strewn on the floor and bed."
- Keep Work and Play Separate
Keep work and play in separate places. For example, a home office space should be used strictly for work. That way you brain associates a work place with work, so you're more likely to get right down to business in a work environment instead of dilly-dallying.
- Exercise Regularly
Committing yourself to an exercise regime and sticking to it has been shown to reduce procrastination.
- Use Mental Contrasting
- Use Social Support
- Set Approach Goals, not Avoidance Goals
Back To Blogging
It's been a while since I last blogged. Here's a follow-up on my last entry. So how did it pan out? I couldn't get into a single class! Would you believe it? In a way, I'm glad it turned out the way it did because otherwise I would have had to cough up a couple of thousand dollars. I don't have that kind of money. It's just as well that I have to wait until Fall. In the meantime, I will just have to save up for it. That will mean a lot of tuition until graduation. *sigh*, I don't really know what to do now. I can also take out a loan... but I don't really want to.
I spent the last few day dawdling. I'm now trying to put myself back on track to get a backlog of tasks accomplished. It feels daunting and overwhelming but I really have to stop procrastinating. I am going back to my procrastination book to review the strategies for countering procrastination.
Now that I have update my notes, I'm going to practice what I've learned. I'm going start by breaking down tasks into sub-tasks. I've broken down Pay Bills into o.Pay Comcast, o.Pay PG&E, and Balance Bank Account. Let's roll.
I spent the last few day dawdling. I'm now trying to put myself back on track to get a backlog of tasks accomplished. It feels daunting and overwhelming but I really have to stop procrastinating. I am going back to my procrastination book to review the strategies for countering procrastination.
Now that I have update my notes, I'm going to practice what I've learned. I'm going start by breaking down tasks into sub-tasks. I've broken down Pay Bills into o.Pay Comcast, o.Pay PG&E, and Balance Bank Account. Let's roll.
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