Structured Procrastination (1995)
structuredprocrastination.com
structuredprocrastination.com
I wonder if there is some kind of all-encompassing solution (software-based or whatever) that actually manages to conduct you into a so-called "flow state" in some way. I've tried automating things like blocking websites, turning the computer off at certain times and so on, but it always either feels too constraining (which just makes me disable everything after some time) or too "manual" (which I never have the discipline to maintain). And ultimately, it doesn't really make me want to do the task any more than I would otherwise.
I find it helpful to decide what order to do everything ahead of time, because then in the moment when I don't know what to do, I just look at the chart and get a clear answer.
The graphing process also helps me evaluate my to-dos more rationally instead of going off of vague feelings. Often I find that a task that feels really difficult actually won't take very much time. That helps me buckle down and do it, since I know I can get it over with quickly.
Making the graph also helps me let go of things that aren't actually important or urgent. I can put them at the tail end of my path and not worry about whether I'm able to get to them or not. It helps me stay disciplined and not fill up my time with them just because they feel easier than the important stuff.
I'm not being facetious, the bottleneck to individual human productivity is usually the human. Over-planning and focusing on tangential problems are frequently just rationalizing away procrastination... "maybe this mountain of work will take less effort with a better organization system" - probably not.
These days I prefer using org-mode for notes, MoSCoW for triaging, and Omnifocus for execution. It took months to become proficient, but now getting in the zone is effortless.
This too, is my realization, after a lot of introspection (and observing other people).
Sadly, I never learned discipline. Given the anxiety issues I'm struggling with since late-teen/early-adulthood, I can see that my average performance is about 10% of my peak performance.
I hear discipline is trainable, but I wasn't able to find something I could execute as an adult. I wish there was a training regimen with benefits that transfer to the rest of one's life (and not just making someone better at executing the training tasks).
Start by calibrating yourself. Where do you already have discipline? Going to work every day at the same time? Paying bills as soon as they arrive? Or maybe something harder, like cooking healthy meals every other day, going to the gym, or practicing an instrument?
Understand your level, then find something just a little harder. Ideally, it should be a recurring task which you recognize requires discipline (ie something you want to have done, but don't look forward to doing). Find that task, then do it. Keep doing it until you can effortlessly climb over that mental barrier. Then, continue doing it while challenging yourself with something harder.
As someone with ADD, it took a long time for me to become disciplined. I started out by going to the gym every other day, eventually working up to climbing mountains, learning instruments, and becoming one of the most organized people at work (while still being ADD).
It's not easy. Of course not, discipline is the skill of doing hard things despite the difficulty. But if you're looking for "a training regimen with benefits that transfer to the rest of one's life" - this is it. Discipline is a higher-order skill that transfers to learning or doing everything else.
In exercise people often think the harder you work the stronger you'll get. But actually eating, eating at the right times, and resting are just as important.
Isn't that a bit like saying eating less is the solution to weight loss. It's true of course but completely useless advice for the majority of people who struggle with lack of discipline.
The term MoSCoW itself is an acronym derived from the first letter of each of four prioritization categories (Must have, Should have, Could have, and Won't have), with the interstitial Os added to make the word pronounceable. While the Os are usually in lower-case to indicate that they do not stand for anything, the all-capitals MOSCOW is also used." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MoSCoW_method
If I execute without a prioritized list, I tend to focus on the fun/easy "could" and "won't" tasks. Creating a MoSCoW list for myself keeps me honest and acts as a forcing function for discipline.
Speaking of work, I should probably get off HN now :)
Anything else just goes into hundreds of notes in Apple Notes that I review every week. (After having tried every app under the sun, I've come to the conclusion that I'm a sucker for native integration).
- The to-do-list is no longer just there to make sure I remember to do things - it is its own reward for doing things. Often I will add something to my to do list when I am already about to start it - and need no reminder - just so I can check it off when I'm done. Occasionally I have even added something after I've finished doing it, just for the psychological reward.
- I break things down into smaller parts to make it seem like a larger number of accomplishments than it otherwise would be. For example, today I need to make two similar online purchases - I could have easily put "Buy A and B" as one item, but instead I put "Buy A" and "Buy B". Of course, one has to draw the line somewhere, or we would end up with "get out of bed" "walk towards the door" "open the door" on our lists, and checking off tasks would mean nothing. Use your judgement.
- I put "Work on my coding project" on there, even tho I'll be unlikely to have much time for it. This means, in order to avoid having a single outstanding item at the end of the day, I will at least do some work on it, keeping it fresh in my mind, keeping me in the habit, and inching me towards completing it - and preventing me from outright procrastinating it until tomorrow. Even if it's five minutes work.
These are of course silly psychological tricks that directly accomplish nothing, made even stranger by the fact that I'm using them on myself. Of course, one could say the same about drugs, but nobody would argue that caffeine or amphetamine never give you a genuine boost just because you don't strictly need them. And, I feel that it works.
Now here's the challenge - stop the structured procrastination of writing this comment and go do the things on my to-do-list.
Hmm... should I add "write a comment about to-do-lists" to my to do list...?
....
Well, to be completely honest, I meant to, but then got stuck on what would be the best place for it.
...
XD
This made it click for me about why the most productive times I have are also the busiest ones. I thought it was due to "inertia". That is, if you don't stop rolling, it'll be easier to roll. This theory has been contradicted by the fact that it still really is quite easy to stop rolling very shortly after busy times pass.
I had noticed this effect before, but only now after reading about it I'm completely aware of it. I wonder how that came to be part of the human psychology.
This is a very common idea, and also potentially somewhat dangerous. A lot of people chase the inertia with ever increasing workloads and burn out. I have come close to that multiple times.
Rather than adding things that could be done, I only add tasks that have to be done. Overtime, my "bandwidth" for tasks I don't like doing become much greater and, in some cases, I begin to enjoy them.
Adding accountability around the tasks helps a lot (in my experience) as well. I frequently use my guilt as a way to motivate me.
Ex:
- If you don't write these tests, your co-worker will assume you don't know how.
- If you don't clean your room, your guests will think you're a slob.
The important difference is I don't let it get longer than 10 items.