Show HN: I made an interactive anti-procrastination video course
deprocrastination.co
deprocrastination.co
It's a result of patient deliberate effort, unsurprisingly.
After giving up video games, programming was fun. Reading nonfiction was insanely fun. So much so, it became a new addiction.
Maybe giving up things you enjoy is easier said than done.
It only sucked on a Friday evening for like 1 hour. weird because I would game every night.
But then they used psychology to make us addicted to scrolling feeds.
Scrolling through feeds or watching videos actually causes me to become pretty sad, but sometimes I find myself feeling quite a compulsion to do it. It's usually when I'm stressed out or anxious, and the behaviour aligns perfectly with escapism. So there's very little enjoying involved.
I think it's important to consider what enjoyable means, and how we frame it. Instant gratification is only a small sliver of what could be considered enjoyable, in the scheme of things.
There's a whole bunch of research and writing lately about "wanting versus liking", describing these two emotions related to experiences and behaviors as distinct.
When people encounter that distinction, most of us can think of things that we like much more than we want, or that we want much more than we like.
It’s apparently very much a want over a like situation, which seems to explain the potential lack of enjoyment. I’m not a neuroscientist so I’ll butcher this if I say more, but in terms of want vs like I found it really fascinating.
- I don't trust you yet - I saw the pricing before I gained trust in you as a tutor. Why should I learn how not to procrastinate from you, for money?
- The video I watched was quite dry - to be honest I found your presentation style a little monotonous and not very engaging.
Trust - Yes, I've collected some testimonials from other products (book, extension, Deschool program), but none about the course yet, since it's brand new. I'll work on this.
Video - Thank you. I'll plan on improving the course continuously. I'm more animated in some videos, but I'll re-record others.
This is the 1st version of the product. My background is programming, so I plan to update this as if it were a software product (it partially is).
Again, thank you for the feedback!
I didn’t find the voice monotonous and I like the clear instructions and advice.
</joke>
For me the only thing that works. The only hack that works is having a contract with a third party.
You don't procrastinate on paying your mortgage right. You do it every month.
You don't not show up for work right. Or for meetings right.
You don't procrastinate on paying your cellphone bill/internet bill/paying rent etc.
Why? Because you have contracts with another party and there are consequences if you miss them.
Losing weight? No consequences! That novel you've been meaning to write.. no consequences! Want to learn a new language/do a passion project etc.. there are no consequences to not doing it.
For me I resolved this issue by going into a contract with a third party with consequences if I miss my obligations.
Inspired by a "lock-in" productivity based ted talk which was banned so I can't link it here.
Practical:
1. I lost 30 lbs from 200 lbs to 170 lbs How I did it. Step#1. Made an irreversible decision. I pay $100 every week if I miss losing 2 lbs that week. The deal was for 12 weeks. I started Monday and the deal is every Monday. I have to stand on the scale and take a pic and send it.
2. I solved 200+ Leetcodes over a span of a year Deal. I had to solve 10 problems a day on random days. Each missed problem costed me $25 per miss.
Here is another guy who became ripped i.e 6 packed within 6 months
https://nypost.com/2017/07/17/poker-player-goes-all-in-with-...
Now to the theory part.
See. The deal is this. The answer to procrastination is not more information. There is no magic info online that will change your brain and you stop procrastinating. You already know procrastinating is bad. You already know that you need to small chunk the work. You already know you need to be disciplined. You know you need to "just get started" or "just need to do it NOW!" that life is made up of choices and you need to make a choice.. You know this and yet...
YOU WON'T DO IT!
There is this movie called "Memento" where all these concepts are already discussed.
Here is the gist. You are not ONE person. That's why nothing has worked so far and nothing will work in the future too. (likely)
You are a multitude of people living inside of you. The you that is going to nod your head or is going to be "inspired" is not the same person who is going to wake up tomorrow. You listen to a video and have an "aha" moment but the you two days from now will not follow through on your grand plan. This is like a relay race between different versions of YOU and the problem is that there is a version of YOU that is definitely going to drop the baton.
Now. You can hit rock bottom or want success as bad as you want to breathe air and then you will get what you want. This is what everyone already knows.
But what if you kind of want to be ripped or kind of want to be done writing a book or just not sufficiently determined. Is there a mechanism by which you can still do the things you don't normally have enough motivation to do?
The answer is a contract.
Beeminder is one such but the biggest flaw is that you are still in charge so you can easily renege on it. Likewise for Stickk etc.
Instead do this: 1. Make an irreversible decision where you are not the one to call off the deal. Just like a mortgage, internet bills, rent, cell phone bills etc.
Watch yourself automatically, automagically achieve ridiculous stuff that previously you would Never have been able To do.
This is a 100% anti self help approach. Note: I did lose a solid 30 lbs from 200 lbs to 170 lbs. But the problem is that once the contract expires I will likely go back to 185 lbs.. eventually. Likewise, you will never develop natural self discipline with this approach but hey.. it works..
Here's the deal. Even when you fail you still will win in the end and that the beauty of this approach.
I lost 30 lbs over the course of 4 to 6 months. I lost around $200 - $300 and it definitely stung. But it was worth it for now I have a strong and fit body.
Want to lose weight? I have to have every part of me on board, if one of me doesn't want to and instead wants to eat crap, they can and will and we lose our progress.
I can't count the number of times the dev-minded parts of myself resolve to work on X project or leetcode/day only to wake up the next day switched to a different personality that doesn't remember making that resolution, or even know how to work on code. There are parts of me that cannot even comprehend code another part of me has written, but when the part that wrote it comes back it's crystal clear. It has to be communicated among everyone inside that we have the goal to work on X and time has to be given to the parts that want to and can, consciously (if we're even able at the time).
There are still other parts with the internal authority to say that X thing will happen and they will show up every day to enforce their expectations. This doesn't happen often, usually in very stressful periods.
Any time a part of me wants to make a long term change in my habits, appearance, or behavior it must be put to a quorum majority vote. If there is not a quorum or majority we cannot make the change, or the formation of the habit or new behavior will fail. If we have a quorum but a conflict in what we want to do any given moment, we end up procrastinating. Parts of me can try to make their own routines and habits, or do their own activities if they have time alone, but inevitably if it's against collective will it gets put to an end quickly.
We have to have a contract with ourselves to be functional in day to day life. There is no reneging on the contract when we are forced to share a single life in this way.
When we agree? It's powerful. Lost 100lbs in 2018, saved up and moved across country in the middle of the pandemic last year, got a new job, a new car, and started moving forward in our career.
Also we get to use We/They/Them pronouns which is fun (I like to joke that technically any pronoun could be used for us.)
The adult is writing this text. (Hey, after all he's the only one able to write or read!)
The big child, is literally me as a child plus the sexuality that came later.
(There's also an animal, but it is only noticeable in the most extreme circumstances. You know, table tennis and the like.)
With this model it all boils up to the child being tricked by the adult. Yes, it is tempting to assume that the adult is "raising" the child, but no. Internally it feels more like the child needs to be tricked into compliance, then all gets well (i.e. the child is seemingly happy after it is shown its place).
But, a multitude?...
I have trouble imagining any more personas. I'm curious how does that feel like? Multiple "adults" at the same time? Sequentially?
From the movie "Memento": This explains it better.
Here's the truth: People, even regular people, are never just any one person with one set of attributes. It's not that simple. We're all at the mercy of the limbic system, clouds of electricity drifting through the brain. Every man is broken into twenty-four-hour fractions, and then again within those twenty-four hours. It's a daily pantomime, one man yielding control to the next: a backstage crowded with old hacks clamoring for their turn in the spotlight. Every week, every day. The angry man hands the baton over to the sulking man, and in turn to the sex addict, the introvert, the conversationalist. Every man is a mob, a chain gang of idiots. This is the tragedy of life. Because for a few minutes of every day, every man becomes a genius. Moments of clarity, insight, whatever you want to call them. The clouds part, the planets get in a neat little line, and everything becomes obvious. I should quit smoking, maybe, or here's how I could make a fast million, or such and such is the key to eternal happiness. That's the miserable truth. For a few moments, the secrets of the universe are opened to us. Life is a cheap parlor trick. But then the genius, the savant, has to hand over the controls to the next guy down the pike, most likely the guy who just wants to eat potato chips, and insight and brilliance and salvation are all entrusted to a moron or a hedonist or a narcoleptic. The only way out of this mess, of course, is to take steps to ensure that you control the idiots that you become. To take your chain gang, hand in hand, and lead them.
How can you possibly enforce irreversibility? Tomorrow’s me is perfectly capable of reversing any decision whatsoever I make today.
This guy used escrow.
https://nypost.com/2017/07/17/poker-player-goes-all-in-with-...
>> Tomorrow’s me is perfectly capable of reversing any decision whatsoever I make today.
True. That's why the stakes should not be too high nor too low.. its pretty experimental..
Problem is, some people aren't willing to commit to that level, so more of a baby steps approach is relevant.
Sometimes when you do something out of fear of a negative consequence it ends up becoming an activity that, while you might become more proficient at it, you might also grow to dislike the activity. (How many children were forced to learn a musical instrument by their parents and as a result hate it)
Here. In this case the situation is different. Both the parent and the child is the same person. In my case I was pretty excited because finally I found something that worked and resolved my issues. Once the feeling of accomplishment sets in you will feel pretty happy. Once your mind knows that there is no way out it starts adapting and starts assisting you. That's why the contract should be irreversible.
For ex: You need to spend 3 hours and write a 5 page report that is due on Monday at 9:00 AM.
You spend the whole week not working but feeling guilty about not making progress. Then suddenly in the last minute i.e a few hours before the deadline i.e around 5:00 AM to 8:00 AM you start panicking and make progress. You turn in less than stellar report.
With a contract based strategy you still procrastinate. But the end result is much better. i.e You need to finish 2 pages by the middle of the week or you pay $25 per missed page. Another 2 pages in the second half of the week. This way you still procrastinate and occasionally you pay the penalty but still you would be done with the essay/ report 2 days in advance rather than the last minute where the consequences are way higher in terms of getting a bad grade/losing scholarship/not graduating/ not getting into a better career etc.
That's the major problem with setting up timers or schedules or other obligation mechanisms yourself. If they're in your control, you're given as much freedom to remove them as you have to set them up in the first place.
If no amount of self-restraint or anti-postcrastination systems can get me to do something I tell myself I want to do, then maybe I either need to have someone force me to do it or realize that what I say I want in life is wrong. Maybe this is because I've been trained so that about the only thing left that's 100% effective for getting intrinsically boring work done is someone else forcing me to do something.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2paoNvG5Nmo
In this guy's case he was able to run a successful startup and his brother was able to get into and graduate from Harvard despite being terrible procrastinators. (because of the strategy.) He was not using a monetary based strategy. Basically he placed a hit on himself via his brother and viceversa to become successful.
Another thing he did was to write a letter to his ex and told his brother to mail it if he did not finish a certain task.
Again.. these are terrible examples. I would not advocate violence or stunts like this. In my own case, I used money but for others it could be anything. Any consequence they would like to avoid.
> You don't procrastinate on paying your mortgage right. You do it every month. You don't procrastinate on paying your cellphone bill/internet bill/paying rent etc.
Yes, because it is effortless and auto-pay does it for me. What you're really saying is that I don't procrastinate earning money to pay for those things, which is not the same thing as just paying for them.
> You don't not show up for work right. Or for meetings right.
Showing up for work and procrastinating on some tasks at work is not the same thing. You're doing your point a disservice by painting it in black and white.
> Why? Because you have contracts with another party and there are consequences if you miss them.
I've had tenants whose stay was conditional on fulfilling certain obligations specified in the rent agreement, aside from paying rent. Even though there were consequences for not doing so, none of them did it and 1 ended up being evicted.
> For me I resolved this issue by going into a contract with a third party with consequences if I miss my obligations.
This only works because you're already a high-consciety individual. Sure, consequences help in general, but only if you know exactly what the problem is AND if you actually have the flexibility and energy to complete the things you have been procrastinating on.
OTOH my bills are automatically paid for the most part. Has nothing to do with procrastination.
Also if you want to focus on some creative work from 9-10 before the stand up, who is going to check you did it “to the contract”? And how do they check?
On the contrary, when I got motivated by my work and feel excited, I just naturally stop procrastination. In fact, it becomes difficult to pay attention to things beyond work at that state.
My advice to people who suffer from procrastination: first think about the root cause, that is whether pivoting from current job is what you really need to do.
From personal experience I know that the same work can be daunting or motivating, depending on the personal habits/behaviors and systems. In other words, they are temporary. That's what the course focuses on (not looking for a new job).
In any case, your advice about figuring out the root cause is spot on (and also in the course).
My only real trick is to try and do something for ten minutes and then I can continue or not as I want. Often I want to continue, sometimes so much I get irrationally angry on the timer because it interrupts my work.
Do you have any other strategies?
You want to have specific catalysts (think enzymes), clean feedstocks, and a good supply of free energy. Also the pressure (physical/mental confinement within one area) and temperature (level of stress/energy/chaos) need to be managed.
1. I’m bored, and not learning anything new, just doing the same thing over and over.
2. I don’t see where this is going, or the point of doing it. Felt this a lot with university assignments in particular.
3. I’m afraid. This is the only one where I think it’s worth persisting. Sometimes something is new and scary, like public speaking or deploying to production for the first time. In this case, what I’ve found to work really well is to just sit with the fear, observe the sensations it produces in the body, and then it naturally just sort of weakens.
For 1 and 2, I think the procrastination is actually telling you something important.
The problem is that while sometimes that applies, sometimes it doesn't, and it's worth overcoming (I fall more on this side of the issue). In any case, I'm a big advocate for reflecting on why people procrastinate. There are many different reasons.
1 and 2 can be helped with a bit of discipline and perseverance.
I guess, this is also a kind of boredom.
At that point it's worth considering if the work can be automated or outsourced.
For a lot of people it's like the static friction vs kinetic friction kinda deal.
Two things helped here:
1. Doing something else instead. But something that's also valuable. Not just scrolling on your phone, but learning something, building something, training, etc.
2. Put yourself out there. If you do good work and get positive feedback regularly, it is easier to keep going.
I basically never procrastinate on writing code.
I also don’t procrastinate when I’m writing things for intrinsic reasons, like I want to describe a neat thing I discovered.
But anything that’s required is hard. Writing conference papers for my PhD was horrid. I’d stare at a blank screen for days. I really wish I knew how to get past that, but I never figured it out.
2. Take a walk to figure out what you want to say. 20 min walk in nature (or a park) boosts concentration, and helps you figure out what you want to say. A walk before a difficult task clarifies your thinking, so that when you sit down, you know what to do or say.
Hope that helps.
1. Using a different editor to write the draft, to prevent the immediate negative reaction to the mail client.
2. Brainstorming my draft. That is, I wrote down the first thing that came to mind, no matter how ridiculous or nonsensical. It doesn't even have to be related to the message at hand. It only needs to remove the daunting empty page and get my brain into "write something" mode.
3. Edit and repeat. Read what you've written and select anything that actually makes sense. Use that as a starting point and start again.
I think an important aspect of this is to freely allow my brain to write silly things. It's not a fun task to write serious emails, but writing a silly outline and filling it in with more serious wording makes it possible, for me at least.
If you were taking suggestions:
* First video should be somewhat interesting and relevant to the topic, I felt that for a video named "Introduction" it was mostly promotions for other products/the "premium" versions/etc.
* Having three animating progress bars on desktop for each step is a little distracting. There's one in the video embed, one green progress bar below the video, and another green loading bar on the left.
The introduction is about the course, the Internal Triggers 1 lesson is meant as a preview of the course. I'll work on the first mile experience (term from Scott Belsky) more.
If you have the inattentive subtype of ADHD, medication is 90% effective at alleviating symptoms such as procrastination.
Many people here have commented about doing a “dopamine detox,” but what if your brain isn’t producing enough dopamine on its own? A detox is unlikely to help.
I am just suggesting that people with extreme procrastination consider seeking out an ADHD assessment at least to rule that out.
There is no good treatment for ADHD other than drugs. That’s just the science of it.
See if you can find anything useful on our blog (or in the course).
The ultimate anti-procrastination app? It just has one "Stop procrastination" button.
I do get what you're saying about too many steps. I tried to avoid that pitfall. For instance, the Deprocrastinator 7000 feature is about getting the right lesson in a short amount of time. You pick a problem, you get a lesson that contains a specific technique, you apply it with the worksheet. Information --> action.
But then again, how would I as a procrastinator reach this pretty profound insight? Any information targeting me has to be skillfully crafted to guide me in the right direction while avoiding all the issues that cause me to procrastinate in the first place.
There's more - a technique from here, an insight from there...
Edit: Also, the create password page has a bug where once you set your password, it then leaves the name/email/password/confirm fields blank instead of redirecting you to login. Could confuse a small number of users.
As for Safari, unfortunately, some critical APIs (used for timers or distraction-catching notifications) don't seem to work at all, so it'll take some time to port the extension.
But in all seriousness, great work!
And thanks! It's just the beginning, more updates coming - both on the content side and the interactive side.
Weird sales tactic to use on a psychologically vulnerable population. I notice that nothing on your site is actually sold at regular price so I'm not too concerned with this once in a lifetime offer.
Video is IMO the worst format, as it takes much longer to consume than written text. Since many such "time management pro tip" courses suffer from being a waste of time, and you only know after you've wasted your time, this is not good.
We have lots of articles on the blog, I'm sure you'll find something useful.
Something something suckers, money, parted, soon, etc.
OP has provided zero information in their post or even on their site about who they are and what their qualifications are. Which means they don't have any qualifications.
Is there literally any moderation of the front page, or can any rando submit "ShowHN" posts that are basically spam for a scam?
OP is going to make those videos, because OP (+ co-founder) spent the past few years scouring procrastination books, studies, etc to find something that could be helpful in everyday life.
I found what helped me, started talking to others 1-on-1, found out what helped them, and put it into a book, and then a course (videos + code). That's the qualification. It's not like I have a degree in procrastination, though some people claim to have such a thing.
Not sure where the scam part is. By all means, don't buy anything, or read any of the 50 articles on various procrastination causes on our blog. Probably not for you.
Anyhow, a great day to you too!
Follow this chart
There’s your solution to procrastination right there, no course needed. Instead of spending ten minutes each day watching videos which will make you feel productive, use them to advance whatever you need to do.
Chronic procrastinators tend to realise starting is the hard part. How many of us have consumed book after blog post after video, getting the jolt of “this time I’m going to do it” which never sticks?
Procrastination is an emotional problem. Get yourself to start! Commit to ten minutes—and only ten minutes—of whatever you have to do. Give yourself permission to stop once the time is up. Chances are you’ll continue.
But how to change your ways so you do start, more reliably? I think there are ideas that are more effective than the message "just do it" (sorry if that mischaracterizes your position -- in fact I agree "commit to 10 minutes" is not a bad place to start, but not the only useful idea to be had by a long way).
The built-in worksheets are there specifically to help apply the videos and not just watch. Information + action --> transformation.