My Algorithm for Beating Procrastination | Hacker News Reader

My Algorithm for Beating Procrastination

lesswrong.com

101 pointsphreeza24 comments

My algorithm for beating procrastination: Stop reading about how to beat procrastination and do what you're supposed to do.

See also what "The Ultimate Productivity Blog" has to say on that topic: http://productiveblog.tumblr.com/

> Motivation = (Expectancy x Value) / (Impulsiveness x Delay)

Interesting approach to procrastination analysis. I'm happy to see that what I am building goes in the right direction to increase motivation: asaclock (http://www.asaclock.com) is an anti-procrastination web community for startup single founders and people working on side projects.

You announced this project months ago and it is still "coming soon"...

Nothing strange about this. It is simply not yet ready for launch. I hope you don't really believe in "made in just one day" products.

I think (I hope!) this was just an amusing reference to procrastination. Meta-procrastination = procrastination on a procrastination tool ;)

What a "singular" observation! :)

It is especially interesting because doing the calculation itself is procrastination.

Placeholder so I can check it out later ;)

Edit: Was down for me. Back up it seems.

Cached: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:WxbW8Wk...

Readability'd: http://www.readability.com/articles/tvztpg1g

The problem, as you've touched upon, is adjusting the dials between size-of-reward (S) and time-to-payout (T). S and T are, typically, inversely correlated. So we're forced to make a series of compromises in the scale of our goals in order to make them realistic.

I've found that, while there's no great way to "solve" this problem, there are systems you can use to manage it. Such as breaking down a larger task into increments. Incrementality is about viewing a larger task as the sum of a series of smaller tasks -- thereby allowing you to encounter a payout on a regular basis, rather than going exceedingly long stretches without one.

Procrastination is really a T problem, not an S problem. Hence, why incrementality really works. (Conversely, increasing S doesn't yield linearly adjusting motivation sufficient to overcome procrastination).

But isn't technically following the multiple step method proposed by the OP not procrastinating in itself? :P I mean if I am procrastinating I would definitely not be in a state to get into a mentality to follow the method since I would be wasting my time in some other non-constructive manner ^^

I needed to speak Greek, Latin, French, or German, and German philosophy isn't quite as universally bad as the others

While I am myself not quite sure if philosophies can be at all qualified as good or bad, I am quite surprised to discover that the author apparently found a way to qualify the philosophies of whole countries and all their historic evolution as good or bad. Statements like these somewhat undermine otherwise interesting ideas.

Ohh just what the fuck is this. As we could not have statements about sets of simply anything.

Putting together IKEA furniture is boring. Truly a first world problem if there ever was one.

I find it quite interesting.

Once had to put together about 30 chairs. Followed their instructions for the first one. The instructions were terrible, they made it very difficult. Actually found it quite fun optimising the method to eventually do each chair in only a couple of minutes: made me think that the person writing their instructions couldn't have ever done it for themselves more than a couple of times ...

I _love_ putting together IKEA furniture. I just hate schlepping it in from the store.

What about the problem of "I don't know how to do it"?

awake: programming

tired: doing something else

My problem is that I am often tired when I get home from work, not that I am procrastinating as such.

But there are a ton of things I would like to do, anyone got an algorithm for beating tiredness?.

I hear you, same feelings here >.>

Exercise in the morning, or at least before noon, for 30 minutes or more, and eat a decent meal just after. You'll find that'll give you energy throughout the day, including after a long day at work. Then, pick one thing, focus on it, and achieve clear goals. Refer to what the original article terms success spirals.

[1] How Exercise Fuels the Brain http://goo.gl/RjGe0 [2] Exercise reduces stress http://goo.gl/C6ztV [3] Exercise improves brain function in young people http://goo.gl/NeN0M

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3638455

Adopt out your dog and your kid, get a quiet apartment, hire a maid.

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