Any reformed procrastinators here?

[persa]

If so, how did you reform yourself? I need help because mine is getting worse and worse.

Basically any remotely unpleasant task gets put off and off. And it's actually costing me money (stuff I forget to turn in or return, paperwork I don't fill out in time, late fees)

I thought about asking a "how do you stay organized" thread but then I figured a bunch of Type, A hyper organized people would respond with their Excel spreadsheets and their meal planning and their quarterly goals, lol.

I want to hear from the people who now get shit done but didn't used to!

[curtains]

I used to set a timer. I tell myself just 15 minutes and I can be lazy if i want when it is done. I stop whatever I am doing after the 15 minutes is up. I found I couldnt wait to get back to it and just finish what I started.

I don't set a timer anymore but it was good practice for me to break my bad habits.

[circa1978]

Lists. I make a lot of lists.

ETA: I once received an end of the year award from my third grade teacher "Most Likely to Procrastinate." I'm pretty sure that didn't come in like a Scholastic book of standard certificates for kids. 

[cville]

I was thinking of trying to reform. Maybe I'll start tomorrow.

[jinkies]

This probably isn't helpful to you, but I've found that I get more things done when I have less time. When I had all te time in the world, I kept thinking I'd have plenty of time to do something "later" and then never did.

Now that I have 2 kids and a job, I have much less free time. I know that I have to either do something immediately when I think of it, or, at minimum, schedule a time to do it.

It's harder for me to procrastinate now that my time is no longer so unscheduled.




Eta-- I see @booby has the same thought.

[persa]

Aug 4, 2014 18:32:03 GMT -5 cville said:

I was thinking of trying to reform. Maybe I'll start tomorrow.

That's my plan too.

[lime]

The timer thing works for me, as well.

I also try to break big tasks down into little ones. Eat-an-elephant-one-bite-at-a-time type of thing.

[persa]

I'll try the timer thing. I agree that when I get shit done, it feels great but in general, I'm slow to get started, if at all.

And I make lists, I just don't do what's on there.

[Deleted]

Aug 4, 2014 20:21:14 GMT -5 aeg511 said:

I'm the worst, but I'm not even sure I want to change. Sorry, not helpful, I know.

Exactly

Procrastination actually really saved me recently. I needed to write my personal statement for residency applications, but of course I kept procrastinating. I was going to do it one Thurs night, but said fuck it. On Fri our apartment got robbed and they took everything. On top of everything gone, I would've been sooooo pissed if I had to re-write my personal statement because I wouldn't have emailed it to anyone else yet or saved it anywhere else.

So, procrastination for the win! 

[Deleted]

I put myself on a 15 minute work 5 minute rest work schedule complete with timers and it works really well for me.

[jennistarr1]

Aug 4, 2014 18:30:02 GMT -5 HRH Queen Dick I, Orphan said:

I'll tell you later.

Living up to the name, love it

[cosmos]

Adderall.

[elleblue]

Reformed? No. Lol. Lists help, as does setting a specific and not overwhelming amount of time to work on a task. I doubt it'll ever be "natural" for me though. 

[athena3210]

I'm not reformed, but probably a work in progress.

I've found these techniques helpful:

1. Pomodoro Technique , timer

2. I make lists based on what's urgent or important

3. the "5 am club" How to Wake up Early

[sonrisa]

Aug 4, 2014 18:50:35 GMT -5 persa said:

And I make lists, I just don't do what's on there.

Don't make a list of *everything* you need to do. Just write down the really important, shit-will-hit-the-fan-if-it-isn't-on-time stuff. Or, write it all down and then asterisk the crucial stuff. Then don't sweat the small stuff. If you put off mowing the lawn by a week, so be it.

Somehow seeing a list of all the crap I need to do makes me go crazy, but seeing a list with everything, but only a few things starred and underlined reminds me that no matter what else, that needs to be done now.

Once you cross those big items off, write a new list. Some of the crap on the first list will be done. Some will have lapsed. Some will have become urgent. Some will seem less important and won't make the new list. Some new things will have cropped up. Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good. What you are striving for is getting the important stuff done in time. 

[persa]

Aug 4, 2014 23:28:26 GMT -5 cosmos said:

Adderall.

Tell me about this because sometimes I wonder if there's a component of this. My H suspects there may be.

ETA, the inattentive type, not the hyperactive type.

[persa]

sonrisa, thank you, that's very good advice.

[mellymel]

I find the "touch everything only once" method to be helpful. Like mail. I used to just pile mail on the kitchen counter and then the pile would be like a foot tall and it would take forever to sift through it and take action on each piece of mail (trash, shred, pay bill, or file...).

Now as soon as I get the mail, I take care of each piece. If it needs to be shredded, it goes in the shredder. If it needs to be paid, I pay it (or at least schedule the payment), if it's trash it goes in the trash or recycle bin.

I now try to do the same with emails. Take care of all of them in the day they arrive, if possible.

This method doesn't work for everything but it helps eliminate some clutter and noise that distracts me from other things.

[mcc]

Aug 4, 2014 23:28:26 GMT -5 cosmos said:

Adderall.

Seriously. I went to the dr when I realized that I was having trouble at my job, performance wise, because I couldn't focus. I always thought I had anxiety but it turns out that I only had anxiety because of an endless list of things to do as a result of not being able to focus. I was diagnosed with adult ADHD and out on medication (Vyvanse) that has made a huge difference in my professional and personal life.

[kaybee85]

I'm not exactly reformed, but there are a few instances where I HAD to change.

1. I'm a teacher, so procrastination is a super dangerous problem to have. I'd put off grading essays/homework until the last minute, and then have a giant, overwhelming pile to deal with. I stopped bringing work home and started staying in my classroom until 5pm. I then have a limited time to get stuff done, and depending on what I had to do, I would schedule in a certain amount of stuff I had to complete (grade at least 8 essays, for example).

2. Working out - I now schedule it in as part of my day (I go in the morning, or else it is too easy for me to find an excuse to get out of it).

I also like the timer idea, or just 'scheduling in' a certain item that has to get done so that 'later' isn't an option.

[cc]

Another Adderall person here.

[Deleted]

I had a baby. And then a second one.

I don't have time to procrastinate.

[lizrd7579]

I try and reward myself for getting things done. Like on Saturday mornings, I can sit with a cup of coffee and read/play on my phone, but not until I unload/reload the dishwasher and throw a load of clothes in. At work, I can come on here for a few minutes, but not until I finish xxx task.

[celeste]

I make a daily to do list while I drink my coffee every morning. I try to keep it realistic in terms of what I can accomplish that day so that I don't get overwhelmed by an insurmountable number of things to do. I actually share the list with a friend via a google doc (she makes her list there every day too) so we have some level of accountability to someone other than ourselves. I mean, she really doesn't care if I clean my bathroom on X day, but it helps knowing that someone else will know if I got stuff done or not.

For work-oriented tasks where I need to focus, I use the Pomodoro method and headphones with brown noise.

[lissaholly]

Not reformed, but getting better. Same as @booby- kids have made the consequences a lot more painful.

The best for me is to manage expectations and make a schedule- daily and weekly. There are certain tasks that I do not like doing so I build then up and put everything else on hold until I get them done. So. If I have a set time where I do them, they get done and then I move on. There isn't much to argue with of it is routine I guess.

[ctrlaltdlt]

Aug 4, 2014 18:34:32 GMT -5 intentionalsnarkshark said:

Lots of lists, and I'll sometimes pick the easiest/quickest things on the list to do first so I build some momentum. Getting shit done is pretty addictive once you get going.

I'd say I'm semi-reformed.

sometimes I'll even add things to the list, to cross them right off, in an effort to make myself feel more productive!
 
I've found that if I make a "tomorrow's to dos" list before I stop working for the day (I WFH) I'm able to let it go and enjoy the evening downtime more.  If I think of anything, I can just add to the list- no need to obsess over allllllll the things I need to do, all night long.  I'll get to it tomorrow.

[toepick]

It sounds stupid but I tell myself all day long: "Do it now." If something won't take very long to accomplish, just do it as soon as you see it.

[onomatopoeia]

Aug 4, 2014 18:37:39 GMT -5 jinkies said:

This probably isn't helpful to you, but I've found that I get more things done when I have less time. When I had all te time in the world, I kept thinking I'd have plenty of time to do something "later" and then never did.

Now that I have 2 kids and a job, I have much less free time. I know that I have to either do something immediately when I think of it, or, at minimum, schedule a time to do it.

It's harder for me to procrastinate now that my time is no longer so unscheduled.




Eta-- I see @booby has the same thought.

This is true for me too.  I'm a procrastinator by nature, but the busier I am the more I get done.  I do little things to make it easier on myself - right now I have a bag full of returns in the car so I can stop off at the various stores when it's convenient. It might take me a week, but if I left it at home it would never happen. Like PP's have said, I also don't go for perfect anymore - my bathroom gets wiped down with lysol wipes while I'm supervising the kids having showers and my kids sometimes eat cereal for dinner. 

I also try to follow the "touch it once".  This REALLY helps.

[bittybomb]

Honestly, I just got so sick and tired of feeling behind the 8 ball ALL THE TIME.  So one year (so many years ago) I made it a New Year's Resolution to not put anything off that I could do right away.  And I stuck with it, and it was hard at first, but also really satisfying.  Now I get all anxious when I don't do something right away.

And if the task is really unpleasant, I will do it in phases with breaks built in.  Like if I need to do x project for work, I will get the beginning phase done, then take a 10 or 15 minute break (usually to gbcn) before diving back in to start phase 2.  I started that when I was studying for the bar exam.  When I got to the next section of my notes, I would take a break to fold laundry (lol, but so true) AND watch a show at the same time.