Need Some Advice To Overcome Procrastination (At a High Level)

[Orion]

I'm with Reapy on this one. I've literally got a back-log of calculus homework that extends back a couple of months. It's due this coming Monday, and I'll sit down and do it all in a few sessions tomorrow. I know I don't get a large volume of homework, relatively speaking, and calculus for me isn't too terribly difficult. I know it won't take me more than a few hours, so it's safe for me to do it the day before. Our last test is on Monday, so it will pay for me to have the material fresh in my mind from the day before. For me, it's actually better time management because I don't have to spend time between homework and the test to study the material again. That last-minute homework spree serves as a review.

That's just for me, though. If you procrastinate like I do but your grades aren't where you want them, that's when you know you need to change your habits. If you want to start small, do your work two days ahead of time instead of just one. It's just a day's difference, then you can sleep on it & check it the next day to make sure it's all right. That may be all it takes to improve a letter grade.

 

[Anthropoid]

Simple: Stop all gaming. Stop all forum surfing. Stop all TV watching.

Should cure you.

Back in the day (before internet admittedly) when I realized I was a terrible procrastinator and needed to finish grad school, that is basically what I did. For TEN YEARS no games, no TV and effectively no other form of entertainment except sex and athletics. I finished my Ph.D.

But then eventually, the lure of procrastination returned and here I am again . . .

 

[CJ1145]

Anthro's method is self destructive in most cases. You can't just cut out what you love, you just need to learn to balance it and work. I find a good method is if you travel a lot, have someone else drive and you use that otherwise useless time to finish your work. I've gotten entire finals tests done on plane flights I would usually spend asleep.

 

[Anthropoid]

Anthro's method is self destructive in most cases. You can't just cut out what you love, you just need to learn to balance it and work. . . .

That is true, it could prove to be self-destructive. Certainly has in my case! 

 

[Hietala]

Step 1: Smash your computer, and throw the bits into a fire.
Step 2: Start studying.
Step 3: Become a doctor/lawyer/engineer/whatever you're studying for.
Step 4: ????
Step 5: Profit!

 

[Anthropoid]

There are a couple more steps past number five though . . .

Step 6: realize you are a miserable workaholic git without a 'life' who has jumped through every hoop just to be a 'success'
Step 7: realize that, despite whatever measure of 'success' you have achieved, you are highly unlikely to ever really achieve fame, wealth, glory or to have a following of smoking hot groupies or anything of the sort . . .
Step 8: experience existential middle-aged angst
Step 9: proceed miserably onward toward old-age and obscurity, engaging in whatever pathetic compensation mechanisms you engage in to maintain homeostasis

 

[theAthenian]

Congratulations! You stated what the quitter's way is. You could also curl up in a corner and die, could fix things

 

[Anthropoid]

Congratulations! You stated what the quitter's way is. You could also curl up in a corner and die, could fix things

Fair enough, and true to a large extent.

You've basically got two choices: quit and commit a self-destructive gambit; work your ass off like a real douche bag and commit an alternate self-destructive gambit. Holding your resources in strategic reserve by procrastinating is only really 'useful' for a period of time.

 

[K-64]

Because only douchebags want to make something of themselves, right?

 

[theAthenian]

Congratulations! You stated what the quitter's way is. You could also curl up in a corner and die, could fix things

Fair enough, and true to a large extent.

Hahaha, okay

Have fun doing that.

 

[Mage246]

He reminds me of the guy in this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAYL5H46QnQ

He's not a part of your system!

 

[Tibertus]

Success without happiness is misery. Happiness without success will turn into misery. All hobbies require you to make some money to continue doing them, even if it's just enough money to continue living. If what you really love is video games, and you put a ****load of time into them and work just enough to support your gaming habits, good on you. Don't expect to be very well respected, though. If respect is something that concerns you, maybe gaming is not your only passion and there is something greater for you to do with your life that you haven't discovered yet. What I'm getting at is once you find the thing that you love and are willing to work a respectable job to support, you'll be a lot happier. For some people it's their family, for others, it's sports. One thing is certain, your true passions in life will change and if you stay in your comfort zone and don't go out of your way to find new passions as you grow, you can't be happy. You may be content, but not truly happy. 

I think this is a problem with a lot of people now, they get into the passion of media (video games, movies, music) while at a young age, and it's a comfort zone for them and they never grow out of it. It leads to procrastination when these people then don't truly have a passion for it any more and thus have little motivation to finish their schooling, work, training, etc. I'm not saying video games are bad, just that they won't be the only passion for a maturing individual. Who knows, maybe hang-gliding is something you can be passionate about, but you never found out. Find new passions, have a reason to make money, and you'll stop procrastinating.

 

[Mage246]

You can make more money gaming than you can hang-gliding.

 

[Tibertus]

Moron, I never said you can always make money doing the things you have a passion for, just that if you continue to find new interests so that you'll have more incentive to not procrastinate with your actual work.

 

[Mage246]

Moron, you said passion for media like it's a bad thing. You can make a career out of that media, easily.

 

[Tibertus]

Most people that like video games never make a career out of it because they don't have the skills necessary. They just want to play games. They play games and don't do anything else. I'm saying go do something else as well.

 

[MousePad]

http://i.imgur.com/K6oRu.jpg

 

[Anthropoid]

http://i.imgur.com/K6oRu.jpg

Giggle. I like how the loser silhouette has some stubble and the "coulda been" is in a suit.

 

[FrisianDude]

The 'loser' might also be wearing a suit and the other guy might be emstubbled as well.

http://i.imgur.com/K6oRu.jpg

What twaddle. If only because there is not 'a' person you could have been.

 

[theAthenian]

It counts if you live a pretentious lie.