Has anyone managed to defeat the Ba$TaRd that is procrastination?

[flashbac]

Sorry for swearing but it really is a B@$t@r#!

Help!

I often used to joke with one of my friends about our shared procrastination habits. Then she was diagnosed with ADHD and I was like … I don’t actually think I have ADHD but I probably do have some traits. Luckily I work in a very deadline driven job and lots of my colleagues are similarly afflicted so perhaps we have gravitated towards it.

I am an utter bitch to Future Me but always assume that she’s a better woman that I’ll ever me.

I think don't sit down is my mantra 😂

I quite like the Future Me idea. I kind of did that by sorting out my pension and leaving myself skint for the time being. I need to apply it to my body which is swiftly falling apart and I'm not letting that happen.

Write a list of what you need to do (they don't have to be related) then do the quickest easiest things first. I find this then motivates me and gets me into the zone of productivity.

On a work day I will quite often do a quick life admin task like, I don't know, submit a gas meter reading or pay for school meals, doesn't take a lot of enthusiasm to start those tasks and then makes it more likely I will start the meatier work tasks if that makes sense.

Sometimes not knowing where to start is a problem.
Write a list of absolutely everything you should be doing. Then go through and number each one in a category:

1. now
2. today
3. other

Then put your 1 and 2s in order of importance.
Repeat every day!

Yes...I have mentally motivated myself to doing some flat pack...

Later

🤔

A few things I do -

For getting up/dressed/out for run. I literally talk to myself "how did you feel yesterday when you didn't get up? How did you feel that other day when you did? Remember once you're up and showered, you get going so if you can just do that 1 thing. First take off the covers.." etc etc.

For being overwhelmed by "stuff to do" - suggestion up there on list everything and prioritise.

All through deep breaths and master that done is better than perfect.

And a decision made is better than a decision out off. You will know quite quickly (usually) if it's the wrong decision. Again speak to myself "what is the worst that can happen?" And then answer that question. Follow the logic right through and you'll realise that there is always a path.

Also - share the load if you can. Speak to other people, get partner or children involved - "come on help get me out of bed". Phone a friend etc

Good luck!

Currently blitzing the house... very highly motivated by my first visitors in nearly 18m in 2 hours

Heavy metal 8n my earphones. Timer per room 15, 10, 5. Breaks down 30 mins.
Sorted out the clutter mountain in the lounge yesterday with a tabata timer 2mind work, 30s rest where I work out what I'm focusing on next.

I just lack first gear to start in the absence of the second gear downhill start triggered by an external deadline.

My brain laughs at self imposed deadlines

Must crack on before my mojo withers....

I procrastinate so badly I keep wondering if its an actual mental illness.
I've been thinking of talking to a doctor for so long now but I'm too worried I'll just sound stupid or like I'm wasting their time, maybe I'm just really lazy.

It makes my life miserable. Sometimes I feel like I'm frozen and just cannot make myself do what I need to do. It not always even big things or awkward jobs. It's small things like going to bed when I'm tired and I just can't make myself go. I will stay up watching junk or playing on my phone even though I'm not enjoying it but I feel like I can't move.
Or paying a bill when I have the money and just have to do it online and the phone is in my hand but leave it and leave it.

Sometimes I give myself a countdown like a child and sometimes that works and sometimes it doesn't.
I'm wasting so much of my life

@DDIJ

Where do people buy ritalin? I know students use it but I don't know how they would get hold of it.

Does it work straight away though or is it like antidepressants?

Its tempting.

looks up natural ritalin alternatives

You don't need to buy ritalin, if you actually have a diagnosed condition which needs it they give it to you for the prescription charge. Buying it on the black market just makes it harder for people who genuinely need it to get it (as all kinds of controls get imposed - it's bad in America). If you need it, go through your doctor. They can be a bit of an arse about referring but it's not your GP's job to say no you don't have it, you can't have a referral. So you just keep asking for a referral to the clinic. Out of area if necessary.

Stimulant medication for ADHD works immediately. Non stimulant medication needs to build up in the body like antidepressants.

There aren't any non-prescribed alternatives which work anywhere near as well. But a good clinic will refer you for blood/thyroid checks first to rule out any deficiency type cause.

For housework I love the Tidy app. You create your own tasks per room when you set it up and the list is always there and can be ticked off. I used to get stressed about the tasks building up but it's surprisingly easy to do a couple of bits at a time and click them away. That and after a few weeks I started to see the benefit. My house is never immaculate, but I wouldn't be mortified by a visitor popping round now either.

Gah, bloody autocorrect Tody is the name of the app.

@idontlikealdi I’m the same - I seem to need a huge looming deadline, which might even just be a meeting with my boss on my current project, to get me going. But I hate that.

My procrastination is work-related, I can get any life admin done fine. I spend whole days just surfing the internet or playing games on my phone and I know exactly what I’m doing wrong and how I’d feel if I just did my work in the time I’m actually being paid to work but it’s been like this for years.

After reading a bit around the subject, I think my bad habit is linked to the fear of failure - it’s usually work that I’m worried I can’t do (I’m actually in quite a senior role so perhaps it’s linked to imposter syndrome?) but when I was at school I’d do the same with all my exams from GCSEs to degree. Unfortunately for me, I always pulled great grades out of the bag so I’ve never actually failed because of procrastination and learned from that - does that make sense?

The pomodoro app does work if I decide to actually stick to it and not ignore it, but the Flora app is also good as it stops me from picking up my phone. But there’s always the internet on my laptop though… 😖

Aha, you met my middle name. I find it helps to keep a diary (of tasks, not a Bridget Jones one) and transfer over anything not done to the next day...when I remember

Today I got a lot done but I really felt stressed and angry throughout all the time I was doing stuff.
I still have a lot more to do. I have a zoom meeting with friends then a walk with another but trying to fit everything around it is really stressing me out.

No, not yet found a cure!
I am a massive procrastinator. I put everything off and then feel shit about how shit I am at adulting and life.
Mostly I'm overwhelmed by life. The thought of everything that needs to be done hurts my brain.
It applies to all areas of my life including the things I LIKE doing like sewing, reading and crochet. I put off doing those because I don't deserve to because I haven't done the boring stuff like housework.
I have always been like this.
My husband, bless his oh so patient soul, is always trying to help when I spiral into one of my 'there's so much to dooooo and I don't know where to start' heaps.
And I KNOW if I JFDI it'll be done quicker than I think but I just CAN'T!

I've tried lists but then I list everything and that makes me cry.
I set up systems and promise myself, after printing schedules out and making great use of my laminator, that THIS system will be THE ONE and then day one rolls around and I get up all excited about how this will be IT, I will ace this adulting thing and then...........nothing.

I genuinely believe I have ADD or an ASC or both. As a child I was away with the fairies most of the time but the school system was definitely more ASC friendly then plus I was a 'good girl'. I really struggled at uni when there was no one to keep me on track with work etc and frequently pulled all nighters to finish essays. My revision timetables were art works but I struggled to ACTUALLY start.
I used to be a teacher - and a bloody good one too when in front of the glass- but once I had my kids and couldn't stay at school until 7pm I lost the plot, struggled with the admin required and crashed out. I'm now a TA working 121 and devising lessons to support struggling kids 'on the spot' depending on the issue they are having.
My Dad has an ASC, as do both my children. DS is a classic Aspie and DD is, um, complex in her presentation. (The ed psych was fascinated by her)

Right now I should be putting away the shopping. The shopping that I did at 10.30am.........
I also need to do some sewing.
And yet here I am. ON Mumsnet moaning about how much I waste time..........

My shitness at life makes me weep.

I like the working for your future self mindset. I'm going to try and work my bum off for future me.

I'm not a procrastinator but I am very lazy.

When at university I:

Wrote small lists and devised a planner (only allowed 15 minutes to do this)
Did everything in 30 minute chunks
Allocated time to be very
Lazy
Rewarded myself every day when I had stuck to the planner.

I have to trick myself that I'll just do 10 mins of something like making the bed , hoovering, etc. I tell myself I can stop after 10 mins if it's doing my head in. I rarely stop after 10 mins but if i do at least ive mafe the bed. . It's not foolproof but it helps when I'm feeling extra sluggish.

@DumpyDonkey

I'm not a procrastinator but I am very lazy.

When at university I:

Wrote small lists and devised a planner (only allowed 15 minutes to do this)
Did everything in 30 minute chunks
Allocated time to be very
Lazy
Rewarded myself every day when I had stuck to the planner.

I’ve never really used lists or schedules but if I tried this and allocated 30 mins to surf the internet or play a game on my phone, although that sounds like a waste to some, it would be far less than the hours I spend at the moment so might actually work.

I’ll try this tomorrow - thanks :)

Surely starting a MN thread about this is the mother of all ironies?

Yanbu - I’m going to put the phone down and do something immediately after posting!

My ex always used to tell himself “analysis = paralysis” to get his arse into gear... sadly I require more of a large kick up the butt rather than merely saying that!

I'll get round to beating it in a minute or so...