Motivation & discipline needed! Has anyone got any going spare, please?

[Whatliesbeneath707]

It's bank holiday Monday and I need to sit down and start a 5000 word essay. I have all the material/papers I need to read, but I just can't get myself together to start to write it? 😕

What are your top tips for things like this please? Any little ways to start & keep going?

I feel like I'm going to be loking for distractions every 5 minutes. (Just realised one right there - I must not be on MN all day checking for responses) 🙃

Can anyone give me a pep talk, please?

What would be a reasonable amount of words to write today? What should I realistically aim for?

Any motivational mind tricks or hacks that you can recommend?

I feel this post could be my way of holding myself accountable.

Why oh why do we sign up for these things?

Thanks.

You are punishing yourself by not doing it. Think how good it will feel when you have achieved a days worth of writing.

Oh, fighting talk @coodawoodashooda I love it 👊
You are 100% right - I am punishing myself each day that I mess about & don't do it! Good way to look at it - thank you.
Right, I'm off down stairs to fire up the laptop.

Tell yourself you are going to work for 45 minutes and then have a 15 minute break with a treat. Then another 45 minutes. Don’t worry about starting writing at the beginning - just get some ideas down.

Just say out loud to yourself,
'Stop pissing about, I have to get this started, and I have to get this done'

x10.
Then say it out loud each time your mind or you wanders off. Like a mantra.

Hth!

I also have things to do. It is 8.30. Lets both come back here at 9.30 and report on progress. I'm stepping away from Mumsnet and making a start right now! You too, off you go!

Chatgpt?

Eugh I feel you. I find that the best thing to do is set out a list of headings and maybe some bullet points for the whole thing and then start working through it. I managed 3000 words yesterday and feel so much better about it today. I got into bed with my laptop and a packet of biscuits, put some music on and just went for it. You have to find what works for you though, just get it out the way.

Bullet point and you'll probably find you start developing some of them. Then it's a case of join the dots and suddenly you have 1000 words. You don't have the terror of the blank screen anymore.

Ps: Don't read MN right now 😁

I feel your pain, I have a 2500
word essay to start, I have been putting it off. It won't be getting started today, though, as off out with the kids. When I can't find the motivation to start writing I find just sitting down for a short session, getting my document ready, maybe handwriting a few ideas makes me feel like I've made a bit of progress and more motivated for the next study session. Good luck!

how are you doingOP? I've made a great start! now got to carry on

Hi @Nimbostratus100 fantastic that you've made a great start - well done.
I too have got started and feel a bit clearer with where I'm heading with it. I'm trying to break it down into subsections & almost just 'answer the question' from there.
I've realised today that my crappy menopausal brain fog is really making this much harder. I've read lots of papers but I can't retain the information. It's really thrown me. I'm having to re read & write about it directly, rather than formulating my thoughts at the end of a batch of reading. I did a course about 5 yrs ago & was able to read extensively and then just sit down and write. Not so easy now.
I'm making a mental note to not take on something like this again! 🙃

I feel you!
My last uni assignment was painful!
I watched all series of the Crown (amazing) de cluttered the house, took up embroidery! Wtf ? and started c25k, all whilst torturing myself, with the grey cloud of assignment hanging over my head!
I knew what I should be doing, but it was like I had a fear of starting incase I couldn't actually do it 🤦‍♀️
Don't do what I did and go into panic mode 7 days before, submit a load of shit and pass by the skin of your teeth, you'll be disappointed.
Do better! 😆
On the bright side, I now run regularly and have a few shit embroidering efforts to hang on the wall, house has become cluttered again though 🤷‍♀️

Brilliant @overfeckinstimulated - you are an inspiration to us all 😆 That's exactly the sort of things I would do.
I'm at that stage of convincing myself that just getting a pass will feel like a lottery win!
The dark cloud hanging over me is a good description!
Like everything though, there are always some benefits & yours must be the running & embroidery!
I think mine will be the freedom of weekends & the realisation that this is possibly my last academic course that relates to work! Never again! 🙃