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Procrastination - It Debilitates Me - How Do I Overcome

AllbuddhaBoundAllbuddhaBound Veteran
in Diet & Habits
One area of my life that definitely makes it difficult to do well, is my procrastination. It creates a number of problems in my life, from not paying taxes to not picking up after myself. I never found a problem I could not put off. Not picking up after myself I believe, has placed me in the pre-hoarder stage, and I understand how a person can slide over into hoarder habits. Does anyone have any advice?

Comments

  • BonsaiDougBonsaiDoug Simply, on the path. Veteran
    I personally know of no "magic bullet." For me, it's recognizing the problem, realizing the suffering it's causing, and simply putting one foot in front of the other to move forward.

    I wish there was another, easier answer.
    MaryAnneGlass
  • howhow Veteran Veteran
    edited November 2013
    @allbuddhaBound
    Sometimes I think that the only thing that I've learned in Zen is how to be a practice instead of mentally wallowing about it.
    The image is like having a room that needs cleaning where you can pick up the broom and start sweeping or you can endlessly ruminate over all the possible ways of cleaning the room. The former choice gets the room cleaned where the latter just imagines it.

    Instead of just safely living in our brains, one can start giving equal value to our physicality as a practice.
    Let the the brain tag along along for reference information but give activity equal access to the steering wheel and gas pedal.

    VastmindGlassNamadaRosiePosie
  • MaryAnneMaryAnne Veteran
    ^^ I agree. There is no easier answer.

    make up your mind, and just do it.
  • ZeroZero Veteran
    AllbuddhaBound said:


    I never found a problem I could not put off.
    Does anyone have any advice?

    What are you doing when you're not doing the things you put off?
    VastmindAllbuddhaBound
  • HamsakaHamsaka goosewhisperer Polishing the 'just so' Veteran
    I'm just beginning to put the pieces together, fwiw . . . another deeply entrenched procrastinator here.

    Aversion; the best friend of craving. Try exploring 'aversion', even just intellectually as a concept at first, and then encourage more personal reflections to arise in contemplating how aversion shows itself in your life.

    This is/was a personal approach of mine, and I have an analytic streak that hopefully will be better tamed in service of seeking Truth. It was a roadway into a lifelong puzzling, frustrating tendency.

    Procrastination's "condition" is aversion, and the Buddha's teachings address this directly.

    Gassho
    LG
  • anatamananataman Who needs a title? Where am I? Veteran
    fwiw? please inform me of this acronyms meaning. 'Forward with intense weariness'?????
  • MaryAnneMaryAnne Veteran
    ^^ fwiw = For What It's Worth
  • anatamananataman Who needs a title? Where am I? Veteran
    Thank you
  • fivebellsfivebells Veteran
    It really depends on what motivates the procrastination. You need to study its causes and conditions, and establish healthy conditions for productivity. Feelings of shame could easily be one cause.
    AllbuddhaBoundGlass
  • lobsterlobster Crusty Veteran
    Procrastination - It Debilitates Me - How Do I Overcome
    You meditate and procrastinate ending until enlightened. Don't do something, just sit there.
    :buck:

    . . . you are not really a procrastinator at all are you?
    Glass
  • AllbuddhaBoundAllbuddhaBound Veteran
    lobster said:

    Procrastination - It Debilitates Me - How Do I Overcome
    You meditate and procrastinate ending until enlightened. Don't do something, just sit there.
    :buck:

    . . . you are not really a procrastinator at all are you?

    Yes, I really am....

    Glass
  • AllbuddhaBoundAllbuddhaBound Veteran



    What are you doing when you're not doing the things you put off?

    Doing things like computer, tv, buying things. Sometimes eating. I see what five bells is saying. I feel ashamed a bout the things I do rather than solve this problem.

  • hermitwinhermitwin Veteran
    Dont think of it as procrastination, bcos it is not.
    You are just doing something else.
    Stop feeling guilty.
    AllbuddhaBound said:

    One area of my life that definitely makes it difficult to do well, is my procrastination. It creates a number of problems in my life, from not paying taxes to not picking up after myself. I never found a problem I could not put off. Not picking up after myself I believe, has placed me in the pre-hoarder stage, and I understand how a person can slide over into hoarder habits. Does anyone have any advice?

  • robotrobot Veteran
    AllbuddhaBound said:



    lobster said:

    Procrastination - It Debilitates Me - How Do I Overcome
    You meditate and procrastinate ending until enlightened. Don't do something, just sit there.
    :buck:

    . . . you are not really a procrastinator at all are you?
    Yes, I really am....



    If your place is always a mess, you are not a procrastinator so much as you are lazy. Some people have a high tolerance for mess and chaos. How long does it take to do your dishes? Five, maybe ten minutes. Or to write a cheque.
    Maybe set up automatic bill payments on your bank account.
  • VastmindVastmind Memphis, TN Veteran
    edited November 2013
    AllbuddhaBound said:

    One area of my life that definitely makes it difficult to do well, is my procrastination. It creates a number of problems in my life, from not paying taxes to not picking up after myself. I never found a problem I could not put off. Not picking up after myself I believe, has placed me in the pre-hoarder stage, and I understand how a person can slide over into hoarder habits. Does anyone have any advice?

    Advice?...... Yeah, pay your taxes. If you don't...procrastination is going to
    be the least of your worries.
    Don't make excuses for not taking care of
    business....or cleaning up. Your life will reflect the neglect your giving
    it. If you need help...get it.

  • lobsterlobster Crusty Veteran
    Doing things like computer, tv, buying things. Sometimes eating.
    So you can always find things to do. What you are really asking is how do I do what I don't want to do?

    I guess we practice. For example thing on floor, put away, bin or glue to ceiling. You don't want to do any of that? Why? I should imagine there is less suffering associated with a lack of discipline. I am trying to have sympathy for you. Nope just to lazy . . . can not be bothered . . . gosh it's catching . . . :crazy:
  • GlassGlass New
    This is similar to my problem. I can't organize my thoughts. I don't live by any routine. And, in fact, my daughter's teachers have all told me throughout her 15 years she needs routine. I actually started meditating because I can't concentrate. Wait....how'd this get to be about me? I guess I'm very interested in how you will go about making changes.
  • AllbuddhaBoundAllbuddhaBound Veteran
    Yeah, I guess it is laziness. But the thing is, at work, I am the hardest worker in the place, by far. Way more productive than anyone else. So I buy lazy in some ways, but not in every way.
  • vinlynvinlyn Colorado...for now Veteran
    When I was still working as a principal, I sometimes procrastinated. So each morning I made of list of things that should be accomplished that day. They were prioritized, but I allowed myself to adjust the order in which I tackled things. Seeing it in writing helped me, because I knew if I procrastinated the item would end up on the next day's list and I would begin getting bogged down.
  • pommesetorangespommesetoranges Explorer
    Perfect decisions made with maximum efficiency are just an illusion.

    Stop the chatter and take some action instead of waiting for a day, when you will turn into the ideal, well-organized you.

    Every task, no matter how complex and overwhelming, can be separated into small actions. Start with the fist step and go from there.
    lobster
  • pommesetorangespommesetoranges Explorer
    Perfect decisions made with maximum efficiency are just an illusion.

    Stop the chatter and take some action instead of waiting for a day, when you will turn into the ideal, well-organized you.

    Every task, no matter how complex and overwhelming, can be separated into small actions. Start with the fist step and go from there I say to myself every single time I feel a little bit lazy.
  • poptartpoptart Veteran
    The trick is to find the fun in everything you have to do.
  • banned_crabbanned_crab Veteran
    When you feel like you want to do something else just visualize a boring aspect of that thing you want to do. Just concentrate on an aspect that is completely unappealing, in your vision picture your self feeling unsatisfied by it. This helps me resist wanting to do other stuff.
  • SabreSabre Veteran
    I have had times like these, but breaking the pattern is not as hard as you think.

    I think certain forms of chronic procrastination can have to do with some sadness and/or lack of energy in our lives. It can also be a bit of a downward spiral: because you're not energetic, you procrastinate, which makes you even less happy and/or less energetic. But when I'm happy, I'm energetic. When I'm energetic, it's easy to start things.

    So if this is the case, you need to break the spiral. And I think I agree with others here that there is no single way of doing it. One thing though, don't wait for motivation. Things don't always start with motivation. Just start doing things without motivation.

    Making a list of things to do helps for me, breaking them up in tinier parts. Also imagining doing them can help and also, thinking I'm doing things for others, not just myself. And meditation helps, because in meditation the mind can gather energy and happiness.
    lobster
  • VastmindVastmind Memphis, TN Veteran
    edited November 2013
    AllbuddhaBound said:

    Yeah, I guess it is laziness. But the thing is, at work, I am the hardest worker in the place, by far. Way more productive than anyone else. So I buy lazy in some ways, but not in every way.

    'Yeah...but'...... We can give you all the advice..but we can't do it for
    you. I can't eat for you. I can't nap for you. Your the 'hardest' worker
    at work...but your side life is falling apart? You have to get serious
    about the changes you complain about. No one can do everything
    alone...get help. Good Luck.
    MaryAnne
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