Psych help: Why am I such a lazy procrastinator?

[Electric Mayhem 35]

Are some people just born as "type A" personalities and go-go-go all the time? Is it in my genetic makeup? Or did I learn along the lines of my life that I could get away with doing things at the last minute?

 

I'd like to not be such a lazy fock... I wonder if those motivational books would do the trick. Hmmm.

[phillybear 365]

I'd like to not be such a lazy fock... I wonder if those motivational books would do the trick. Hmmm.

 

You would probably wait for the books to come out in paperback. Then wait to see if it was made into a movie. Finally, you'd wait for a sequel or three before committing to anything.

 

[parrot 789]

I could help you with this, but I don't really feel like it right now. Maybe tomorrow.

[cbfalcon 824]

I'm the same way. Big time lazy.

 

I am developing theories that it's because I've always been talented enough to get by on minimal effort. Never had to study in high school or college. Never have had to push myself in the work place and I still get my job done faster than most.

 

End result is that skating by has become part of my internal culture and may be holding me back from reaching for loftier goals.

 

It sucks. Gets me depressed sometimes but I'm doing fine in life so I don't bother changing anything.

[Blitzen 0]

Get married. HTH.

[Electric Mayhem 35]

Get married. HTH.

 

I want self motivation. Not nagging.

[jocstrap 8]

Because there is always tomorrow. I'm not lazy, just a procrastinator - - as long as it gets done before the deadline there is no problem.

[[zombie] 0]

it's just the way geniuses (or, as i like to say: geniusi) like is work best.

 

celebrate it!

 

[naomi 347]

I'm the same way. Big time lazy.

 

I am developing theories that it's because I've always been talented enough to get by on minimal effort. Never had to study in high school or college. Never have had to push myself in the work place and I still get my job done faster than most.

 

End result is that skating by has become part of my internal culture and may be holding me back from reaching for loftier goals.

 

It sucks. Gets me depressed sometimes but I'm doing fine in life so I don't bother changing anything.

This is how I feel sometimes and I hope it ends soon. I don't want to miss out on taking steps now that can never be taken again.

 

Some stuff I've had to go through lately has sort of 'charged' me up, a relative about to pass, a friend who's been through a lot (as a soldier and otherwise) and is driven to really live now and thinks I need to too, a professor who's offered significant connections.

 

then there's the motivation from above that I'm sure EM would hate to hear about

 

As contradictory as it is, there could be an element of fear of realising some things won't come easy, but since a lot can, you kinda limit yourself to that broad easy zone. At least I do sometimes.

[wiffleball 4,661]

There's a pretty good school of thought that links 'laziness' , procrastination with depression. You don't have to be sad to be depressed. (Why do I think I'll get nailed for that?) If it really bugs you, you might look into some low dose anti-D's, give it a few months and see if it works for you.

[Electric Mayhem 35]

' date='Feb 13 2007, 02:32 PM' post='3009807']

it's just the way geniuses (or, as i like to say: geniusi) like is work best.

 

celebrate it!

 

 

 

[itsbigmoni 1]

I'm a big time procrastinator also. During an 8th grade graduation speech i read a quote that stated "Procastination is like a credit card, its fun until you get the bill." At the end of the speech my last line was, so starting tomorrow i'll stop procastinating. Who would've thought that tomorrow has yet to come. My biggest problem is with school. I'll be crusing along in my classes with A's and B's and for inexplainable reason i'll just stop going to class.

 

This semester i tried a new approach and i've found the results to be interesting. Before i would wait till the last minute to finish up my sh1t and turn it in. Now i do it as soon as possible. When i get stuff done earlier, i feel "satisfied." Its weird but it motivates me to do even better. I always thought i should do one thing at a time when it comes to improving my life but this time i tried changing everything. I started keeping my room/car clean, hitting the gym, eating healthy, working harder during school, and all that other good stuff. It leaves me with a packed day from 7 am to 10 pm but i am happier and feel great. I wouldn't say i was depressed before, but there was always something ni the back of my mind that was bothering me. Now my life is running more smoothly since i'm doing so much more.

[kutulu 1,559]

U R A POS HTH

[naomi 347]

I'm a big time procrastinator also. During an 8th grade graduation speech i read a quote that stated "Procastination is like a credit card, its fun until you get the bill." At the end of the speech my last line was, so starting tomorrow i'll stop procastinating. Who would've thought that tomorrow has yet to come. My biggest problem is with school. I'll be crusing along in my classes with A's and B's and for inexplainable reason i'll just stop going to class.

 

This semester i tried a new approach and i've found the results to be interesting. Before i would wait till the last minute to finish up my sh1t and turn it in. Now i do it as soon as possible. When i get stuff done earlier, i feel "satisfied." Its weird but it motivates me to do even better. I always thought i should do one thing at a time when it comes to improving my life but this time i tried changing everything. I started keeping my room/car clean, hitting the gym, eating healthy, working harder during school, and all that other good stuff. It leaves me with a packed day from 7 am to 10 pm but i am happier and feel great. I wouldn't say i was depressed before, but there was always something ni the back of my mind that was bothering me. Now my life is running more smoothly since i'm doing so much more.

 

That last paragraph makes it sound like tommorow has come. That was kinda inspirational

[Yer mom 2]

Are some people just born as "type A" personalities and go-go-go all the time? Is it in my genetic makeup? Or did I learn along the lines of my life that I could get away with doing things at the last minute?

 

I'd like to not be such a lazy fock... I wonder if those motivational books would do the trick. Hmmm.

 

 

Is it work thats draggin you down? If you dont love what your doing its hard to get up and go. In which case I would suggest exploring a new career or....dude, seeing an occupational hypnotherapist. Also try less morning masturbation, no boom boom before big day.

[ADD1CT36 1]

i dont know but your xmas gift is in the mail. coming fedex. now THATs procrastination for you

 

sorry

[Electric Mayhem 35]

I'm a big time procrastinator also. During an 8th grade graduation speech i read a quote that stated "Procastination is like a credit card, its fun until you get the bill." At the end of the speech my last line was, so starting tomorrow i'll stop procastinating. Who would've thought that tomorrow has yet to come. My biggest problem is with school. I'll be crusing along in my classes with A's and B's and for inexplainable reason i'll just stop going to class.

 

This semester i tried a new approach and i've found the results to be interesting. Before i would wait till the last minute to finish up my sh1t and turn it in. Now i do it as soon as possible. When i get stuff done earlier, i feel "satisfied." Its weird but it motivates me to do even better. I always thought i should do one thing at a time when it comes to improving my life but this time i tried changing everything. I started keeping my room/car clean, hitting the gym, eating healthy, working harder during school, and all that other good stuff. It leaves me with a packed day from 7 am to 10 pm but i am happier and feel great. I wouldn't say i was depressed before, but there was always something ni the back of my mind that was bothering me. Now my life is running more smoothly since i'm doing so much more.

 

I've had days like this. I get up early and well rested, have a productive day at work, go to the gym, come home and clean/do laundry, practice guitar, maybe some reading and go to bed feeling like I've accomplished something.

 

Then the next day I feel tired and 'snooze bar' my way through the entire day.

 

I really have thought about it and I've narrowed it down to a few things that could be contributing:

 

1) Amount of sleep I get has to be right on. Too much and I'm groggy, too little and I'm tired. A problem surrounding this seems to be that if I DO get the perfect amount of sleep - I feel great all day to the point that I'm up late not feeling tired and it throws me off for the rest of the week. Therefore this only occurs once in a while, maybe once every 6 weeks or so.

 

2) Something in my diet. Don't know what, but I bet it if I find the right things to eat I won't feel laggy/unmotivated. Probably something to do with sugar. i could do a case study on myself and track exactly what I'm eating, but I'm too lazy for that.

 

3) Some brain chemical thing that I may or may not have control over. Most of my family has self diagnosed 'adult ADD' which my Mom/sister love to blame for their bad habits (I REFUSE to do so). I bet if I took some type of Prozac meds it would even me out but fock that - I think I can get the same result from finding the right combo of food or something. That and I'm scared as to what side effects that crap has - I picture something along the lines of Donald Sutherland's character at the end of Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

[itsbigmoni 1]

Contrary to what a lot of people believe, simple sugars, like those found in soda, chocalate, and other junk food, actually make you sleepy after a short energy boost. Fruit sugars are the way to go.

[wiffleball 4,661]

I've had days like this. I get up early and well rested, have a productive day at work, go to the gym, come home and clean/do laundry, practice guitar, maybe some reading and go to bed feeling like I've accomplished something.

 

Then the next day I feel tired and 'snooze bar' my way through the entire day.

 

I really have thought about it and I've narrowed it down to a few things that could be contributing:

 

1) Amount of sleep I get has to be right on. Too much and I'm groggy, too little and I'm tired. A problem surrounding this seems to be that if I DO get the perfect amount of sleep - I feel great all day to the point that I'm up late not feeling tired and it throws me off for the rest of the week. Therefore this only occurs once in a while, maybe once every 6 weeks or so.

 

2) Something in my diet. Don't know what, but I bet it if I find the right things to eat I won't feel laggy/unmotivated. Probably something to do with sugar. i could do a case study on myself and track exactly what I'm eating, but I'm too lazy for that.

 

3) Some brain chemical thing that I may or may not have control over. Most of my family has self diagnosed 'adult ADD' which my Mom/sister love to blame for their bad habits (I REFUSE to do so). I bet if I took some type of Prozac meds it would even me out but fock that - I think I can get the same result from finding the right combo of food or something. That and I'm scared as to what side effects that crap has - I picture something along the lines of Donald Sutherland's character at the end of Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

 

 

You might try cutting back on complex carbs. I did Fatkins for a while and I noticed the increase in energy immediately.

 

If nothing works, you should think about the lo-dose anti-D's.

[itsbigmoni 1]

You might try cutting back on complex carbs. I did Fatkins for a while and I noticed the increase in energy immediately.

 

If nothing works, you should think about the lo-dose anti-D's.

 

Funny how minutes apart he gets two complete opposite responses. Complex carbs are not bad for you. An apple is more effective in the morning to wake you up than coffee is. Coffee will give you a "buzz" or whatever you wanna call it, but eating an apple will put food in your stomach and get your system going. Most people feel an energy depletion when they are on atkins.

 

I don't want to make this thread all about nutrition because his question can't be answered by food alone.

 

You say you feel accomplished some days and you feel great and then you end up sleeping later and it focks you up for the next day. I know its easier said than done but just force yourself to go to sleep. Go to bed 30 minutes earlier than usual to give yourself extra time to fall asleep. Do some cardio(not before bed but during the day) and make it so your body is so tired it HAS to sleep. Milk has some enzyme or something that when heated will put you to sleep. Get some milk, warm it up, add a lil bit of sugar and drink up. If all that fails, nothing gets me sleepier than rubbin one out. Thats my failsafe method right there.

 

Obviously change is it easy for anyone, and its all that much harder for a procastinator, but you ahve to look at it as a "lifestyle" change. Set some goals. Daily, weekly, monthy goals. When you reach them it fels great. I'm giving up alcohol till i get to a certain wait(taking a time out for this weekend when i go to vegas) and while its challenging, i think it'll make attaining the goal even better.

[BudBro 123]

i would say you're unchallenged or underappreciated by those from whom you are wanting acceptance or approval.

[Yer mom 2]

i would say you're unchallenged or underappreciated by those from whom you are wanting acceptance or approval.

 

 

His mom has told him several times that hes special!

[Electric Mayhem 35]

i would say you're unchallenged or underappreciated by those from whom you are wanting acceptance or approval.

 

Unchallenged? Perhaps. I do work best and feel better under an important deadline. But if I were constantly under that kind of pressure I tihnk I would get worn out.

 

I atcually think my job of choice would be one of those PR guys that they call when the sh1t hits the fan.

[BudBro 123]

monster.com, man. do it now!

[Electric Mayhem 35]

monster.com, man. do it now!

 

Fock that. I have a great job that I ain't leaving unless they can me.

[IGotWorms 3,396]

Unchallenged? Perhaps. I do work best and feel better under an important deadline. But if I were constantly under that kind of pressure I tihnk I would get worn out.

 

I atcually think my job of choice would be one of those PR guys that they call when the sh1t hits the fan.

 

 

Thats my dream job too! Basically like The Wolf in Pulp Fiction, only (hopefully) without the violent crime.

[jerryskids 5,305]

I'm the same way. Big time lazy.

 

I am developing theories that it's because I've always been talented enough to get by on minimal effort. Never had to study in high school or college. Never have had to push myself in the work place and I still get my job done faster than most.

 

End result is that skating by has become part of my internal culture and may be holding me back from reaching for loftier goals.

 

It sucks. Gets me depressed sometimes but I'm doing fine in life so I don't bother changing anything.

This is so like me it is scary.

 

I make a lot of money and have done so even when the tech industry was going down, so I've never left. My company has had "rightsizing" over the last 5-ish years. The job I did went from 22 to 6, yet somehow I kept making the cut. It got to the point where my wife and I were hoping they'd finally lay me off so I'd be compelled to find something else. This year seemed to finally be the one; my team from last year didn't want me and I had no position in January. But NOOOO... the company likes me too much, so they created a req and a position just for me. Oh, and gave me a bump in base pay... you all know how much time I waste here, so you can attest to my worthlessness.

 

It is a curse, I swear.

[Groundhog 24]

The reason you procrastinate is because you have no clear goals of what it is you're trying to accomplish. I read somewhere that a lot of really successful people have one thing in common: they all keep lists of goals - literally, they write them down and cross them off once achieved.

 

Take out a sheet of paper, write down 5 goals on it of things you want to accomplish in 2007 and stick it to the refrigerator door with a magnet. Every time you reach for that half-eaten slice of pizza at 11 AM on Saturday morning you will think about your lazy-assish-ness and change your ways.

[Cdub100 3,434]

I'll come up with a better reply to this topic tomorrow.

[CurlyNight's Ghost 0]

I've had days like this. I get up early and well rested, have a productive day at work, go to the gym, come home and clean/do laundry, practice guitar, maybe some reading and go to bed feeling like I've accomplished something.

 

Then the next day I feel tired and 'snooze bar' my way through the entire day.

 

I really have thought about it and I've narrowed it down to a few things that could be contributing:

 

1) Amount of sleep I get has to be right on. Too much and I'm groggy, too little and I'm tired. A problem surrounding this seems to be that if I DO get the perfect amount of sleep - I feel great all day to the point that I'm up late not feeling tired and it throws me off for the rest of the week. Therefore this only occurs once in a while, maybe once every 6 weeks or so.

 

2) Something in my diet. Don't know what, but I bet it if I find the right things to eat I won't feel laggy/unmotivated. Probably something to do with sugar. i could do a case study on myself and track exactly what I'm eating, but I'm too lazy for that.

 

3) Some brain chemical thing that I may or may not have control over. Most of my family has self diagnosed 'adult ADD' which my Mom/sister love to blame for their bad habits (I REFUSE to do so). I bet if I took some type of Prozac meds it would even me out but fock that - I think I can get the same result from finding the right combo of food or something. That and I'm scared as to what side effects that crap has - I picture something along the lines of Donald Sutherland's character at the end of Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

It sounded like positive steps being taken until reading this!

[p.man 7]

The reason you procrastinate is because you have no clear goals of what it is you're trying to accomplish. I read somewhere that a lot of really successful people have one thing in common: they all keep lists of goals - literally, they write them down and cross them off once achieved.

 

Take out a sheet of paper, write down 5 goals on it of things you want to accomplish in 2007 and stick it to the refrigerator door with a magnet. Every time you reach for that half-eaten slice of pizza at 11 AM on Saturday morning you will think about your lazy-assish-ness and change your ways.

 

You're right on target.

 

I'm in network marketing and I do have goals written down everywhere. In my car, on my refridge, in my bathroom, and just about everywhere else.

 

I have learned how to become bigger and bigger by being a role model and by staying self motivated.

Success is mental - If you make things happen anything is possible. I'm only 41 and I have built a business that has expanded nationally.

 

When you write down your goals just make sure that you write them in an "Affirmed way".

Example. I am a Millionaire by Jan 1st 2008. I will lose 30 lbs by June 1st. I am a nice person.

Stuff like that.

 

Just write them down and be specific. You should Visualize them and even tell others about them.

7 Steps.

1.Write it down.

2.Be Specific.

3. Affirmed in a positive way.

4.Have a completion date. If it doesn't get accomplished, set a new date. It's ok.

5.Visualize them.

6.Tell others.

7.Must be backed with a definite plan.

 

You'll see it when you beleive it.

You'll beleive it when you write it.

When you write it, it's yours.

 

Remember 1 thing..

Money isn't everything, but it does rank right up there with oxygen.

 

Good Luck!