Thread: Stop procrastinating now!

To start, by the end of tonight (let's say by midnight, in 5 1/2 hours) I'm going to read at least 3 sections of my Operating Systems textbook.

I spend my life procrastinating. I'll do this.
Spend an hour studying for drivers permit test I'm taking tomorrow.
Meditate for an hour. All before I go to sleep tonight.
edit: start doing this shit by 9:30

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Stop procrastinating?! But... I'm so good at it!!



Ok, today was somewhat of a failure. I wanted to:

Buy new boots for work (-5)
Clean the bathroom (-5)
Sweep/mop the floor (-4? I swept but did not mop)
Finish my taxes (-5)
Rearrange some furniture (+1)
Complete school work for one class (+1)

I still need to go grocery shopping, do some dishes, take a shower, and wipe down the counter tops. It's 12:15am. I still have time; I want to be in bed no later than 3am, ideally 2am. But I'm currently sitting at -17 for the day, it seems.

^You didn't see this thread before though and didn't write down your goals in it, so I wouldn't say it counts and you're still at 0. Also, are you setting your expectations too high? That list sounds like quite a lot to expect yourself to get done in a day.

I thought that I wasn't going to get my studying done, as I got depressed and didn't feel like doing anything. But I did get it done just now, with a lot of resistance. I don't think I wouldn't have done it if it weren't for this thread, so at least it's working for me. +1 points for me!

I don't know if the points system will work or not. It's really harsh, and is a lot easier to lose points than to win them. But that was sort of what I had in mind. It makes it more like a game, so it isn't easy and people will actually feel accomplished if they get a higher number. So many points are taken away if you fail, I thought that might give people more motivation to succeed. But maybe it will do the opposite and demotivate people if they keep failing.

I guess -1 I didn't even start till 10:30 because I went for a walk and I thought the walk would be about 30 minutes but it ended up being over an hour. But still got it all done, but I only meditated for about 30 minutes before I went to sleep.

Read 10.1 - 10.3 of my textbook. - In the next 2 hours

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I failed, didn't get it done. I procrastinated for the first hour and only did one section.
-5 points. That brings me to -4 points.

So, same goal, I'll read the last 2 sections in 1 hour. No procrastinating this time! I'm just going to make some tea then start reading. I'm having an unusual difficulty concentrating.

This is a neat idea! I definitely need to do something like this, so I suppose I'll set up some goals....

Finish my Speech paper by 9 AM tomorrow.
Research for my Government debate by 9:30 AM tomorrow, even though it looks like I'll probably be dropping that class....

Instead of actually taking the time to read the thread and play the game, I think I'll take the advice in the thread's title directly and go do some more practice exams.

Study the suit of wands and swords before I go to bed tonight.

Start figuring out a few songs on the piano by midnight on April 15th.

I did what I said I'd do (15 minutes overdue but I'll count it), so +1 points, bringing me to -3 points.

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I just woke up at 11am, very early for me. I've had a terrible habit of, not only waking up late, but not really starting my day until like 2-5 hours after waking up. I'll typically lie in bed for an hour before actually getting out of bed and going on the computer. That's the stage I'm at now. Then I'll check stuff on the internet for maybe an hour. By the time I get upstairs and eat breakfast it's usually 1-2pm, and by the time I've taken my walk it's 3 or 4 pm. Then, I procrastinate some more for a couple hours. At the worst, that stage never ends until I sleep. Today though, I need to get things done, so I'm going to make 'not' doing all of the above a goal.

I'll say I need to be out on my walk by 12:15 (in 1 hour), 12 if I don't take a shower.

-----------

I did this. Total of -2 points.

Give the people I rent from, my extra mailbox key (because I had to call a locksmith...) Time limit: This week sometime whenever I have time to go do it.

This "-1 point if you failed to accomplish your goal within the time limit, but you tried as hard as you could."
Should be +1 and the the +1 one should be +2.

Effort is just as important as results. So it shouldn't be -1 if you were a little late but tried as hard as you could.

Originally Posted by tommo

This "-1 point if you failed to accomplish your goal within the time limit, but you tried as hard as you could."
Should be +1 and the the +1 one should be +2.

Effort is just as important as results. So it shouldn't be -1 if you were a little late but tried as hard as you could.

No.

Well, I failed my driver's permit test by one question, so I plan to study for at least an hour tomorrow to take it again. Other than that I want to finish the chapter I'm on and the next chapter in the medical book I'm reading. Meditate tonight for an hour before I go to sleep and tomorrow for an hour.

Originally Posted by tommo

Effort is just as important as results. So it shouldn't be -1 if you were a little late but tried as hard as you could.

The only reason I made it a negative number was so that people would make sure they set realistic goals for themselves. If someone tries to get a lot done in too short a time, they're always going to fail, even if they try hard. Positive points would only promote that behavior. But maybe that isn't as big of a deal as the point you brought up, idk.

I want to have a shower and make dinner before 19.00 (~an hour from now)

edit: Got it done. +1 points
In fact I even shaved and started with the laundry. I know these are all minor tasks, but I could easily procrastinate to the point where I don't get it done at all.

Originally Posted by saltyseedog

No.

Yes.

I don't think I like this game, too much negative reinforcement. I understand setting realistic goals, but positive reinforcement is also important. I never complete anything on time, which is a skill I'd like to do better at. But if I tried to do it this way, I'll be at -50 before I get anything done.

Originally Posted by Dianeva

^You didn't see this thread before though and didn't write down your goals in it, so I wouldn't say it counts and you're still at 0. Also, are you setting your expectations too high? That list sounds like quite a lot to expect yourself to get done in a day.

Yea, I tend to procrastinate far too long on things and just tell myself, "I'll do it all this weekend." So, I'll try to be more realistic. This weekend (preferably on Saturday), I will:

Buy boots
Clean the floors
Complete school work for one class

I guess I should add taxes to that too... I finished federal and local taxes, but the damn state tax website tells me my name and social security number is invalid. Guess I have to call it in; not that I owe anything anyway; just a waste of time.

Ugh, should have made the points more positive, can't edit the OP now. :/ Sorry for making them so negative, maybe this thread would have been better if there was a bit more reward for doing things right. How about just:

+2 points if you get it done.
+1 points if you don't get it done in time but tried your best.
-2 points if you don't get it done due to procrastination.

????????

I need to pack. It's midnight and I'm leaving tomorrow, and I haven't even started packing or doing anything else I need to do. I've been procrastinating talking on Skype for the last 3 hours. I'll make a list here:

1) Get all the proof I'll need for Customs in a folder, together, ready to hand to them, in the next 20 minutes.
2) Pack everything I need to pack in the next two hours.
3) Clean my room a bit so that my parents don't have too much to do before sleeping.

well according to the new point system. I had +1 but now I have -2 so it makes it = -1
I didn't finish reading and studying what I wanted to but I did read a little bit. Meditated last night not a whole hour I don't think though, but tonight I will meditate.

I got one of those things done but not the other two yet. I'm too tired. Just going to sleep and hope I can rush to get it finished in the morning. If that new system is being used I'm at 0 points right now.

Originally Posted by Dianeva

I got one of those things done but not the other two yet. I'm too tired. Just going to sleep and hope I can rush to get it finished in the morning. If that new system is being used I'm at 0 points right now.

Sounds good Dianeva. Maybe PM a mod to fix it?

As for me, I've got to finish the laundry by 14.00