Procrastination? Or maybe it's something else...?

[Aximlli]

Anyone else have a bad case of procrastination here? I do, and it doesn't seem to be getting any better no matter how hard I try to finish stuff, whether it's homework, or chores, or anything really.

Thing is, especially with homework, if I have to do something that I'm not interested in, then I'll spend a lot of time trying to do it, but I won't actually do it while I'm trying to. It's not that I don't want to finish it, it's just that I'm not interested in it. If I've got a project or a piece of artwork that I'm into then I could probably spend day and night just trying to complete it.

Right now, I've got 2 essays and 2 assignments that I need to finish up, which were both due 2 weeks ago. I've sat down to do 'em, I really have, but I can't seem to start or finish them. It's like I have writer's block or something. I read the material and I understand it, but I draw a blank as to what to write, and instead I'll start working on some personal project that I've got laying around.

If anyone has any advice, then please let me know because this is seriously starting to affect my grades now, and it's continuing to become a growing problem with me.


-Aximlli-

[Shawn Hopkins]

God, you too? I've been at work since 1 p.m. and I've accomplished nothing. I've written one news story and the police report, but I've frittered away the day without writing other stuff that I know I'll have to write later. And even the news story I did write, I spent a lot more time posting here. Heck, I'm putting it off right now.

Also, my apartment looks like a particularly nerdy landfill, my utilities are on the edge of being disconnected and I have tons of books, videogames and comics that I've bought but have put off reading. Let's not even get into personal relationships. I've put off e-mailing my best friend for months and my girlfriend is probably mad at me because I haven't called her in while. And while I fancy myself a writer I have two novel concepts that I haven't really gotten started working on yet.

All I can tell you is get a handle on it as soon as you can. It'll only get worse.

[Vermunium]

I'm pretty bad. I've done a good job in the last couple of weeks curbing my really bad procrastination. I finally cleaned my car out today, which I've been meaning to do for the last 6 months. I finally finished a couple of projects up that I've been working on. My only problem is finding a relationship, that's an entirely different topic though.

[Shawn Hopkins]

I'm pretty bad. I've done a good job in the last couple of weeks curbing my really bad procrastination. I finally cleaned my car out today, which I've been meaning to do for the last 6 months. I finally finished a couple of projects up that I've been working on. My only problem is finding a relationship, that's an entirely different topic though.

Man, the back seat of my car looks like a trash barge. Before I got a girlfriend to take places the front seat did, too.

[The Falcon]

best piece of advice? just sit down and do it. if it's a crappy job, then it's a crappy job, because you need to realize that if you're not interested in the project in the first place, then you're never going to give it 110% to make it perfect

by the way, i've been procrastinating on my comic book project for 3 years now. i win

[Captain Highwind]

best piece of advice? just sit down and do it. if it's a crappy job, then it's a crappy job, because you need to realize that if you're not interested in the project in the first place, then you're never going to give it 110% to make it perfect

by the way, i've been procrastinating on my comic book project for 3 years now. i win

Agreed. If you've worked on it awhile and have a good chunk of it completed, chances are you're more encouraged to finish it.

Most of the time with me is that I want to make it perfect. And then I never start something because it becomes too intimidating.

I'm not saying, "do a crappy job," but just keep at it until there's something to work with. Then it's easier to manage.

[Kagetsu]

A solid structure is your only hope. Make a time that something must be started, and stick to regular. I procrastinate constantly, yet I'm obsessive about doing something that is stuck in my head till I figure it out. I'm always running plans in my mind then never do them. They have pills for that now don't they? :sweat:

[purplehairedwonder]

I'm also having a bad problem with this. I have 3 big papers due in the next several weeks plus another project and tests not to mention softball every day. I've been so busy that when I get a few minutes to sit down and actually do some work, I don't want to. But I've also been putting off watching some anime I've been trying to keep up with and haven't updated any of my fanfics since December... and that's usually what I do to procrastinate. I think I'm in some kind of rut.
I procrastinate constantly, yet I'm obsessive about doing something that is stuck in my head till I figure it out. I'm always running plans in my mind then never do them.
Ditto.

[Vermunium]

Man, the back seat of my car looks like a trash barge. Before I got a girlfriend to take places the front seat did, too.

My entire car did until today, and I have friends to verify. Just ask Chad Lee about the Goldfish.

[Zubby]

Yeah, procrastination effects me too.
I'll tell you about it later.

[Ishtar]

I procrastinate to an extent. I don't like to do my HW till later at night, I don't do essay assignments untill the day before they are due, and I hardly ever study for tests or quizes. The thing is I really don't want to do school work after being in school for 7 hours straight. I need to relax and enjoy myself for a while.

[Frank Castle]

I put things off way too much. I'm trying to work on it but it's a habit that's really hard to break. A lot of times I have to set little goals for myself just to get stuff done.

[Kury Wagner]

I'm horrible with procrastination. I have focus issues, naturally, but recently, it's been even worse for personal reasons. If I get just the smallest amount of work done, I'm ecstatic. It's progress, right? Bleh. It took me a long time to be okay with just doing a little bit. Before that I'd beat myself up over not doing what I need to. But that was even worse, because I wouldn't even *try* to be productive.

When something really needs to be done, I'll work deals with myself. "If you 'blah and blah' done, you can go on TZ and check your inbox." Hah. I'm pleased easily. =P

[KuwabaraTheMan]

Oh god, I'm awful. I never get anything done, even when I absolutely guarantee I will. And then, there's my focus. And that's been even worse lately.:D

So basically, I never get anything done. But it's my goal to graduate from College without remembering doing any work, so...so far, so good.

[BonyT]

Sorry; I was going reply to this thread earlier, but I kept putting it off ... ;)

Seriously though, The Falcon's right. Believe me, as a chronic procrastinator myself I fully realize how mightily this sucks, but the uncongenial truth is that the only real solution I've ever found is simply to buckle down and force yourself to work on the assignment.

... And for what it's worth, I have to tell you from my own sad experience that if you let this particular bad habit keep growing, the regret later is much more painful -- and lasting -- than facing the unpleasant assignments now.

[Michael24]

I usually don't experience procrastination, but occasionally I slip up and do.

But how's this for procrastination? I shot a short film in November 2004 and I've yet to begin editing. (Though, technically, I did start in January '05, but a computer malfunction wiped out the scene I was working on, and I've yet to import the footage again and start over.) Part of the reason, I discovered, is because I need more RAM for my computer, but I can just never seem to get around to buying it, even when I have the money and instead buy things like DVDs and CDs.

[Mr. Manager]

I procrastinate waaaay too often. I don't start projects until a few days before they're due, I don't do homework 'til about 5 or 6, and I don't make up for some work until last minute. Yet... I still end up doing well.

[Juu-kuchi]

I procrastinate a bit too often myself, however I did hand in an essay that I've been hacking away on for the past two weeks, which left my Thursday particularly open for me to do things instead of churning out a last minute product.

But then comes the next one that's due next Wednesday. I've focused so much on the other one but not this. Eh, I'll eventually learn how to handle these kinds of essays.

[ChuckRoast]

I procrastinated nearly my whole time at college. It's amazing that I even graduated. :sweat:

I also had a cartoon I've been working on since 1996. I hadn't touch it in almost a year. I hope to get back to work on that.

I think I'm getting lazier every year. I was better at not waiting the last minute to do work when I was in high school.

[Master Moron]

Anyone else have a bad case of procrastination here? I do, and it doesn't seem to be getting any better no matter how hard I try to finish stuff, whether it's homework, or chores, or anything really.

Thing is, especially with homework, if I have to do something that I'm not interested in, then I'll spend a lot of time trying to do it, but I won't actually do it while I'm trying to. It's not that I don't want to finish it, it's just that I'm not interested in it. If I've got a project or a piece of artwork that I'm into then I could probably spend day and night just trying to complete it.

Right now, I've got 2 essays and 2 assignments that I need to finish up, which were both due 2 weeks ago. I've sat down to do 'em, I really have, but I can't seem to start or finish them. It's like I have writer's block or something. I read the material and I understand it, but I draw a blank as to what to write, and instead I'll start working on some personal project that I've got laying around.

If anyone has any advice, then please let me know because this is seriously starting to affect my grades now, and it's continuing to become a growing problem with me.


-Aximlli-

I find it best to just start writing something even if you know it's crap. I mean, sometimes I just can't think of the right way to word what I'm thinking, and I find myself staring at a blank screen for a long time, so I just try to get rid of that blank screen by writing something. I can always come back and fix it later, but as long as I have something written down I have a place to start and come back to. Plus, usually after I've started writing, the ideas begin to flow.

By the way, when I first read your post, I kind of assumed that you were in high school, just because of the fact that you're allowed to turn in a paper two weeks late. But, it seems clear from your age that you're in college. Do college professors really let you turn in papers that late? I mean, I know some college professors will let you have an extension under certain circumstances, but I have to say your professors must be extremely generous if they're giving you a two weeks extension when you haven't even started the papers.

[Aximlli]

By the way, when I first read your post, I kind of assumed that you were in high school, just because of the fact that you're allowed to turn in a paper two weeks late. But, it seems clear from your age that you're in college. Do college professors really let you turn in papers that late? I mean, I know some college professors will let you have an extension under certain circumstances, but I have to say your professors must be extremely generous if they're giving you a two weeks extension when you haven't even started the papers.
Yeah, I'm in college, and no, they aren't exactly being generous. They have a rule here that if you hand in something late then you're marked as the following: 1 Week late = 10% off, 2 Weeks later = 20%, 3 Weeks late = 30%, and if you hand it in any later then you get 0. There's also the thing that I'd rather turn in something bad and late, rather than nothing at all. I'd rather get whatever marks I can get out of it.

I've got one paper and one assignment finished, but it took me all night trying to finish them. It's incredibly frustrating because I was never this bad in Highschool. I always finished things on time. This is my 4th year in college and things have been slowly slumping ever since I started. I'll remember your advice and try to give it a better shot. It's not like I have much of a choice anyways, I have to get the work done somehow.


-Aximlli-