Me but change “write” for “programming” and lab for generic “job”. I know this subreddit… It’s for what it is but I felt identified in some way…

People procrastinate for many different reasons, so you’ll end up trying all sorts of advice that may or may not work or it may only work sometimes. The two most common issues come down to either: A) You’re feeling stressed or anxious and need to relieve yourself from responsibilities, or B) Your mind has fallen into an “it’s not urgent enough, so putting too much effort right now isn’t worth it” fallacy. Overcoming both requires proper management of your emotions, but some people have it so bad in the first category that “managing their emotions” isn’t doable without large changes in their life, such as changing your job or your household dynamics.

When you’re on the second category, it’s best to cultivate an attitude of “these are my goals for today, so I’m going to actively manage the activities that kick off my dopamine”, but what’s the proper way of doing that depends on the person and their situation. Some people may find it very difficult to get started in the day without a little bit of pleasure, and some will find that having a little bit of pleasure first will not allow them to focus later on, because their mind craves for more. You should also find the proper balance between valuing sheer effort and achievements. If you’re satisfied with effort for effort’s sake, you may not focus as much as you might otherwise could (you’re just putting in your hours after all), but only accepting achievements as the measure of a proper work session will leave you demotivated when the challenge was harder than you had initially gauged.

removedht