Motivation vs Procrastination
Just set one day’s work in front of the last day’s work. That’s the way it comes out. And that’s the only way it does.
— John Steinbeck
The Ju/’hoansi, for example, were often content to spontaneously take a day off from foraging simply because they didn’t feel like it. Even if they were hungry, they knew that putting off the food quest for a day would not have any serious ramifications. For farmers, by contrast, taking a day off just because they need a rest is rarely an option.
... See moreJames Suzman • Work
The limitations we’re trying to avoid when we engage in this self-defeating sort of procrastination frequently don’t have anything to do with how much we’ll be able to get done in the time available; usually, it’s a matter of worrying that we won’t have the talent to produce work of sufficient quality, or that others won’t respond to it as we’d
... See moreOliver Burkeman • Four Thousand Weeks
Creativity requires connecting the dots, and connecting the dots requires allowing time for my subconscious to consolidate my ideas and make associations. This means that, from time to time, I need to just stare out the window and do nothing.
This doesn’t feel productive, even though it is.
This doesn’t feel productive, even though it is.
Ozan Varol • You’re doing better than you think. Here’s why. - Ozan Varol
Putting challenging timeboxes on projects in a healthy environment can lead to serious innovation and creativity. Doing the same with impossible timeboxes in a toxic environment will lead to all of the bad things that you expect.
James Stanier • Parkinson's Law: It's Real, So Use It
Adding time pressure in a healthy helps getting shit down.
Neurowissenschaftler haben mittlerweile gezeigt, dass bei chronischen Prokrastinierern tatsächlich eine veränderte Hirnaktivität im präfrontalen Kortex – dem Bereich für Selbstkontrolle und Planung – messbar ist. Das macht Prokrastination zu einem neurobiologischen und nicht nur zu einem Willensproblem.
Ronja von Rönne • Prokrastination: Dieser Text Hätte Vor Knapp Zwei Jahren Erscheinen Sollen | ZEIT ONLINE
Reframe non-productive time. One of the reasons the exploration phase of the work is low value is that most of it doesn’t look like work. It’s lots of reading, and sitting and thinking, and doodling, and trying things that lead to dead ends. Non-productive time feels like a waste—but it doesn’t have to! One way to think about this kind of time is
... See moreDan Shipper • Why You're Not Doing Creative Work
Non-productive is often framed wrongly so
Projects that don't have deadlines imposed on them, even if they are self-imposed, will take a lot longer than they need to, and may suffer from feature creep and scope bloat.
By setting challenging deadlines you will actually get better results. It's all about manipulating the Iron Triangle of scope, resources, and time.
James Stanier • Parkinson's Law: It's Real, So Use It
Regaining focus
The main thing I realized recently is how lost my mind has become. I stopped meditating, I stopped reading books, and I'm consuming an unhealthy amount of news. The worst part of all this is that I’m painfully aware of all this happening. I’m mindful enough to notice the inner workings of my mind going to shit but not mindful enough... See more
The main thing I realized recently is how lost my mind has become. I stopped meditating, I stopped reading books, and I'm consuming an unhealthy amount of news. The worst part of all this is that I’m painfully aware of all this happening. I’m mindful enough to notice the inner workings of my mind going to shit but not mindful enough... See more
Regaining focus – Manu
This resonates strongly these days.