Motivation vs Procrastination
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
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 fourth one is that procrastinators tell themselves that succeeding at a task requires that they feel like doing it; and, fifth, is entertaining the false idea that working when not in the mood is somehow suboptimal—that it’s best to wait till the lightning of inspiration strikes before motivating ourselves to stop procrastinating.
Sharon Salzberg • Real Happiness at Work
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.
Procrastinators often follow exactly the wrong tack. They try to minimize their commitments, assuming that if they have only a few things to do, they will quit procrastinating and get them done. But this goes contrary to the basic nature of the procrastinator and destroys his most important source of motivation. The few tasks on his list will be by
... See moreJohn Perry • Structured Procrastination
As fellow teacher Stephanie Nash is fond of saying, “A good meditation is one you did—the only bad meditation is one you didn’t do.” Take her wise advice to heart.
Culadasa John Yates • The Mind Illuminated - A Complete Meditation Guide Integrating Buddhist Wisdom and Brain Science
Deadlines really help human beings get things done. The only way that I've written books is because I set myself a challenging, but not impossible, schedule with the publisher. This contract of external accountability keeps the fire going through the long slog, and it forces me to make clear-cut decisions about what to include, what to leave out,
... See moreJames Stanier • Parkinson's Law: It's Real, So Use It
Without a proper game plan, procrastination kicks in, and we often choose the most leisurely and most dopamine-satisfying activities over work.