Serious procrastination problem

LegacyUser

in fact the only reason I'm posting this thread is to avoid doing the work that needs to be handed in tomorrow. I've been off since 11am this morning and had all day to do it, it's now 9pm and i still haven't started. That's 10 hours of pure procrastination (boards forms a large part of my procrastination routine). The things i keep coming up with to "do quickly before i start studying" are just amazingly dumb when i look back at them.
I know everyone says "it's easy, just do the work", but it seems like an impossible mountain to get over. Despite the fact that i know if i only spent a few hours at it, i'd have the rest of the day off I still can't bring myself to do it. Even when i do start I end up starting my attention will drift off and i'll soon realise I've been sitting there for half an hour and have written about 3 lines.
I don't think it's adhd though, as i once took some ritalin (off label) thinking it was. It made me feel really motivated, but i just couldn't translate this motivation into college work. I cleaned my room, tied up various loose ends and did everything on my "to-do list", but i still couldn't bring myself to sit down and study.

I suppose it doesn't help that i'm in a course i don't care about, well more importantly, i don't care about any course really. I have my heart set on a creative career (one which i've been working really hard at for years and all my friends tell me i'm really good) and tbh i couldn't care less if i graduate or not (and also there's no way i'm prepared to do the amount of study required to get through my final year).
I actually love the course i'm in, i really do. I find it interesting and my attention in lectures is actually quite good. It's just when I'm left on my own with work to do and i know i could be doing something much more rewarding is when it really gets hard.
But at the same time I don't want to leave college as I don't want to miss out on the social aspect of it and am terrified i'd find myself with no friends.
I'll be up at 6am tommorow to do this assignment, which i'll probably start around 9 and then realise that's not enough time and give up. I'll check back to see if i get any helpful responses. Although i doubt anyone can help me. The advice I've gotten from googled sites has been so dumb (i.e just do the work) that it makes me want to punch the idiot who wrote it in the head. ffs that's like telling someone with depression to just cheer up.
Anyway, suprise me.

cafecolour

I'm a pathological procrastinator. TBH, the fact that you make it to class, and that you work hard at the creative pursuit you're interested in makes you far better than me!

Occasionally I'd just kick into panic mode near the end and bang something out (usually I'd kick into panic mode too late, bang half of something out, and end up turning it in late and being penalized).

Two tricks that sometimes worked for me:

1) Give myself nothing to do but the work. First I'd get myself out of the flat and go somewhere else - library is good, but a bar or late night cafe work well, almost better. There's too many distractions at home, plus if I'm somewhere where there are people about, I'm too embarrassed to just stare off into space, and will likely attempt to do something.

If you can turn in something hand written or have time to retype, just bring a notebook and pen. If you have to bring the laptop - delete all the games on it (even solitaire). And go somewhere with no wifi. If everywhere has wifi - delete your web browser. Seriously, I've done it multiple times - basically I save an installer for the web browser to a usb key, delete it from the computer, and reinstall it when things are done.

2) Don't attempt to work from the beginning. If I'm doing a paper, I often will start daydreaming about it first, and will often end up with a random bit from the middle. If I get that down, it often starts the flow. If it's research paper (ie I'm quoting other sources), I'll start by just thumbing through the books and typing in random quotes (and their citations). It's easy to do because it's rote, and then with something there I'll start rearranging and filling in the gaps. You can fill up a lot of a paper with quotations!

That was long, and may not be any help, but I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!

PS Ritalin didn't help for me either, it just me waste time more energetically

mikemac

Ah, been there, done that
My attendence in college was so poor that Tipperary North VEC stopped my college grant
I had to go into them to plead for it to continue!

And yet, every year I'd promise myself it'd improve. Never did. Now I could pull a all nighter on red bull and walk into an exam and get a good score.
But it wasn't ideal
And here I am in my 20's with professional exams in December and ne'er a tap done yet

Back to you OP, you certainly aren't alone and probably quite intelligent if you can hand up work with minimal hours spent on it.
But it's not ideal and no lecturer can help with this.

Either:

1. Get angry! A secondary school teacher humiliated me once in front my 6th year and I got an A1 just to shove in his face
2. Get inspired, your lecturers can't help you, go see the college counsellor.

Heilixc

You are just a lazy git! I blame your parents. My children are trained to work and they soon sufferif they do not. You should give up your course and get a job and stop wasting your time and your parents money.

shellyboo

Heilixc wrote: »

You are just a lazy git! I blame your parents. My children are trained to work and they soon sufferif they do not. You should give up your course and get a job and stop wasting your time and your parents money.

He didn't say anything about his parents supporting him through college, I don't know why you're assuming he's wasting their money.

OP, the advice above is great - remove all distractions and leave yourself with no other option. Forget about starting at the start, sometimes I find it helps me to think about the END of an assignment, how I want it to turn out and conclude, and that gives me the motivation to start it. Once you get a flow going, it's easy.

Xiney

Heilixc infracted - please read the charter before posting again.