(Untitled)

[eleryth]

I'm noting a cycle in my productivity. If I have a very productive day, the day (and maybe a few days after) after tends not to be. For some reason, I let the motivation slide. I'm thinking there are many possibilities for this:

I feel I need a 'reward' day so I do nothing

I am tired (physically and/or mentally) from being productive and need a

Comments

[cobalt_00]

I find that if I have an unproductive day, the next day is that much harder to get anything done. I get panicky - I didn't do anything yesterday, what's wrong with me, I'm so awful, I'll never finish... and I get SO panicky that I can't get moving. And then it loops.
If I have a productive day, the sill is that much lower to having a productive day the next day. If I have a real chain of good days, then I feel okay to take a day and slack a little... and then I get panicky. Productivity or bust, I guess.
I find that I need lists. If I can cross one little thing off of a list each day, I have concrete evidence that I Have Done Something Useful. And that helps. The trick is writing things down, because otherwise I kinda don't feel I get credit for them. And I tend to discount some things as not counting because they're routine - even though they take up time and effort.
My best guess would be to cut out internet until you've accomplished a number of goals. It eliminates a hell of a distraction.

[kusanivy]

I'm like that too - I'll have two or three really great days (sometimes 4 or 5!) and then I reward myself with a "rest" and then find it incredibly hard to get going again - and then I mentally beat myself up for being lazy - "come on you did it just a week ago, what's so hard about getting up and working now

[eleryth]

The curse of "busy" procrastinating! I do that, too. "I'll just clean the spare room first. Or do dishes. Or sort my mp3s. Or write down all the books I've read lately, or the movies we have on the shelf..."

I think I may type up a card with questions so that I can really try to analyze why I'm procrastinating. It maybe sort of be a way in itself, but if I can find a trend about the things I put off, or note how I got myself moving again, it could be useful.

[kusanivy]

I used to do that a lot in Toronto. With limited amounts of time off I'd feel compelled to do the dishes, or the laundry, or clean the bathroom instead of working on my art because I felt it was the more "grown up"thing to do.

And I'd feel like I'd accomplished something in the short term but it meant that I was eventually completely miserable.

[randomyst]

Productivity, for me, is dependent on whether things actually need to get done and their deadline or urgency. I don't need to do stuff just for the sake of doing it and feeling productive, you know? I do what's needed, what's necessary, what's important and veg out the rest of the time completely guilt-free. This is probably not helpful at all. lol

[mints4friends]

^^^ this. Very similar for me. I tend to structure my productivity around deadlines; these are what motivate me. I do find it tougher to get motivated about things like, say, scrubbing the kitchen, though, because there's no requirement or due date (unless company is coming). :P

[eleryth]

Yeah, it's a lot of the things that don't have real deadlines, like costumes, or cleaning, or writing... I try to make some (as I work better with them in general), but self-imposed deadlines don't work for me since I know they're flexible.

Alas! I think it's just a thing to deal with. The lack of productivity now does, however, make me wonder if I'll do anything other than get out of bed once I'm pregnant & have kids to look after. o.O I don't know how those caregivers get anything done during the day (at least while the kids are home!).