I want to stop procrastinating.

Calibron · Post by **Calibron** » Wed Dec 01, 2010 7:42 am

Oh, yes, I know. I wasn't trying to imply they're a panacea, just that it's stupid to try to overextend yourself with them as opposed to boosting your normal capacity; of course one must be careful of addiction and side effects one may be prone to

K · Post by K » Wed Dec 01, 2010 7:58 am

Calibron wrote:Oh, yes, I know. I wasn't trying to imply they're a panacea, just that it's stupid to try to overextend yourself with them as opposed to boosting your normal capacity; of course one must be careful of addiction and side effects one may be prone to

Addiction is a problem with all stims. Even caffeine.

The Lunatic Fringe · Post by **The Lunatic Fringe** » Wed Dec 01, 2010 9:44 am

Calibron wrote:Oh, yes, I know. I wasn't trying to imply they're a panacea, just that it's stupid to try to overextend yourself with them as opposed to boosting your normal capacity; of course one must be careful of addiction and side effects one may be prone to

And state-dependent learning.

Maj · Post by **Maj** » Wed Dec 01, 2010 10:51 am

K wrote:Setting little rewards for myself helps. So I might say "OK, I'll watch Chuck after I get this bit of work done."

That was Ess choice of reward Monday.

Vnonymous · Post by **Vnonymous** » Wed Dec 01, 2010 11:01 am

I'm procrastinating right now, actually.

PhoneLobster · Post by **PhoneLobster** » Wed Dec 01, 2010 11:19 am

Leaving projects to the last minute is something programmed into us by a dysfunctional educational system.

You spend a life time in schools being given "home work" projects that are simultaneously inane, unnecessary and also significantly easier to complete than the often rather large time frames we are given to complete them in.

When you have a project that you KNOW you don't want to do, won't learn from, and could complete 30 times over in the alloted time that's just a recipe for pushing it to the last minute.

What I prefer to do is to leave it to the "responsible last minute". Whatever you do do NOT set, or even consider "several occasions you could have done it".

Plan in advance to do it at the last minute. Don't leave it to the "if anything goes wrong at the last minute and it takes a second longer I am doomed last minute" but DO leave it to the "last minute I can leave it to and still have a small but appropriate amount of additional time in case of any emergency/surprise".

You set, and consider only that ONE reasonable and responsible time to complete the unwanted project. You effectively do what should have been done in the first place, allocate a duration to the project that it deserves, no more, and importantly no less.

If you miss your ONE deadline that's it, no project. But you what you will do is not casually one at a time incrementally skip deadlines till you miss it entirely, you will in advance allocate all that stress the project is causing you to a SINGLE "crisis point" at a reasonable time and if that's not enough well... then clearly you didn't actually want to do the project enough at all now did you>

ubernoob · Post by **ubernoob** » Wed Dec 01, 2010 1:32 pm

violence in the media · Wed Dec 01, 2010 1:46 pm

Maj wrote:
K wrote:Setting little rewards for myself helps. So I might say "OK, I'll watch Chuck after I get this bit of work done."
That was Ess choice of reward Monday.

My wife loves that show. I usually wind up watching it after the season is over and she buys the DVDs.

On the stimulants, how much caffeine is too much? I mean, I generally drink 32-64 oz. of coffee per day, but its not like I get jittery or hyperactive.

RobbyPants · Post by **RobbyPants** » Wed Dec 01, 2010 2:55 pm

ubernoob wrote:Caffeine, I've actually phased out of my life largely. Caffeine addiction is a bitch. Yes, I say that while being a smoker. At least smoking is a social thing.

You know what else is social? Talking.

In all seriousness, I do agree with the caffeine thing. I'd drink a large coffee each day at work, about 24 oz of iced tea, and then maybe some pop and more iced tea on top of that later in the day. It wasn't a problem until I didn't have coffee on Saturday morning and got a bad headache. I realized this happened every time I didn't have coffee.

Since, I've switched to half-caff coffee and decaf iced tea. I'm trying to limit pop consumption in general.

violence in the media wrote:On the stimulants, how much caffeine is too much? I mean, I generally drink 32-64 oz. of coffee per day, but its not like I get jittery or hyperactive.

Well, try skipping it one day and see how you feel.

Calibron · Post by **Calibron** » Wed Dec 01, 2010 3:11 pm

K wrote:Addiction is a problem with all stims. Even caffeine.

Yes, I know. It's one of the reasons I don't take any drugs on a regular basis. Soda and coffee are a rarity, cigarettes are once or twice a week thing, energy pills only erratically.

The Lunatic Fringe wrote:And state-dependent learning.

Assuming you meant state-of-being rather than state-government, then that is actually a very good point, but I suppose it ties into what I just said about not taking anything on a regular basis; taking non-prescribed drugs all the time just to deal with procrastination is jumping straight from the frying pan into the fire. My advice concerning stims or amphetamines, spelled out in a more concrete and less obtuse manner, is to use them as an aid if you really need to get into gear, but stick to using Pavlovian psychology tricks on yourself for the most part.

violence in the media wrote:On the stimulants, how much caffeine is too much? I mean, I generally drink 32-64 oz. of coffee per day, but its not like I get jittery or hyperactive.

I'd have to say that amount isn't that big a deal in most cases, yours included, the per day part is more likely to be a problem; I advise not using any substances just to keep yourself going at nominal everyday, 'sept, of course, if they're taken to deal with a inherent disorder in the body.

Also, now that I think about it, that is a lot of coffee; your high end could almost fill a 2 liter soda bottle.

Zinegata · Post by **Zinegata** » Thu Dec 02, 2010 2:27 am

Rejoinder to previous statement: Obviously, if you have a known medical condition then drugs are okay.

name_here · Post by **name_here** » Thu Dec 02, 2010 2:59 am

I don't seem to have much in the way of addiction problems with Ritalin, but side-effects are an issue. Mostly, it makes me want to punch people whenever the noise level exceeds 100 decibels. Then again, I used to want to do that anyway.

For Valor · Post by **For Valor** » Thu Dec 02, 2010 7:35 am

ubernoob wrote:On stimulants: I have hardcore ADD, and still dislike taking my meds due to the side effects (being up 36 hours straight, having trouble eating, sometimes just being a douche for no reason). The meds do work to get shit done though, so confining myself to one medicated burst is pretty fucking ideal. Caffeine, I've actually phased out of my life largely. Caffeine addiction is a bitch. Yes, I say that while being a smoker. At least smoking is a social thing.

emphasis mine.

My thought process:
"Uber? Being a douche? Nawwwwwww" /sarcasm
"Oh, for no reason. Well, poor homebrew... that's not really a reason."
"I guess I'll give him half and half."

ubernoob · Post by **ubernoob** » Thu Dec 02, 2010 7:48 am

Count Arioch the 28th · Thu Dec 02, 2010 9:11 pm

ubernoob wrote:There are plenty of times I'm a douche with a reason.

Every time I've been a douche I've had a reason. I have ironclad reasons for everything I've ever done. Now, convincing other people you have a good reason for being a douche? Much harder; these days I don't even try to explain it.