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Comment by kitd | Hacker News Reader

Agreed.

I have found myself paralysed by procrastination at times (normally when whatever project I'm currently on has lost its initial zing).

My strategy has become: Just do one task today, that's all. Doesn't matter how small. Leave the office feeling like you've done something productive.

My thought process then becomes, OK, let's do my one task early then I can browse Reddit/HN/wherever.

And of course, what happens is that that one task gives the ball its initial push, and becomes 2 tasks, or 3, or more.

It doesn't always work, but it helps take the expectations and guilt off yourself, and gives you space to breathe.

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I toyed with this feeling. Not to repeat the dopamine theory we see everywhere.. but it feels that most of the web really ends up in the low hanging easy pleasure of our brain, and any moment of struggle will tickle that reflex. And when you ignore/fight it for a second... You (at least I) can sense blood pressure change in my brain and then the thinking side of my head goes back into rhythm again. Thinking is a pleasure too, but it's requires a bit of patience.

Can relate to that ”moment of struggle”. Thinking about stopping the use of any dev tools that don’t have instant feedback, as having to wait a few seconds for something (currently deploying to google app engine mostly) makes me instantly alt-tab to reddit.

A feeling I know far too well. Anxiety I suppose.

It also works for food crave btw..

I've been finding this browser extension very useful: https://prodtodolist.com/

It will block the time waster websites you configure and will block them for you until you've ticked off the list. It's simple but effective for catching that mindless ctrl+t -> reddit reflex.

This deserves attention as a well-made, easy-to-use and productivity-increasing little tool. Really cool.

I use: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/stayfocusd/laankej...

Trivial inconveniences are huge. For years, I could not get myself to floss. I had no problem with the brushing habit. So then I tried using those floss-picks instead of the reel. Bam, flossing rate went from about once a month to every other day.

It doesn't always work, but at least you've done the one task. That's one thing you can tick off the to-do list, regardless of how productive your day has been otherwise.

As a lifelong realist (= pessimist) this is one of those things I struggle with too.

It reminds me of William McRaven quote: "If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed... If you make your bed every morning, you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do another task and another and another. And by the end of the day, that one task completed, will have turned into many tasks completed. Making your bed will also reinforce the fact that the little things in life matter. If you can't do the little things right, you'll never be able to do the big things right. And if by chance you have a miserable day, you will come home to a bed that is made, that you made. And a made bed gives you encouragement that tomorrow will be better."

I know its not the point of the quote, but I can't believe I'm the only one who feels less comfortable in a made bed. Tightly tucked sheets feel so constricting.

I don't even understand how anyone would like it.

For me, "made bed" just means re-aligning the sheets/blankets/pillows so that nothing is tangled or crumpled up, but never any extra nonfunctional things (no tucking, no tiny decorative cylinder pillows that no one ever uses, etc.)

I hit a really hard wall when trying to learn for school for things I already understood.

It was very frustrating time because knew exactly that I wanna do it. Like I like doing something like it and saw clear benefits doing it.

I tried everything from the procrastinator handbook.

Ritalin helped immediately

Atomic Habits[0] is a great book on this topic.

[0] - https://www.amazon.com/Atomic-Habits-Proven-Build-Break-eboo...

> My strategy has become: Just do one task today, that's all. Doesn't matter how small. Leave the office feeling like you've done something productive.

I feel like this is just a way to make yourself feel better about doing basically nothing. Before you implemented this, were you really at risk of spending an entire day doing absolutely nothing productive whatsoever?

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