I’m experimenting with the following method:
I know exactly what I do to avoid working gaming, youtube). I could literally waste a whole day in one sitting switching between csgo and random youtube videos.
I know doing that will get me nowhere.
I know doing the tasks may help me get somewhere.
So whenever I have to decide what to do next, I look at the task at hand, and investigate how I feel. If I feel weird, I’ll think through whats wrong. My current task makes me afraid I’ll break something. Then I think trough, that even if I break code, I have backups, so nothing can really go wrong.
I’ve been sitting for like 10 minutes getting to the end of it, then I’ve been able to ease into doing the task.
It all comes down into not letting myself instinctively jump into some instant gratification, but being brave enough to think myself to the bottom of the issue, then it will no longer be a beast that I want tk avoid, but just “well this is what I do next, and it’s fine”
For the morning I have sleep as android as a backup, which requires me to go to the bathroom and scan a QR code to disable the alarm - effectively forcing me out of bed.
For actually doing what I am procrastinating on, I have a dumb-watch where I can set an alarm for 10 minutes. I find that I can usually get started that way, and when the 10 minutes are up I don't want to stop (see previous pathological state). However, on occasion I will and that is totally fine too - if you expect to follow up on the deals you have made with others, you should follow up on the deals you made with yourself.
The advice is essentially; do the hardest thing on your todo list first and the rest is a breeze.
It's no magic bullet, and it still takes willpower. But if you persevere and it becomes as habit, you'll find yourself procrastinating less.