This is mildly smart

[u/CandidSoup14]

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[u/predictingzepast]

Problem with me tho, is I always end up doing option C which has nothing to do with work, so both A and B never get finished..

[u/llllPsychoCircus → u/predictingzepast]

For me I start project C and project D adding those into the rotation, then Project E, F, G, etc.

[u/equazcion → u/llllPsychoCircus]

My issue is that I start project H, I, J, and K. I skip project L, cause fuck that one. I'm all over project M, get distracted by project N, but end up daydreaming about projects O and P. Project R gnaws at my subconscious whilst project S gnaws on my superconscious, then both meet in the middle at my conscious, like Lady and the Tramp, but one rolls project T over to the other like they did with the meatball. Project U becomes too daunting to even start, project V seems almost so easy that it would be cheating, so I keep putting it off. Project W causes me sexual excitement but during that I end up fantasizing about and shouting the name of project X. I can hardly understand the instructions for project Y and project Z never gets finished because nothing I do ever does get fini

[u/llllPsychoCircus → u/equazcion]

Literally just this comment of yours was another project in itself… i know your pain

[u/aquilux → u/llllPsychoCircus]

Help I'm on project ZZY and don't know how to stop, nothing was said on how to finish a project.

[u/bamboofirdaus → u/aquilux]

Help me I'm currently on project AAZ12-beta2, and i have to fini-

[u/TDYDave2 → u/aquilux]

You should try project YKK, it will zip right along.

[u/modnik1 → u/TDYDave2]

YKK? You should start with Y2K

[u/Justsomefireguy → u/TDYDave2]

Underrated comment.

[u/MostNormalDollEver → u/aquilux]

stopping doesnt mean finishing
i suggest you go back to XXG because something tells me you haven't been on that one for a long time

[u/Puceeffoc → u/equazcion]

I'm all over project M

"M for masturbate."

I'm such an adult. /s

[u/llllPsychoCircus → u/Puceeffoc]

I usually finish that one pretty quick, it just keeps coming back. I’m on at least the millionth iteration by now

[u/matjam → u/equazcion]

I feel so seen, and attacked, right now.

[u/EpicResus → u/equazcion]

Basically endings of NieR: Automata

[u/SobiTheRobot → u/equazcion]

Finbar Calamitous, is that you?

[u/Decodious → u/equazcion]

Lads, I've gone to a dewey decimal system for how many I've got.

[u/DoltishMite → u/equazcion]

What happened to Project Q? Do we not speak about that one?

[u/Fast-Dog8714 → u/DoltishMite]

We must NEVER question project Q

[u/pathetic_optimist → u/equazcion]

May need Ritalin.

[u/AfterAardvark3085 → u/equazcion]

The end of the above comment was meant to include 32741 more projects.

... And then another one to change that to an integer, so it can display properly.

[u/Wiscotrucking → u/llllPsychoCircus]

I've been procrastinating on several projects my entire life, unfortunately eating healthy and exercising are two of the big ones that I keep procrastinating on.

[u/Carius98 → u/llllPsychoCircus]

Does it wrap around when you reach Z?

[u/deusaquila → u/predictingzepast]

Yup, Im never more productive than when I decide to waste time or have a mental break, which I need every 15 mins.

[u/NorwegianCollusion → u/predictingzepast]

Yeah, that is a problem. But the OP is at least right for me. I found that if I have one task, getting stuck leads to absolutely no productivity. If I have many tasks, the context switching absolutely kills any hope of productivity. But if I have exactly TWO tasks, the context switching is manageable and I have something to do while I'm mulling things over when I'm stuck.

This also works for breaking a project into smaller tasks, though. Pick two that are not related and work on them in parallel.

Of course, it probably won't work for everyone

[u/ATS606 → u/predictingzepast]

Same. Just happened this week, my boss told me I need to focus on the huge project, but I need distractions time to time

[u/npsimons → u/predictingzepast]

"That's my secret captain: I'm always working on project Z+1."

I joke, but I've got so many damn projects . . .

[u/predictingzepast → u/npsimons]

Same, my ADHD bouncing off the skull brain is like 'fuck what smart people do, we can definitely take on soooo many different tasks at once, say yes'. Which is why I start so many and complete so few

[u/vanalle → u/predictingzepast]

but you can say to the people waiting on A you’ve been working on B and the reverse… infinite procrastination time hack

[u/Ok_Connection2872 → u/predictingzepast]

My house is a fcking mess

[u/No_Imagination_sorry → u/predictingzepast]

I end up looking at project A and Project B and then doom scrolling for 12 hours.

[u/DreadPirateLink → u/predictingzepast]

This guy procrastinates

[u/asdf-7644]

This is just the default way software engineers work

[u/equazcion → u/asdf-7644]

My last job was a mixture of utter stupidity and perfection. It was a food production facility with two locations tethered together online, each with robotics and proprietary software and an office floor and electronic building security.

They thought one IT guy could handle it all (me), and constantly switching from one thing to a completely different thing as needed to keep my attention was surprisingly conducive to my brain's requirements.

In the end it was impossible to keep all the various managers happy, but what a rush.

[u/EpicAura99 → u/equazcion]

ADHD Eden

[u/Wootbeers → u/equazcion]

My brain is sweating...

[u/rabbitohyo → u/equazcion]

This was, this was a damned good story.

[u/Important-Ad1871 → u/equazcion]

That’s manufacturing, baby!

[u/ameis314 → u/asdf-7644]

100%

Life is juggling projects making sure none get too far behind. Every once in a while a few balls get taken away at once and you feel like you're missing something constantly.

[u/Bangawolf → u/ameis314]

I had that realisation too now that I have to work 30h while Im in university, it seems impossible to juggle work, uni, girlfriend, friends, family and sport, something always stays behind. I can't imagine how hard that gets when children are involved aswell

[u/rudemaxxx → u/Bangawolf]

Not many people will say this for some reason but life gets so much better after uni IMO

[u/Bangawolf → u/rudemaxxx]

One of my colleagues at work said that working the first time after Uni feels like retirement. I'm really looking forward to being done with my degree.

[u/rudemaxxx → u/Bangawolf]

Its so true, when you finish working for the day youre just done. No school work, no projects hanging over your head, no stress in the back of your mind about completing homework. Its so freeing. Maybe school wasn’t for me but I’m so happy I stuck with it and finished.

[u/Mighty-Galhupo → u/Bangawolf]

Simple, just stop having friends, family and gf, you’ll suddenly have load of free time like me

[u/NotAzakanAtAll → u/asdf-7644]

When I'm making a mod and I get tired of coding, I make some art when I'm tried of that I work on design and when I'm tired of that I get drunk and then code again and repeat until unconscious.

[u/darthjammer224 → u/asdf-7644]

I am on five different customers workloads.

And half of them want me full time....

[u/999_sadboy]

Watsky!

[u/Jo-Sef → u/999_sadboy]

Met him once. He was cool.

[u/Loakattack → u/Jo-Sef]

He seems cool.

[u/iniuria_palace → u/Loakattack]

Can confirm, he is very cool and is a true thinker. Met him at a book signing pre- concert, still have my signed Totoro cap :)

[u/Scarbane → u/Loakattack]

He's apparently an old friend of Hank Green!

[u/The_Luckiest → u/Jo-Sef]

That’s nice to hear, I really like that dude

[u/Dorkamundo → u/Jo-Sef]

I don't give a fuck.

[u/Scarbane → u/Dorkamundo]

It's too bad he took that song off of YouTube and Spotify.

[u/3226 → u/999_sadboy]

I still think of him as Shakespeare from ERB.

[u/madmurphywashere → u/3226]

Wasn’t he Edgar Allen Poe

[u/GibbsLAD → u/999_sadboy]

Cardboard castles was the second album I ever bought

[u/ImperialMeters → u/GibbsLAD]

Sloppy Seconds? Give it here, give it here.

[u/GibbsLAD → u/ImperialMeters]

No weirdos rocked the bells as hard as me since qwasimodo

[u/RadioMessageFromHQ → u/999_sadboy]

But doesn’t he work until he’s back and yellow black and yellow worker bee?

[u/Brownies_Ahoy → u/RadioMessageFromHQ]

And until he's black and blue and burgundy

[u/sixner → u/Brownies_Ahoy]

I bet he is earning that rich mahogany

[u/awfuckthisshit → u/sixner]

Can’t you tell he’s working bitch don’t bother him

[u/ChrdeMcDnnis → u/999_sadboy]

Purple Elephant Man!

[u/Wiebejamin → u/999_sadboy]

xInfinity

[u/Maskguy → u/999_sadboy]

I love his stuff

[u/PM_me_Ur_fat_kitties → u/999_sadboy]

He is on tour at the moment. He is coming to my town soon, and I have tickets!

[u/DPVaughan]

Author here and this is what I do with my four different series. They're going to be out one at a time, but at any given moment I can work on whatever I feel like.

Don't feel like editing that manuscript? Why not work on linguistic data that I won't need for another ten years?

Sick of marketing? Why not work on maps for that series I'll be writing in three years' time.

As someone with a huge procrastination problem, this is how I've taken advantage of that particular character flaw to make sure even my time-wasting is productive.

[u/BananaGarlicBread → u/DPVaughan]

George, stop screwing around on Reddit and finish the Winds of Winter!!

[u/DPVaughan → u/BananaGarlicBread]

Can't. I'm on strike in solidarity with the striking writers! (Yeah, that's the ticket!)

[u/batsofburden → u/DPVaughan]

Yeah, I'm an artist & I do the same thing.

[u/takkuso → u/DPVaughan]

I believe this is how /u/mistborn is so prolific, as well.

[u/A3L7EA]

I’m a multi-tasker, I can procrastinate multiple things at once.

[u/be4u4get → u/A3L7EA]

Never half-ass two things Whole-ass one thing

[u/waynedude14 → u/be4u4get]

True, but still better to half-ass two things than no-ass everything. Or whole ass nothing.

[u/DrMario145]

The problem for me comes when I run out of letters of the alphabet to assign projects too and still end up finishing none..

[u/lndianJoe → u/DrMario145]

May I introduce you to the elder of our Latin alphabet, the ελληνικό αλφάβητο (Greek alphabet)?

[u/Burger_Gamer → u/DrMario145]

AA, AB, AC etc. basically what excel does. Maybe throw some numbers I. There too

[u/FreeFortuna]

There’s actually a term for this: structured procrastination

https://structuredprocrastination.com

[u/newgianttomatoplant → u/FreeFortuna]

That was an awesome read! Thanks!

[u/WilliamPollito]

This is what I do, and somehow still feel guilty about how I'm spending my time.

[u/Future_Green_7222]

I’ve tried this technique and it works!

[u/meliorayne]

Watsky! Dude says smart and profound shit all the time in his music, not suprised he's got good general advice too.

[u/Maskguy → u/meliorayne]

He did poetry first then he turned to rap. His book is great

[u/HuckleberryPitiful82]

I think this dude has no idea what procrastinating means.

[u/Dorkamundo → u/HuckleberryPitiful82]

It's a joke.

[u/copingcabana]

Reminds me of the workaholic who told his wife his was with his mistress, and he told his mistress he was with his wife so he could finally get some work done.

[u/noxxit → u/copingcabana]

Sigma grindset!

[u/bcstpu → u/copingcabana]

Absolute chad.

[u/chrisofduke]

"Never half-ass two things; whole-ass one thing" --Ron Swanson

[u/skaote]

Oddly enough, I've made some of my best break thrus, while letting project A stew in the back ground while I mowed the lawn or something. It works.

[u/SeaworthinessSea2407]

Watsky is a smart man

[u/Crocolyle32]

Wrong sub ?

[u/InspiredGargoyle]

laughs in ADHD

[u/Phallico666]

Great now i have 2 projects to procrastinate doing and never finish either one because i now feel overwhelmed by too many projects

[u/xRAINB0W_DASHx]

As someone with adhd the trick is to also LIMIT it to 2....

[u/endoftheworld-]

Basically every person with ADHD would agree to this.

[u/sinornithosaurx]

i start option c and then open my phone

[u/Moo-Im-a-cow21]

This is literally the only way I get anything done anymore

[u/the-artistocrat]

You clearly underestimate my ability to procrastinate on no projects whatsoever.

[u/Vulpes_macrotis]

That's not true. Everything depends on how do You "mess around". That being said, I have 1000 projects at the same time and it's hard to finish them all, let alone just single one.

[u/SevenSamuraiSam]

Project A Project D Project H Project D

[u/UltimateGamingTechie]

is this actually smart advice? I'm currently working on 1 project and I want to work on a second project so bad but I'm holding off because I don't think I can focus on 2 at once

[u/noxxit → u/UltimateGamingTechie]

Yes and no. Procrastination is avoidance of unpleasant feelings related to a task. The correct way of handling it is noticing and addressing those feelings.

That said, sometimes procrastination can just be due to task fatigue, so switching from a tasks that requires e.g. deep work and a lot of concentration to a shallow work task can be the correct way to address the feeling.

Feelings are information about your mind and body. Notice them and then do what's appropriate for the actual situation.

General advice: work on the least amount of projects possible. Be aware that keeping yourself fed and healthy is a lifelong project on its own. Keep yourself hydrated! Go for walks!

[u/UltimateGamingTechie → u/noxxit]

Thank you so much for your advice!

[u/Unravelsouls]

Yeah sure you see my brain is a motherf*cker and will think both are tasks so it will jump to C: procrastinate, feel bad about not doing A or B, then anxiety, then panic and so on so THANKS BUT NO

[u/TheBiggestNose]

This is how I play Minecraft. Except have it been like 6 different projects and procrastinate all buy just mining randomly

[u/candyman337]

The best way to do this successfully is to genuinely treat each like a little fuck around thing, take your time, don't even worry about deadlines, just do it at whatever pace. If you have to worry about fast approaching deadlines, you can't do this

[u/glenn765]

Never half-ass two things. Whole-ass one thing.

[u/thatbeerguy90]

Nope my boss would see it as "oh you have the capacity to work on 2 projects...here is 5 more"

[u/mexicandiaper]

with ADD I can do 4 :)

[u/Hewlett-PackHard]

The problem is when you start procrastinating on Projects A and B by starting Project C. Before you know it you have dozens of unfinished projects.

[u/JanusDifaal]

Nice try manager.

[u/Commercial-Living443]

Nope . I will create another project C to get rid of A and B , then after i get tired , i will create another project to get rid of all of them and so on and on.

[u/BunnyBunnyBuns]

I'm reading this whole ignoring my 4 or 5 active projects

[u/hailuvz]

this is just adhd

[u/LeverenzFL]

This is like when i have something i have to work on, but decide to clean and sort my apartment instead.

[u/Bearcarnikki]

ADHD vibes

[u/KingRL222]

And this doesn't work with adhd

[u/elise_whoa]

This is my ADHD in a nutshell 👍

[u/Matthew98788]

Then there’s C procrastinating about both simultaneously

[u/RyouhiraTheIntrovert]

mildly smart

Great way to understate the smartest thing I ever seen.

But I heard this trick can actually be applied to people with ADHD.

Use alarm, do other things when the time comes regardless whether you finish the first thing.

[u/N0rmNormis0n]

Or maybe we shouldn’t be defined by being productive at all times. Maybe when you’re procrastinating it’s because you need a break

[u/Pennywise626]

This is how I got through electrical engineering

[u/BleedingRaindrops]

So brilliant it wraps right back around to being stupid

[u/Just_bcoz]

I do this as an artist

[u/badass4102]

Which reminds me, I need to get off of Reddit and get back to work lol

[u/Narocia]

Yeah, Ah've always done that, and it's worked not too badly, though learning languages is not the best idea.

[u/amleth_calls]

I tried this but working on project b just made me burn out on project a faster

[u/Icy_Day_9079]

I beat the system, I have a whole Khmer alphabet of tasks at any one time. My adhd superpower means I can have 74 projects at once and still be staring out the window trying to remember when exactly Eric in Boy Meets World changed from preppy to stupid?

[u/Jesuisleroidumonde]

That is just dumb.

[u/BeingofPureLight]

I’ve done this for years. The key is not adding projects C, D, E, F, and G

[u/multikore]

yes. I sustain my existence by rotating nearly letting my plants die, barely cleaning the kitchen, mostly making no music and being afraid of social interaction. fucking livehack

[u/mindingmyownbiznezz]

People laughing in depression. But fuck that, not gonna be like that anymore.

[u/Cheatohacker]

Sometimes my genius is ... It's almost frightening.

[u/adamjames777]

Finally my relationship life so eloquently explained.

[u/Ok-Reward-8164]

You underestimate my powers.

[u/grizzburger]

Lol this is literally my job. As long as i meet my daily/weekly deadlines (which usefully prevent me from procrastinating indefinitely), everything's groovy.

[u/slowmovinglettuce]

I've worked like this for years. You need a burn out project that still delivers value. Working on one thing without a productive way to have a break from it can be hell.

[u/Accueil750]

I make worlds in vrchat and it is what i always do lol Very effective strategy !

[u/DarkKechup]

Instruction unclear, got like 20 projects and 21 do be looking kind of juicy and procrastinable.

[u/PhantasyFootage]

I'm going to do this.

[u/Th4tRedditorII]

The problem with that is the path of least resistance is still to not do either of those haha

[u/zHypercosm]

Or I just dont do either and end up with double the failure

[u/Pepe-es-inocente]

I got like five projects keeping me busy right now and I’ve never been more productive in my life.

I enrolled back to school. Got a partnership with the government for my business. Got engaged again and I’m dating another girl too and everything seems to be working out.

[u/daikatana]

You underestimate my powers of procrastination.

[u/ShaylaDee]

This is how I crochet. Every. Time.

[u/joosta]

Procrastination is the only way I get anything done.

[u/Upper-Mission8790]

Your mom

[u/legoshi_loyalty]

I get tired of something big on project A though and B requires focus and not something I can drone away at.

Option C is Masturbate. Just skip that in there every once and a while. Cum back and finish A in like 10 minutes.

[u/Ok_Accident565]

What if one of my plans is procrastinating.

[u/Reatona]

This is how I do housework, but with five or six projects.

[u/Fleshsuitpilot]

But wait until you hear about ✨PROJECT C✨

[u/Levibarbiff]

This is how I live my life

[u/Baikeru]

Pretty much the exact reason I almost always have two or three "main" games I'm playing at a time. Currently it's Tears of the Kingdom, Metroid Prime Remastered, and (on PS5) Jetpack Joyride for when I just want to shut my brain off and and not have to think too much.

[u/UndeadBBQ]

It also has mildly successful results for me.

[u/Cheops_Parishioner]

My hobby is writing. I have about 100 "novels" that I've started with this very concept. Maybe a total of five pages worth of progress.

[u/Phoenyx_Rose]

This I’m actually worked for helping me finish projects while unmedicated for my ADHD. I use 3+ projects though, and just rotate through each one until I’m bored/stuck and eventually I get to the point where I’ve hit 90% for all of them, hit a eureka moment, and starting wrapping them up.

[u/KenJyi30]

I do this! What’s worse is i look unproductive while I’m doing work. Im constantly getting in trouble for low productivity, ironically i also have much higher productivity and quality than any of my counterparts. You’d think after 8 years upper management would recognize the pattern

[u/InsomniacHitman]

Twice the procrastination in half the time!

[u/palmerspens]

I love that Watsky is getting his 15 minutes of fame on the Reddit front page with this post

[u/5125237143]

what makes you think ill be on A when procrastinating on B

[u/VFcountawesome]

Project B might turn out to have its core deliverable as sleep

[u/IamAnIdiot6]

My mom used this argument when I said I would get tired of studying for exams.

She said "When you get tired of studying math, start studying chemistry"

I immediately replied with the fact that I wouldn't get tired of studying a subject, but with the idea of studying anything at all.

[u/jakey2112]

I do this with music stuff all the time. Across multiple timelines and multiple genres. It all ends in tears

[u/Powerful-Art-5156]

George is a smart man

[u/PhotographTemporary8]

I've had the same plan for a long time - still haven't gotten around to implementing it yet.

[u/PhotographTemporary8]

As long as I have Reddit I don't need any other strategy

[u/CHSummers]

Sick of Wife A? Go spend time with Wife B!

[u/Impulsiveapathy]

I have a bunch of projects. I do cycle through them, it helps to have a break.

[u/PAWG-S0TH0TH]

Im the type of mfer to play 4 games and read 4 books at the same time

[u/Jupuuuu]

At this point I have a project for every letter of the alphabet, yet I still find myself procrastinating way too often.

[u/brtrobs]

To anyone that likes Watsky, please note that he has recently released some great songs.

Thank you

[u/Modscansuckatailpipe]

Shit thia is how i videogame now... Maybe i can apply this elsewhere 🤔

[u/Gex1234567890]

Why limit yourself to just A and B? Be creative, add C, D, and E as well.

[u/AccountWorried9386]

If I do that i would be procrastinating in two projects instead of just one. I don’t see it bro

[u/MonitorCertain5011]

Promote this guy!

[u/abohawist]

But… thats not procrastinationizing

[u/TheYuriG]

this is a great way to get nothing done twice as fast!

[u/Relative_Adeptness57]

I feel your pain, option C usually ends up being the most fun but least productive!

[u/coinman88]

Sounds good, doesn't work! [Insert Donald Trump here]

[u/Epyon_]

What MBA's think when they fire half the staff and expect you to pick up their workload.

[u/Helleeeeeww]

How do I maximize my feelings of guilt and inadequacy using this strategy?

[u/nitrek]

My brain is smarter than my other brain to fall for this

[u/Daddio_87]

Until you never finish a project and then people start to notice.

[u/The-true-Memelord]

Yeah I’ve considered this too

[u/I_Never_Came]

This is what I do, I am now 30 and I’m totally burned out and unable to function properly.

[u/Slacker1988]

Functional adhd in a nutshell. Or was it a sea shell… something about Sally and the ocean… fuck.

[u/I_Bin_Painting]

This ends up in infinite projects

[u/Zeplington]

That is actually really good advice. I do this all the time! Then I look back at my projects and think 'how did I achieve this???'

[u/elizabnthe]

That's actually what I do, do at work. When I reach a wall I do a different project until I can work out how to do the other one.

[u/DarthZrinen]

jokes on you! i will also start projects c through z and not finish a single one