How Do You Handle Lack of Motivation?

[Mathguy15]

I normally just wait until I feel like it. I don't think its a good idea to just power through unless you know you won't get disgusted with it for a long period of time. I wait until I feel like doing it, and then it gets done. Of course, I don't wait too long. Thoughts?

 

[lompocus]

When this thing that requires some actual thought and work isn't related to something I'd otherwise have to do anyway? Usually, I tell myself to do it anyway. If it happens to be an extension of whatever I'm doing at the time, I don't mind too much. I tend not to feel burned out if I have to do some long stretch of work. Exception: late-night stuff on saturday (like today! :D), in which case I'm almost always going to put off *insert thing I ought to be doing but won't because I won't feel the impact of not doing it until later*.

Sometimes, though, I just don't want to open that notebook laying there on the oh-so-comfy-looking bed, and, hey, that incomplete code is just sitting around on the laptop screen so if I close the laptop that textbook would fit neatly on top of it and the bed would be free... so I tuck away whatever would otherwise have priority and take a nap. (This is more of an issue of a lingering "problem"/benefit with a sleep experiment I put myself through rather than not liking the stuff I'm doing... but that's irrelevant atm :P.) I usually feel energetic after half an hour or so.

*edit* eh, I experimented w/ other sleep cycles before. I ended up going back to that 8hr thing everyone else does but got stuck w/ a noon nap. (part time work + classes left a small window of opportunity open, convincing me to foolishly pursue that sleep cycle test... meh. didn't work out so well.) Anyway, this relates to the above in that, for the month I actually kept up a modified sleep cycle, I felt totally fine with 6 hrs (while feeling more, eh, "active" and attentive). So, I'd recommend that if you happen to have a schedule that allows for weird nap times and want to get yourself in the mood to get more "stuff" done.

 

[chiro]

I normally just wait until I feel like it. I don't think its a good idea to just power through unless you know you won't get disgusted with it for a long period of time. I wait until I feel like doing it, and then it gets done. Of course, I don't wait too long. Thoughts?

This happens to me as well. Usually the kind of thing that changes these habits for me is when I do something at the last minute and it ends up as a disaster, or when I do it at the last minute and I don't get it finished properly at the time at which it is due.

Most of us I would think proscribe to optimizing our time in anything, whether that means finding a route to walk somewhere, or to get work done. If we find out that we can save an hour doing something, we probably will.

 

[mathwonk]

define effort.

 

[humanino]

Why, of course : I come hang out on PF !

 

[QuarkCharmer]

Whenever this happens I go running. Come back, shower, and I am ready to get things done.

 

[Danger]

I either ignore the issue entirely or take a nap—usually both.

 

[Ryan_m_b]

I order my slave to do it. If I can't be bothered to order I'm screwed.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

I order my slave to do it. If I can't be bothered to order I'm screwed.

That's why you need two slaves. They can order each other about and you can get back to reading QFT.

 

[FlexGunship]

I normally just wait until I feel like it. I don't think its a good idea to just power through unless you know you won't get disgusted with it for a long period of time. I wait until I feel like doing it, and then it gets done. Of course, I don't wait too long. Thoughts?

Sounds like the perfect rationalization for procrastination.

When I don't feel like doing anything, I try to answer life's greatest questions, like: "How many Cheetos will fit in my nose?" and "Where's the beef?"

 

[physics girl phd]

define effort.

but that takes too much effort!

 

[FlexGunship]

but that takes too much effort!

Work is described as force (F) times the distance (d) is acts over. Force is defined as mass (m) times acceleration (a). And effort is defined as work times the natural resistance (n_i) to it times the duration (t).

Effort = d*a*m*n_i*t

 

[Danger]

Effort = d*a*m*n_i*t

Brilliant!

 

[Chi Meson]

I get tested for Lyme's Disease.

 

[DoggerDan]

I ride my bicycle. Sure, it takes effort, but it's not work.