Procrastinating right now, to see this procrastination thread
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Practicing Self-Discipline
- Thread starter AccidentalGreed
- Start date
I am sort of writing this post as a reminder to myself, and a little bit of a motivator. Also, does this thread remind anyone else of McGraw and his time tables? Seriously, I'm pretty sure he made some thread about time tables and efficiency or discipline or something or another. I swear that happened.
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Self-discipline has no secrets. The only secret to it, is to be willing to do whatever it is you have to do. You have a paper due in a week. You could manage it and maybe write an outline tonight, do research two days from now, and write it four days from now, revise it the next day and have done it over the course of the week. On the other hand, you could just do it all the night before. The obvious thing most people would choose to do is the latter. "I can do it the night before, bs it and come out with an A anyway," you cry. But is it the best work you could do?
The problem with most people -- and I believe this applies to a lot of aspects of life -- is they don't actually care to do the best work they can, or be the best they can be. If you wrote an outline, did research, wrote your paper and then revised it the next day, wouldn't the paper be a better product than the one you could churn out the night before? To almost every person, the answer to this question is yes. Then why won't most people actually do that?
It all comes down to getting by. I think this generation, and quite possibly the next generation, thrives on "just getting by". Why waste time doing all that work if you can get by doing the minimal amount of work? Honestly, to me, it's ridiculous. Where is the value in "just getting by"? What does it provide? More immediate satisfaction is all I can think of. "If I don't do all the work for my paper, I can play more Battlefield!" Yeah, because that's fulfilling, I know. Cursing that your teammates aren't marking anyone and no one is actually playing well makes for a fulfilling night, much more than a night spent learning and preparing. (this actually sounds ridiculously rude...)
But this doesn't just apply to school. Think about your body right now. Is it really functioning as well as it could be? Do you eat well and exercise? Probably not. I'm not some hippie telling you to go vegan and fuck the man because the man is trying to tie you down to your couches, but your body could probably be in better shape with just a little effort each week. And why don't people take care of their bodies? Immediate satisfaction. "I could prepare a salad for lunch and chicken for dinner, or I could just eat some chips for lunch and pick something up on the way home. Yeah, I'll do the latter." That's a common thought. The McDonald's burger is probably going to taste better than any of that healthy junk anyway, right?
But shouldn't you strive to keep your body the best it can look? Don't girls love a guy with a six-pack? Don't they love the guys who are ripped? Doesn't society subconsciously value more the man who is stronger than the man who is weaker? Or the ripped man over the fat man? Why not strive for that then? Because you can get by with the minimum. How many other people actually look like that? Most guys are just skinny dudes, and you're a skinny dude. You've got a a great metabolism* anyway, so you'll do just fine. It won't be hard getting laid tonight!
That's just how I feel, I guess. I just can't understand why people don't actually strive to do their best and challenge themselves, in order to provide better results each time. Eventually, yes, there will be a wall one can hit, but if you're not moving toward it you'll never reach it and see how far away it actually is. Progress isn't founded on just getting by, it's founded on pushing the limits and challenging the best work.
For me personally, I like to think of everything as a challenge. Getting the highest marks, performing better on the pitch, lifting more than the guy next to me in class; all these things are things I aim to do. But in order to do it I have to challenge myself to do it.
If I'm only playing CoD half-assed, thinking subconsciously about my paper, I'm not going to go 37-3 with 2 caps 8 defends, I'm probably going to do worse than that and be frustrated. I won't get better at CoD and I won't look good in front of those noobs, either. I'd rather do my paper, or part of my paper to put my mind at ease, and then play CoD when I can do better at that. I accomplish better results at both things.
That's how I see it anyway, feel free to take my two cents and throw it down the gutter, though. I'm a hypocrite, just like everyone else.
*just because you're skinny doesn't mean you have a high metabolism. words of wisdom.
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Self-discipline has no secrets. The only secret to it, is to be willing to do whatever it is you have to do. You have a paper due in a week. You could manage it and maybe write an outline tonight, do research two days from now, and write it four days from now, revise it the next day and have done it over the course of the week. On the other hand, you could just do it all the night before. The obvious thing most people would choose to do is the latter. "I can do it the night before, bs it and come out with an A anyway," you cry. But is it the best work you could do?
The problem with most people -- and I believe this applies to a lot of aspects of life -- is they don't actually care to do the best work they can, or be the best they can be. If you wrote an outline, did research, wrote your paper and then revised it the next day, wouldn't the paper be a better product than the one you could churn out the night before? To almost every person, the answer to this question is yes. Then why won't most people actually do that?
It all comes down to getting by. I think this generation, and quite possibly the next generation, thrives on "just getting by". Why waste time doing all that work if you can get by doing the minimal amount of work? Honestly, to me, it's ridiculous. Where is the value in "just getting by"? What does it provide? More immediate satisfaction is all I can think of. "If I don't do all the work for my paper, I can play more Battlefield!" Yeah, because that's fulfilling, I know. Cursing that your teammates aren't marking anyone and no one is actually playing well makes for a fulfilling night, much more than a night spent learning and preparing. (this actually sounds ridiculously rude...)
But this doesn't just apply to school. Think about your body right now. Is it really functioning as well as it could be? Do you eat well and exercise? Probably not. I'm not some hippie telling you to go vegan and fuck the man because the man is trying to tie you down to your couches, but your body could probably be in better shape with just a little effort each week. And why don't people take care of their bodies? Immediate satisfaction. "I could prepare a salad for lunch and chicken for dinner, or I could just eat some chips for lunch and pick something up on the way home. Yeah, I'll do the latter." That's a common thought. The McDonald's burger is probably going to taste better than any of that healthy junk anyway, right?
But shouldn't you strive to keep your body the best it can look? Don't girls love a guy with a six-pack? Don't they love the guys who are ripped? Doesn't society subconsciously value more the man who is stronger than the man who is weaker? Or the ripped man over the fat man? Why not strive for that then? Because you can get by with the minimum. How many other people actually look like that? Most guys are just skinny dudes, and you're a skinny dude. You've got a a great metabolism* anyway, so you'll do just fine. It won't be hard getting laid tonight!
That's just how I feel, I guess. I just can't understand why people don't actually strive to do their best and challenge themselves, in order to provide better results each time. Eventually, yes, there will be a wall one can hit, but if you're not moving toward it you'll never reach it and see how far away it actually is. Progress isn't founded on just getting by, it's founded on pushing the limits and challenging the best work.
For me personally, I like to think of everything as a challenge. Getting the highest marks, performing better on the pitch, lifting more than the guy next to me in class; all these things are things I aim to do. But in order to do it I have to challenge myself to do it.
If I'm only playing CoD half-assed, thinking subconsciously about my paper, I'm not going to go 37-3 with 2 caps 8 defends, I'm probably going to do worse than that and be frustrated. I won't get better at CoD and I won't look good in front of those noobs, either. I'd rather do my paper, or part of my paper to put my mind at ease, and then play CoD when I can do better at that. I accomplish better results at both things.
That's how I see it anyway, feel free to take my two cents and throw it down the gutter, though. I'm a hypocrite, just like everyone else.
*just because you're skinny doesn't mean you have a high metabolism. words of wisdom.
@stylish interval
you must take into consideration how much it truly matters if you get an a+ as opposed to an a or an a- on that paper. will it matter that much? will the extra time spent on the project for the few extra points be worth the time that you could be relaxing, doing stuff for other classes, advancing your social life, etc.
now, i don't apply this to everything. but if some assignment is just some normal high school bs where you can get an A without trying / by putting it off, why put forth a ton of effort. i remember way back in eighth grade, we had to write a small short story. and i took it seriously. i wrote the shit out of that paper, and i was proud of it. so, i got a 100 on it. and i look at most everyone else in the class' paper, and they too have 100s. even those who put forth very little effort. giving your all on everything you do is dumb. you will get burned out by trying really hard on some 2 page paper that doesn't really require effort.
but yeah if it's something important / something you have a passion for / something that NEEDS to be good, of course give it your all.
you must take into consideration how much it truly matters if you get an a+ as opposed to an a or an a- on that paper. will it matter that much? will the extra time spent on the project for the few extra points be worth the time that you could be relaxing, doing stuff for other classes, advancing your social life, etc.
now, i don't apply this to everything. but if some assignment is just some normal high school bs where you can get an A without trying / by putting it off, why put forth a ton of effort. i remember way back in eighth grade, we had to write a small short story. and i took it seriously. i wrote the shit out of that paper, and i was proud of it. so, i got a 100 on it. and i look at most everyone else in the class' paper, and they too have 100s. even those who put forth very little effort. giving your all on everything you do is dumb. you will get burned out by trying really hard on some 2 page paper that doesn't really require effort.
but yeah if it's something important / something you have a passion for / something that NEEDS to be good, of course give it your all.
You're completely right. "Don't sweat the small stuff." I'm pretty sure that's still a common phrase. For small papers , insignificant homework, etc., none of that effort should be applied. If it's an easy assignment, bs will probably be able to crank out an A with ease (although this is not true for all people!).
I was making the assumption that my post would be interpreted as implying large assignments (that you would need to study / research / plan / revise) or important things in life (like fitness, jobs, relationships, etc.). I should have been more explicit though. Live and learn, I guess. Thanks for pointing that out, though.
I was making the assumption that my post would be interpreted as implying large assignments (that you would need to study / research / plan / revise) or important things in life (like fitness, jobs, relationships, etc.). I should have been more explicit though. Live and learn, I guess. Thanks for pointing that out, though.
Ughh! I procrastinated. Now I have a midterm exam and two assignments due tomorrow! I've really messed up bad. I cruised through High School without doing a second of studying and I never actually developed any studying habits. I also procrastinated like crazy. For example, I did my IB Extended Essay in 3 days. For those of you who do not know what IB is, lets just say thats a 4000 word research essay. I'm in deep shit as of right now, and would really appreciate some help with getting things together.
Thank you for telling me your problems. It has motivated me to start developing my study habits now, while I'm still in my junior year XD a bit late though lol. What is the research essay for? First things first: Log off. Second: Stay up all night. Third: Do your work while staying up. Alternative Route: Don't bother and face the music.
The research essay explored the connection between sports rivalries and politics. I'm on Google Docs/ MSN right now trying to get the assignments done with my group, and the worst part is that none of us can even pull an all nighter because every one of us has at least one midterm tomorrow.
Research essays. Ugh.
Yes, I know Mr.Teacher. I should be more punctual, but dammit, we all already know Daisy isn't so interested in Jay Gatsby anymore. It just gets so...redundant after writing about it in so many paragraphs.
I wish I had as much of a passion writing English essays as I do Fifth Generation analyses, but I pull through. Um. Somehow.
Anyways, as stated, I tend of procrastinate on ALOT of things that I'm not interested in, which pretty much proves a few posts in this thread. Even if it's a large assignment, it has to have some kind of point of interest, which rarely happens unless I'm analyzing the media or something like that. It comes down to humanity's desire for satisfaction...and distractions.
Yes, I know Mr.Teacher. I should be more punctual, but dammit, we all already know Daisy isn't so interested in Jay Gatsby anymore. It just gets so...redundant after writing about it in so many paragraphs.
I wish I had as much of a passion writing English essays as I do Fifth Generation analyses, but I pull through. Um. Somehow.
Anyways, as stated, I tend of procrastinate on ALOT of things that I'm not interested in, which pretty much proves a few posts in this thread. Even if it's a large assignment, it has to have some kind of point of interest, which rarely happens unless I'm analyzing the media or something like that. It comes down to humanity's desire for satisfaction...and distractions.
Ugh... The Great Gatsby... I can honestly say that that was the second worst book in history. With first being Pride and Prejudice. I legit fell asleep reading the Sparknotes summary of both of those. Not even the actual books, the plot summary is enough to bore anyone to death.
how self-disciplined you are is based on your past personal experiences. Either you have it or have a lack of it. Personally, I have great self-discipline. If I want to get some school work done for example, i find that doing minimum 15 push-ups or 100 reps of dumbells pumps me up and gives me energy to do things. if I dont.. then it depends on the amount of importance of the assignment or goal and how much i want it to drive me
i have terrible self-discipline; urgency just doesn't register with me.
Dear NWO,
You are the biggest dumbfuck on Earth. Honestly, did your mother drop you on your head or something? Do you know how game mechanics work? Like any? This thread is for people who actually know what the fuck they're talking about. Not some scrub like you who knows jack shit. Don't fucking post in this thread unless you actually have something constructive to say.
I know you're high at the moment because you're an outcast of society. Your parents tossed you in the garbage can when you were little because they didn't want to be associated with the first child to ever be born with an extra penis where the brain is supposed to be. You were picked up by a pedophile, raped multiple times a day, and forced into slave labor. Now that you've finally escaped that pedophile, you need to do ecstasy every 20 seconds in order to repress your memories, it doesn't even damage your brain since there's nothing to damage. Am I in the right ballpark with regards to your life?
So I apologize to everyone except NWO for the inappropriate language and immature response. But I've honestly never seen anybody half this stupid before.
ROFL "quote" "unquote"
Anyways, I also have huge issues with procrastination :/
I somehow end up doing my week's worth of math homework the night before it's due >.<
Also, High School English was a bunch of bullshit. Even though I took IB Higher Level English, the majority of the books we read were ridiculously boring. I can't find any reason why anyone would ever want to read books like the Great Gatsby, or Annie John. I mean, the only decent books were the ones by international writers such as Paradise of the Blind, We, etc. As for the essays we wrote, I hardly read the books at all, probably about 1/3 at the most, and still managed to get an A in the class. Writing English essays is basically bullshitting whatever sounds good, or whatever your English teacher likes to see on essays.
Anyways, I also have huge issues with procrastination :/
I somehow end up doing my week's worth of math homework the night before it's due >.<
Also, High School English was a bunch of bullshit. Even though I took IB Higher Level English, the majority of the books we read were ridiculously boring. I can't find any reason why anyone would ever want to read books like the Great Gatsby, or Annie John. I mean, the only decent books were the ones by international writers such as Paradise of the Blind, We, etc. As for the essays we wrote, I hardly read the books at all, probably about 1/3 at the most, and still managed to get an A in the class. Writing English essays is basically bullshitting whatever sounds good, or whatever your English teacher likes to see on essays.
Lol, win. You missed a couple points though, and would've failed this essay for plagiarism :P
Omicron, just be glad that you did not have to do your IB Oral Commentary on Heart of Darkness. This was a less than 100 page book, and it felt like I was reading War and Peace.
i find anyone who says that writing english essays is bullshit to be of the same.
no class
no class
For one English essay, our teacher asked us to write about the relationship between Prospero and Caliban in Shakespeare's the Tempest. While I was writing, I didn't bother turning the TV off and something came up about like horse betting or something. I b.s.ed something in half an hour about "Prospero's Gamble" and got 95% on the essay while the class average was like 60%, including many people who I know put hours of work annotating stuff. The teacher said I "had a very good understanding of the text". Lol! Horse racing contributed more to that essay than the text. So no, English essays are complete b.s. It's all about who can best cover up that b.s. and make it sound like you know what the hell your talking about.
Oh yeah, and these people "with class" you speak of generally go into something like philosophy or existential literature. Which they will in turn translate into huge paying careers of... oh wait... they're working at Hard Rock Cafes (for real, I know a guy who has a Masters in Existential Literature working at a Hard Rock Cafe).
your teacher is shit
your anecdotes are wholly representative of a 'general'
your anecdotes are wholly representative of a 'general'
Amazing post
I'm Practicing Self-Discipline by not wringing the necks of NWO and Omicron.
Must stay on topic. They're just idiots who don't know what they're doing. Don't verbally bitchslap them. Must stay on topic. They're just idiots who don't know what they're doing. Don't verbally bitchslap them...
Must stay on topic. They're just idiots who don't know what they're doing. Don't verbally bitchslap them. Must stay on topic. They're just idiots who don't know what they're doing. Don't verbally bitchslap them...
I honestly LOVE writing English essays. Especially character analyses. The only problem is that I get distracted so easily so I never end up doing them until the last minute and I have to completely bullshit it which makes me sad :(. Sometimes I feel so bad about that that I skip turning it in altogether and just turn it in later. And later. And later. Needless to say, my grade in English last year wasn't the best.
It is actually closer to "general" than not. The only real job you can get that focuses primarily on Literature is teacher. Legit. Lawyers mostly make use of debate skills and persuasive language, they don't need Shakespeare. Ditto for politicians. Whereas most students that complete a higher level Science degree will get a job unless they like have a criminal record or something.
Teachers overanalyze everything so much. I honestly doubt that every bit of punctuation Joseph Conrad put into his book has meaning to it. Do authors try putting in symbolism and stuff into their writings? Sure they do, but not to that degree. Not every single forest has to be a metaphor for entering a new world, sometimes people just put a forest in their story for the sake of putting a forest in the story. I swear, half the stuff about Shakespeare was just made up by English teachers so they wouldn't be unemployed. They can just b.s. stuff, say its "research" or "the ingenuity of language" and take their paycheck. Honestly? Analyzing significance of the length of each of Shakepeare's lines? I honestly doubt that Shakespeare intentionally made every line a certain length to signify something. His plays were freaking for people to watch! Who cares if the line ends in and or and Prospero. Analyzing the significance of every minute detail including punctuation, by the way, is in the IB Higher Level English curriculum, so its not just one person even.
I actually enjoy reading believe it or not. However, its the fact that English classes force you to not only read, but be able to quote it and analyze random symbolism and crap that pisses me off. Why do we need to analyze boring as hell books like Great Gatsby? In fact, its not just the boring books they ruined. Life of Pi for example, was an awesome story about a boy and his wanderings with a tiger. English class ruined that for me by turning it into a discussion about religion, they even broke down the freaking animals into nothing but religious metaphors. Nobody freaking reads because they like making religious connections to every last event, except maybe religious extremist, people read because they like the plot, and if they see symbolism occasionally, so be it. I don't see why we need to be able to know every last minute detail about a book we will never again touch in our lives.
Oh yeah, and to connect this to the topic. For those of you that have procrastination problems, if you're going to leave anything to the last minute, leave English. You can literally just b.s. stuff on the spot and still get as good a mark as some future Arts student who put like 5 hours into their work. In fact, most of the time you don't even need to read the book. I ended up with a 5 in IB Higher Level English exams just by going onto Sparknotes an hour before the exam.