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Ask HN: How to work when you’re supposed to?

4 points by awsrocks ↗ HN
I have to write these long memos for work but I just can’t seem to sit down to focus and write them. I end up procrastinating to the last minute and then push it out in some type of mad frenzy. It doesn’t feel good but I can’t figure a way through it.

How do you sit down and just turn the focus / execution on like a switch in the brain? For me I’m at the whims of my impulses, but it’s not something I can just switch on when I want. It makes my life really unsustainable.

6 comments

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throwaway4711
This sounds like it could be caused by ADHD. So you could consult an expert to find out if that may be the case. If so, there are ways to address this issue and probably many others affecting your life and making you think what may be wrong with you, both with talk therapy and drugs. Good luck to you.
asimjalis
I can relate to your situation. In my case the fix was to stop drinking coffee. It sounds counterintuitive but without coffee I am able to focus and execute.
anon2020dot00
Get a good night's sleep or take a nap and then listen to some good music.
simonhfrost
I've started minimising the time allocated for tasks I don't want to do. I fill up my schedule with other activities, then I have no choice but to complete it the time slot I gave it.

Otherwise, using a deep focus ritual (see the book Deep Work) or Pomodoro can also help with focus by minimising distractions and explicitly allowing rewards after discrete intervals (so it doesn't seem like an endless slog).

Good luck.

karmakaze
In my experience procrastination is a sign of uncertainty. Sometimes stuff does get sorted out subconsciously over time with exposure that I stop procrastinating and can write about something. Other times you have to work at, even if you don't feel like it, reducing the uncertainty of the area you're procrastinating. The other kind is that you've (un)consciously decided that you don't like a particular task. Some kind of gamification like a chart of boxes you can X out, etc can make progress on it. Music as mentioned can help with this type.