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Otherwise, I avoid writing the way any sensible person avoids work when nobody's making you do it.

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Now, lately I find myself putting off every little bit of work that I have to do until the very last possible minute. This isn't really working out for me...I just can't handle the all-nighters anymore. My question to all of you is, how do you keep yourself motivated when it's something that isn't particularly onerous, but you just don't want to do it?
 

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Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
 
"My question to all of you is, how do you keep yourself motivated when it's something that isn't particularly onerous, but you just don't want to do it?"

That is easy. First, I make a big list of what I want to do. (I am a teacher, so i have summers off) I put the kids in camp for a week so I can get the house in order and cleaned and organized.

I go downstairs to check my email, not Hatrack, because that would be procrastinating. I put a song on while I look at my email. I finish, and there is still song left, so I figure it won't hurt to check if Ralphie responded to a bit of banter.

Then, all of a sudden, it is 12:25. It is too late to really get anything started, so I decide to go make lunch and take a nap.

I may not have gotten anything on my list accomplished, but I have a back-up system to go on: the "I am on Summer Vacation and I deserve to Relax" system of rationalization.
 

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Posted by Megan (Member # 5290) on :
 
Elizabeth, that's very similar to the routine I run. My problem is that I tend to do this even when I don't have the time to. I'm so seldom on any sort of break from school that I tend to treat any somewhat spare time as completely free, even when it shouldn't be.

That's how I end up spending all night working on a project that should have been spread out over the summer I have no one to blame but myself, though.
 

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Posted by Zalmoxis (Member # 2327) on :
 
Here's the best motivator:

Hit the age of 28 or 29.

Once I discovered that I couldn't pull all-nighters anymore without taking a huge toll on my body, I became somewhat more motivated to start and finish papers earlier. The prospect of no sleep was just too distasteful.
 

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Posted by Procrastination (Member # 4821) on :
 
::mentally adds Megan and Elizabeth to list of acolytes::


 

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