The main problem is that procrastination is in many cases and occasions a sign of higher intelligence. But: it is only intelligent to procrastinate, it you can win decision and working time. Otherwise, you block yourself from fulfilling a task, which is, of course, not so exciting for your intellect. In this case, you have to strike down procrastination and finish the not so pleasant routine job. Afterwards, you can reward your self with something more enjoyable.

Hi Sabine! Still going eh? (That's the Canadian "eh", it Googles).

The first thing to do is to stop posting RG notes on procrastination! You're supposed to be writing up. Get a grip!

Just think how many--including yourself--will be disappointed if you fail to finish now. Yea, walk away at the end of year one, even two, but now? No one will ever trust you to finish anything ever again. So shameful!

You have to finish it BRFORE it finishes you. Are you going to be beat by this crap? You know about it. You have a working draft. Make others RESPECT your efforts. There's better things to be doing, sure. But not until this is done....

So your life is on hold now until your done. Terrible. So get it done.

Work each day as long as you can. 1, 5, 10 hours. Whichever it is. Eat, sleep, booze (if you do), working with a mild hangover is liberating. Imagine the finished product on the bookshelf, in the library, a copy for the family who have supported you in this nonsense in so many ways. They deserve it.

It's NOT about you anymore. The thing has a life of it's own now. You need to finish it before it finishes you. You can only do that by finishing it off asap!

Get on with it!

Christopher NOCK

Dear Sabine Franklin,

I recommend that you familiarize yourself with the process of writing Dostoevsky's roman "The Gambler".

History of creation

In 1863, Fyodor Dostoevsky came to rest in Wiesbaden. There, in a few days, he lost not only all his money, but also the cash of his girlfriend Polina Suslova. To get out of debt, he signed a contract with the publisher for the speedy writing of the new novel The Player. Dostoevsky visited Bad Homburg three times and, playing in a casino, repeatedly lost large sums of money in roulette, falling into desperate situations. The impressions of Bad Homburg were used to write the novel. There is a version that the novel "The Gambler" was written in St. Petersburg on Stolyarny Lane. When working on the novel, Dostoevsky, on the advice of his friend A. P. Milyukov, first decided not to write the manuscript himself, but to use the service of stenographers. Dostoevsky did not immediately agree, because this method of work was not customary for the writer. But in the course of his work he mastered the dictation, and soon became close to his stenographer Anna Snitkina and married her. Following the wedding, the young went on a honeymoon trip to Europe - in particular, to Baden-Baden, where history repeated itself. After this incident, Dostoevsky made a promise to his wife not to play, which he kept and did not play the last 10 years of his life. The theme of the novel is the all-consuming passion for gambling. That Suslova is considered the prototype of the heroine of the novel - Polina Alexandrovna. The tormenting relationship of the protagonist of the novel with Polina is a reflection of Dostoevsky’s uneasy relationship with Suslova.

Bonded contract with Stellovsky

 The novel "The Gambler" was written by Dostoevsky in record time. This urgency was caused by the harsh terms of the writer's contract with the publisher Stellovsky. Here is how Dostoevsky himself describes his terrible contract with F. T. Stellovsky: "In the 65th year ... having sold my works for three thousand to Stellovsky ..." (P. A. Isaev, October 10 (22), 1867 ) "Under the contract, I was obliged to deliver to Stellovsky by November 1 of last year [approx. It is about 1866] a new novel of at least 10 printed sheets of an ordinary seal, otherwise it was subjected to a terrible penalty ..." (A. P. Suslova, April 23 (May 5), 1867) "... in our contract there was an article according to which I promise him to publish a novel for his publication, no less than 12 printed pages, and if not Liu by November 1, 1866 (deadline), then he, Stellovsky, is free to publish it for free for nine years, and as he pleases, whatever I write without any reward to me ... . .. All such contracts are signed, even though they laugh, so I signed. "(In a letter to A. V. Korvin-Krukovskaya, June 17, 1866) Obviously, the contract stated that if Dostoevsky did not write a new novel in time then Stellovsky gets the right to publish in vain for 9 years all future works of Dostoevsky. This contract was more like a bondage, but at the time of signing the contract the writer urgently needed money, so he took the risk. Dostoevsky wrote about his feelings about the contract with Stellovsky: “I haven’t accepted Stellovsky’s novel yet, but I’ll take it. I made a plan - a very satisfactory novel, so there will be even signs of characters. .. "(to A. P. Milyukov July 10-15, 1866)

Source: http://www.alldostoevsky.ru/2015/02/istorija-sozdanija-roman-igrok-dostoevskij-i-anna-snitkina.htmltim

Website: www.alldostoevsky.ru

Scientifically Proven Tips for Beating Procrastination

Pick Your Poison. The key to beating procrastination is focus. ...

Start today. Once you've narrowed it down to one task, you must take immediate action. ...

Five Minute Miracle.

Do a Power Hour. ...

Kill It With Kindness. ...

Have a Procrastination Power Song.

Get under the hood. ...

Let It Go

I meant to end..."You can only do that by slaying the beast asap."

Would have been better!

NOCK

Funny you should ask (she said, procrastinating...;-)

'Procrastinating' is such a pejorative word. there was a good short essay on the topic at

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/25/smarter-living/why-you-procrastinate-it-has-nothing-to-do-with-self-control.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

I liked this summary for its wisdom:

"Procrastination isn’t a unique character flaw or a mysterious curse on your ability to manage time, but a way of coping with challenging emotions and negative moods induced by certain tasks — boredom, anxiety, insecurity, frustration, resentment, self-doubt and beyond.

“Procrastination is an emotion regulation problem, not a time management problem,” said Dr. Tim Pychyl, professor of psychology and member of the Procrastination Research Group at Carleton University in Ottawa."

You have had SO MUCH to cope with surviving your process, that for me, the question isn't why would you procrastinate, but where do you find the strength to keep going?

My advice would be to be gentle and kind with yourself. Remind yourself that you have coped with a phenomenal amount of junk to get where you are, and give yourself permission to rest when you need to. To quote Banksy, "If you get tired, learn to rest, not to quit." And give yourself permission to rest. Be your own ally - there are plenty of others in the world who are more than happy to help us beat ourselves up!

I think procrastination is not all bad. It can be an important warning sign that you have done too much lately and simply need a break. I think it is better to give into the occasional urge to procrastinate and do something relaxing or fun rather then "getting a grip" as some recommend here and forcing yourself to do things you don't want to do. The result will be uninspired anyway. Better take two days off and then come back with full energy.

I disagree. Procrastination implies a largely pointless process. If you partake of it, as we all do now and then, you're asking for reasons to carry, not for comfort and sleep. Those things you do need as well, but getting a grip is the vital need. Why would post a question like the one here? Because you're not coping and need s break? Probably not. You've got enough grip to ask it. More likely because you've temporarily lost your grip on ending your thesis. It would be better now if Sabine answered herself.

NOCK