Any tips on overcoming procrastination...

PaulJ

Hi everyone,

I've found myself getting lazy and procrastinating when it comes to my guitar playing and teaching myself the whole home recording thing. I tend to get excited about getting the next piece of gear only for the high to last a few days, then drops off and I'm back to watching TV/Internet surfing/looking for the next piece of gear on Junktree etc. rather than getting into the studio I built and practicing/learning my instruments. (Admittedly we do have new baby in the house, but I do still get some time to go into the studio and do something, but find it's more of a hassle to go in and opt to plonk my fat ass on the couch and do something else)

Any tips on getting back into the swing of things and focusing on my technique etc. :-\

Do you guys have any set workflow you stick to, to help you get through your exercises and practice?

coynegfsa

PaulJ wrote: Hi everyone,

I've found myself getting lazy and procrastinating when it comes to my guitar playing and teaching myself the whole home recording thing. I tend to get excited about getting the next piece of gear only for the high to last a few days, then drops off and I'm back to watching TV/Internet surfing/looking for the next piece of gear on Junktree etc. rather than getting into the studio I built and practicing/learning my instruments. (Admittedly we do have new baby in the house, but I do still get some time to go into the studio and do something, but find it's more of a hassle to go in and opt to plonk my fat ass on the couch and do something else)

Any tips on getting back into the swing of things and focusing on my technique etc. :-\

Do you guys have any set workflow you stick to, to help you get through your exercises and practice?

I'll tell you tomorrow. ?

Seriously though, what I'd suggest is setting goals for yourself. It gives you something to work towards. Work outside your genre for a bit, do something different, tackle something new - whether it's new songs, a new sound, whatever. It should help you get into the swing of things again.

Isis

You first need to think about why it is you are procrastinating. Laziness is not really an answer though. If I told you can come pick up my Gibson Les Paul Custom for R100, you'd be in your car in about 3 seconds flat, no underwear and all.

Usually we procrastinate because we feel overwhelmed or we lack the perceived skill to do something. Perfectionism can also be a culprit, although this is very personality dependent.

The paradoxical part is, the more we procrastinate the more we feel we should pick up the pace to make up for lost time. This however puts more pressure on us and we tend to procrastinate even further.

I've found two ways that works for me.

a) Limit the time you are allowed to spend on the task. Tomorrow pick up your guitar and limit yourself to 5 minutes of play. After 5 minutes put your guitar away, whether you want to or not. Incrementally increase your alloted time every day by 1 or 2 minutes. If you still don't feel up to it you still have to do a minimum of 5 minutes. Really force yourself to sit and play for just 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, if you still don't want to play, pack your guitar away and call it a day. Try again tomorrow...

b) Structured procrastination. This one is a bit weird, although I think it's ingenious. Find something you really need to do (but don't want to) and avoid doing it by playing guitar instead.

"Honey, come do the dishes please"
"Sure babe. I just need to run through these scales a couple of times" ? (then proceed playing guitar until 12 pm)

Keira-WitherKay

Hey dude , why question it ..... Playing guitar well, takes hard work ...... So do like "nike" says " just do it " simple as that ..... If it was so easy everyone would be rockstars .....

vic

PaulJ wrote: Hi everyone,

I've found myself getting lazy and procrastinating when it comes to my guitar playing and teaching myself the whole home recording thing. I tend to get excited about getting the next piece of gear only for the high to last a few days, then drops off and I'm back to watching TV/Internet surfing/looking for the next piece of gear on Junktree etc. rather than getting into the studio I built and practicing/learning my instruments. (Admittedly we do have new baby in the house, but I do still get some time to go into the studio and do something, but find it's more of a hassle to go in and opt to plonk my fat ass on the couch and do something else)

Any tips on getting back into the swing of things and focusing on my technique etc. :-\

Do you guys have any set workflow you stick to, to help you get through your exercises and practice?

I was going to suggest to get a new piece of gear LOL ! I think you've identified your problem (see bold quote) ....to be honest I think it's quite serious and you should look into that. Consult someone who can perhaps help you with your "situation"....there may be more to it than you realise.

Chocklit_Thunda

☹ I need this thread...

I have a Construction test tomorrow and I'm on GFSA :'(

Wizard

b wrote: a) Limit the time you are allowed to spend on the task.

+1 !!

I'm a perfectionist procrastinator and this really, really works.
Makes you really focus because suddenly you have limited time to do the job.

Brains are weird things.

P.S.
Brains are the most important organ in the body ....
... according to the brain

Isis

Chocklit_Thunda wrote: ☹ I need this thread...

I have a Construction test tomorrow and I'm on GFSA :'(

I feel your pain :goodtimes:

I started out reading articles, gave myself a 30 minute break (that was at 7:15), been playing guitar and browsing the interweb machine ever since.

P.s

Op, that new gear feeling is nothing to be ashamed of. You are hardwired to seek novelty (aka new shiny guitars etc) and your brain rewards you with some lekker feel chemicals to reinforce the behavior. This is why it fades relatively quickly as well unfortunately. To make it worse, if you are like me, searching for gear can lead to some serious flow experiences. It's akin to experiencing "the zone" when playing sport. you completely lose yourself in the experience.

Don't be too hard on yourself. You are very much normal and we all struggle with this ?

domhatch

PaulJ wrote: Hi everyone,

I've found myself getting lazy and procrastinating when it comes to my guitar playing and teaching myself the whole home recording thing. I tend to get excited about getting the next piece of gear only for the high to last a few days, then drops off and I'm back to watching TV/Internet surfing/looking for the next piece of gear on Junktree etc. rather than getting into the studio I built and practicing/learning my instruments. (Admittedly we do have new baby in the house, but I do still get some time to go into the studio and do something, but find it's more of a hassle to go in and opt to plonk my fat ass on the couch and do something else)

Any tips on getting back into the swing of things and focusing on my technique etc. :-\

Do you guys have any set workflow you stick to, to help you get through your exercises and practice?

Boy, do you have problems. I'll lay them out for you:
Laziness
Procrastination
GAS
Distraction
A new baby
The wrong option

Laziness is a choice, and you just have to start making different ones. Procrastination is a decision, and you gotta start making netter ones. GAS is an affliction, and brother, heal yourself. If you must, check out the Guitar Pron on this very site, should keep you going for weeks, if not months. Distractions are all around us, and we must learn to ignore them. A new baby, well, that's not something you're gonna get away from, but something you can either work around, or accommodate. Babies love lullabies, for instance. The repetitive nature of scales might help put the little one to sleep (I have two kids, so I know this is just wishful thinking...)

The point is, you've outlined a whole host of reasons why you can't/aren't playing. And not one why you would like to be, or should be. Figure that out, focus on that more, and I suspect you might start finding your way back.

Good luck
dh|

---mario---

I'm going to make a silly suggestion.
Next time you feel the gas urge creeping in, go to your favourite pawn shop or music shop or whatever, have a seat and ask the person working there to bring you some guitars in your price bracket and have a go playing them, without looking at them first. Open eyes only once you've decided on one of the options.
That way the next guitar you decide to buy will be to play, not just for looking at.

Edit: congratulations with the newborn, may the joy he/she brings be worth more than it's weight in sleep. ?

6x9base13

Put off procrastination !

Procrastinate tomorrow, play guitar today !

Edit to add :- Whether you think you can or think you can't , you're right !

PPS. Not every bodies cup of tea, but a lot of what Anthony Robbins says often gets my mind on track. Check his Personal Power and / or Mastery audio course out if you have a gap.

singemonkey

Don't worry about this now. There's plenty of time.

Manfred-Klose

haha singe ?

i found this
http://youarenotsosmart.com/2010/10/27/procrastination/

Chocklit_Thunda

Manfred Klose wrote: haha singe ?

i found this
http://youarenotsosmart.com/2010/10/27/procrastination/

Geeze that's so true actually! Even on the pvr I've got some havu Oscar nominees recorded but still unwatched but I have lighthearted movies recorded that I'll watch the day after! ?

Attila

A bit of self discipline, Internalize this question and answer it to yourself on paper......read it back to yourself aloud and keep adapting it until it makes sense to you

1) keep at least one guitar out and readily playable

2) Schedule fixed times for internet stuff, gig with others (lessons), exercise, etc. ect.

If will sound a little robotic for a few days, thereafter it will become habit.

peace

RJN

My Solution is to have my F310 in the TV room. So, when i sit and watch tv i feel guilty and so i pickup the guitar and play/practise.

aja

http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20130403014705-1791094-sign-yourself-up-to-procrastinate-less-by-doing-more

slyd

I suggest . . . . .

don't rush into anything . . . . . ..

aja

chris77

Naah, don't stress it. Unless you're playing for money, the reason you're playing is purely because it makes you happy doing so. Sometimes in life there will be other things that make you happier, and you'll spend most of your leisure time enjoying them instead. No need to feel guilty about it. I don't think one can ever really learn to not love something you're passionate about, so sooner rather than later you will be back making music and enjoying every minute of it.

Granted, surfing the net and watching TV is'n exactly the most productive way to spend your time, but sometimes it's good to just switch off and be a zombie for a little while. :-[