Solving "Procrastination" - Especially for ADH(D) Neurodivergents

Here's an example of an example brain-storm on solving procrastination.

Procrastination:

• What's do you think the mechanism is under the "procrastination"?

  • For me, my ANTIPATTERN that drives what I label as "procrastination" is an ADH(D) neurodivergent pattern. It's what some person said as a wise joke about ADHD people, we don't "procrastinate" in the sense of sitting-around-inactive or not doing anything, it's just we find so many more seemingly more-interesting-right-now tasks to do in the meantime rather than getting back to the task at hand.

    • The ANTIPATTERN I tend to have here, is of this above flavor.

    • My favorite books on unlocking this ANTIPATTERN are https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Elephant_in_the_ADHD_Room and https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/das-groe-handbuch-fr-erwachsene-mit-adhs_russell-a-barkley/26492932/#edition=59149773&idiq=46019516

• IDENTIFIED my ANTIPATTERN above, the KEY FACTORS are

  • PERCEIVED BOREDOM of the Task or Continuing the Task

  • Challenge in STARTING or rather RE-STARTING (e.g. CONTINUING) a Task/Project

  • Challenge in STAYING within SCOPE of project rather than go in a million directions because it's so "interesting" and "novelty-seeking" out-of-hand

  • Limited "Random Access Memory" --> out-of-sight, out-of-mind

  • unmet needs for SOCIAL, ACTIVITY, CREATIVITY, SPEED, INDEPENDENCE

• How I SOLVE for "procrastination" to "task completion and throughput" with SUCCESS PATTERN to REPLACE the above ANTIPATTERN:

  • When working from home and need to do something not-social at my desk or computer, I know SOCIAL is one of my Elements-of-Interest and helps me stay on task. I fire up CaveDay App and have Gallery-View on one monitor, and I participate in a couple "Break Out" room Five Minute check-ins. On the breaks, I jump on a small adult indoor trampoline or sing. This way I'm incorporating into my day:

    • A supportive context / environment that supports me

    • I get 2-3 minute doses of SOCIAL in the breakout rooms every hour

    • I get some exercise doses of MOVEMENT on my trampoline each hour

    • Keeping the Gallery View open in my smaller second monitor helps me stay on task by seeing other people are working too --> it sounds silly but I think it's a human think we're sort of evolved for. It's a form of "association hacking" or the principle of "hang around people who are doing the activity you want to be doing"

  • I used the SHELPFUL.com service (my Promo code as affiliate is Peter314 that gets anyone who joins 50% off and gets me $20 off my subscription. It also helps me build rapport with their team, like co-founder there Sharon from YCombinator, so I appreciate it.)

    • My Shelpful person texts me on weekdays at various times in the day and helps me stay on track with my tasks for the day and give encouragement.

  • I have a few friends that are also entrepreneurs or are just good sounding boards that I usually do a deep-dive back and forth text once a week with sharing WINs, what I want to tackle next, and so forth.

  • Using the ELEPHANT in the ADHD Room book, I have IDENTIFIED many of my KEY ELEMENTS OF INTEREST -- such as physical movement, social, speed, creativity, writing, reading, ideas, new ideas, talking to people, brainstorming, independence... and I know I can try to ADD-these-Ingredients to tasks to make it more-likely I will get them done. EXAMPLES OF ADDING ELEMENTS OF INTEREST to say RECONCILING MY BOOKKEEPING a task I typically procrastinated in the past:

    • turn on CAVEDAY --> make it SOCIAL

    • ADD MOVEMENT --> my indoor small adult trampoline and kungfu-form I do on Caveday 2-3 minute breaks each hour. I use my standing desk standing-mode when I feel like it.

    • I remember that managing my business to profitable is part of my value of INDEPENDENCE

  • I know from the ELEPHANT book and then doing MICROEXPERIMENTS that my brain has common ERROR of Assuming that I will be Bored doing something prior to doing or re-starting the task, when in fact I actually enjoy it / am interested often. Reminding myself of this helps.

  • I remind myself of the "feelings FOLLOW behavior" principle from behavior activation and I sometimes listen to the Jocko Willink Akira the Don song on "Just Go Do It" especially where he is future-pacing himself of that know that after-you-do-it how you will feel is pretty much guaranteed.

  • CHAPERONE or shift from DIY to DWY (done-WITH-you) or DFY (done-FOR-you).

    • Alot of things I can do if I trade time-for-time with another entrepreneur to CHAPERONE or PAIR with me on STARTING or RESTARTING a task.

    • Alot of things I just need to DELEGATE or OUTSOURCE. I am GOOD enough at enough tasks that win time, money, or goodwill that I can LEVERAGE those and then TRADE for others to do TASKS that are not my passion... e.g. my affordable accountant (props to you Eddie Jackson, CPA, in Nashville) is awesome even though he still has an aol email address :-)

  • Pomodoro PLAY/WORK timer along with giving myself Star Stickers https://www.amazon.com/Productivity-Timer-Minutes-Effective-Pomodoro/dp/B06XC6BJBX