I constantly put off chores. Mowing, washing dishes, cleaning the gutters, exercising, just everything pretty much. I have always been like that. It is very difficult for me to get started on most anything, even productive game dev stuff.

For many years I have on occasion watch videos and done some reading on motivation and discipline. Hardly anything I've found has any lasting effect.

Around 3 years ago, the gutters were in need of cleaning. I had put this off for a couple of weeks. Now the idea of the gutters filling with 100's of pounds of water is quite bothersome to me, but no rain in the forecast, it can wait.

At the time I was reading something about motivation and it had a technique that I had never heard of before. It was extremely simple and took hardly any effort. I decided to try it just on a lark more or less and I used the gutter cleaning as a test.

Less than 10 minutes later I was on the roof cleaning the gutters.

You may ask how did the second time go? I have not tried it a second time.

So why have I not tried a second time after 3 years? Right now my dishes are in dire need of washing. They are rinsed off, not smelling or anything, so washing can wait for a while longer. I know if I try the technique and it works, guess what? I'm going to be washing dishes. But I'm not wanting to wash the dishes until I absolutely have to so I'm not going to try the technique.

That's the original reason I haven't tried again and it's the biggest.

Here are some other reasons I have not tried again.
   What if it was a fluke and it just worked that one time? That would suck.
   What if it works great but I get diminishing results each time?
   What if I motivate myself to do the wrong thing?

I can't believe I am afraid to try something again that takes no effort and has the potential to be life changing. It's so ridiculous.

2 hours ago, fleabay said:

I constantly put off chores. Mowing, washing dishes, cleaning the gutters, exercising, just everything pretty much. I have always been like that. It is very difficult for me to get started on most anything, even productive game dev stuff.

Yeah, some of that shimmers through your posts sometimes (oops). I hate to say it, but the only way of accomplishing something is accomplishing something. Do it, or leave it. We can't all be good at everything but we all can learn. Well, individual cases of the contrary just confirm the general rule ?

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For many years I have on occasion watch videos and done some reading on motivation and discipline. Hardly anything I've found has any lasting effect.

Hm. Who knows somebody who has ever taken advantage of motivation training ? (Looks around, sees no hand). If your attention span is short, how about taking on short lasting tasks ? Just to avoid frustration ... or attach to somebody else who lacks what you can offer.

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Around 3 years ago, the gutters were in need of cleaning. I had put this off for a couple of weeks. Now the idea of the gutters filling with 100's of pounds of water is quite bothersome to me, but no rain in the forecast, it can wait.

It is easier to clean them when its dry. Or do you mean by cleaning "just wash it all down" ? That could lead to more expensive work removing the congestions ...

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At the time I was reading something about motivation and it had a technique that I had never heard of before. It was extremely simple and took hardly any effort. I decided to try it just on a lark more or less and I used the gutter cleaning as a test.

Less than 10 minutes later I was on the roof cleaning the gutters.

You may ask how did the second time go? I have not tried it a second time.

You could move into a house without gutters ... or pay somebody to do it.

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So why have I not tried a second time after 3 years? Right now my dishes are in dire need of washing. They are rinsed off, not smelling or anything, so washing can wait for a while longer.

I couldn't do that here. First the Geckos would appear, and when they are satisfied and there's still something left, i'd have the ants, then cockroaches and at last the maggots. When everything has been eaten up, they dried up mass would form a chunk of dead biomatter. I know because i once found the remains of a mouse the cat had brought in and that had escaped behind the furniture and never got out again ...

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I know if I try the technique and it works, guess what? I'm going to be washing dishes. But I'm not wanting to wash the dishes until I absolutely have to so I'm not going to try the technique.

Nobody asked if you wanted. Go and wash the dishes. Then clean the gutter. Then write a little program just for fun and at night go down to the harbour bar and have a couple of cold ones. I will do so later :-)

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[snipped the piffle]

I can't believe I am afraid to try something again that takes no effort and has the potential to be life changing. It's so ridiculous.

Nor can i and no comment ?

Get up and do something. It doesn't have to be awesome. Just do something !

Cheers from a friendly

gb

4 hours ago, Green_Baron said:

Get up and do something. It doesn't have to be awesome. Just do something !

Thanks for your reply but you missed the whole point of my post. The post was about the avoidance of doing a simple technique that I know has the potential to motive me.

4 hours ago, Green_Baron said:

First the Geckos would appear, and when they are satisfied and there's still something left, i'd have the ants, then cockroaches and at last the maggots. When everything has been eaten up, they dried up mass would form a chunk of dead biomatter.

From this I wonder if you read anything I said. The dishes are rinsed off. Aside from that they were just used as an example of why I'm not using my simple technique again.

4 hours ago, Green_Baron said:

You could move into a house without gutters ... or pay somebody to do it.

Again you haven't understood my point. Maybe I failed to explain clearly.

The dishes and gutters are taken care of before they become a problem.

4 hours ago, Green_Baron said:

Get up and do something.

Good advice but again...

4 hours ago, Green_Baron said:

First the Geckos would appear

That would be awesome. I would keep dirty dishes on purpose.

44 minutes ago, fleabay said:

.... you missed the whole point of my post. ...

Oh, sorry, i thought you had a motivation problem.

44 minutes ago, fleabay said:

 I would keep dirty dishes on purpose.

They shit everywhere. You'd soon be host to tapeworms ...

Anyway, hope you solve it :-)

49 minutes ago, Green_Baron said:

They shit everywhere. You'd soon be host to tapeworms ...

Just wondering how do they get in the house? I can understand maggots (flies) and roaches can sneak in but a lizard?

Canarian Gecko is a really abundant creature over hear. Maybe second only to the Canarian Lizard. While the lizard is active in daylight, the Gecko comes out at night, hunting small insects, but i have seen them also on a left over salad or sleeping on the muesli. And they can make funny noises.

They are only 5 to 8cm in length, can come in through the kitchen exhaust hood or the fireplace chimney, or just the open window or door, spend the daytime behind the furniture, everywhere where it is dark and no movement happens and comes out when the sun is gone.

Maybe a form of self domestication, there are no enemies in the house (the cat usually ignores them), abundant to eat, peace and quiet. Outside they'd have to compete ...

Btw., we also have Scolopendra here. Fascinating creatures ! I always imagine how the fauna looked like in the Cretaceous Carboniferous  ...

On 10/9/2019 at 4:58 PM, fleabay said:

Thanks for your reply but you missed the whole point of my post. The post was about the avoidance of doing a simple technique that I know has the potential to motive me.

Motivation is only needed for things you do not like to be doing, that means you pretty much dislike everything.

Your only solution is to discover the actual joy in it, for example exercising- do not count, do not force, just enjoy, and then feel some better, this will put on better physical feeling and muse and motivation to then clean up stuff for example.

I think you get my point, you need to be a  better discoverer.

And in the end a little legal advise if you live in the US, if you are facing some repetitive boring task but finaly dangerous to be left for latter, get stoned

On 10/9/2019 at 10:56 AM, fleabay said:

I constantly put off chores. Mowing, washing dishes, cleaning the gutters, exercising, just everything pretty much. I have always been like that. It is very difficult for me to get started on most anything, even productive game dev stuff.

For many years I have on occasion watch videos and done some reading on motivation and discipline. Hardly anything I've found has any lasting effect.

Around 3 years ago, the gutters were in need of cleaning. I had put this off for a couple of weeks. Now the idea of the gutters filling with 100's of pounds of water is quite bothersome to me, but no rain in the forecast, it can wait.

At the time I was reading something about motivation and it had a technique that I had never heard of before. It was extremely simple and took hardly any effort. I decided to try it just on a lark more or less and I used the gutter cleaning as a test.

Less than 10 minutes later I was on the roof cleaning the gutters.

You may ask how did the second time go? I have not tried it a second time.

So why have I not tried a second time after 3 years? Right now my dishes are in dire need of washing. They are rinsed off, not smelling or anything, so washing can wait for a while longer. I know if I try the technique and it works, guess what? I'm going to be washing dishes. But I'm not wanting to wash the dishes until I absolutely have to so I'm not going to try the technique.

That's the original reason I haven't tried again and it's the biggest.

Here are some other reasons I have not tried again.
   What if it was a fluke and it just worked that one time? That would suck.
   What if it works great but I get diminishing results each time?
   What if I motivate myself to do the wrong thing?

You might have misunderstood the meaning of the word motivation.

• You see it as something "everyone can do it other than myself, it's easy peasy to
  others".
  Motivation isn't super easy to anyone.
• It makes you start doing a task, but to pull it off, you need self-discipline.
• You motivate yourself by doing something you want to do.

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I can't believe I am afraid to try something again that takes no effort and has the potential to be life changing. It's so ridiculous.

Don't panic.

Test different techniques. Or concepts: like self-discipline is more important than motivation.
Testing shaves off a lot of time of tasks and if you never test something new in your life, you
won't learn as much as you could.

@fleabay may I ask what you are doing on everyday life ? Are you a student ? Do you work ?

On 10/9/2019 at 10:56 AM, fleabay said:

I can't believe I am afraid to try something again that takes no effort and has the potential to be life changing. It's so ridiculous.

Washing the dishes and cleaning the roof takes no effort???

Sorry, but I'm not buying that one.