You mean this isn’t just the human experience?

yes

Over the years, I’ve gotten better at preventing this. But it still happens from time to time.

I don’t have all of the answers or perhaps an answer that could work for you, but I do find that having a to-do list and only entering one thing then completing it before moving on, to work best for me. I would often think negatively about myself and thing that nothing worthwhile was done that day. That was until I kept doing my to-do list. Now I’m able to look back and see that I had done multiple things that day.

As for the lack of motivation, I’m still figuring out what helps me most of all. But there really is a power in just starting in on that thing you’ve been putting off. As a recovering procrastinator, I keep three things I keep in mind when I feel a lack of motivation.

A. Have I been able to figure out how to take ‘bite sized’ chunk(s) of the project or task, and complete it?

Knowing how much you can take on is key here. We can quickly become overwhelmed if we don’t scale our bites to be more appropriate to our abilities and bandwidths.

B. Am I unsure of where to start with this project?

While it may seem to be an easy preparation task, it can become quite more than just that if you over think it or aren’t knowledgeable or experienced about the things you will need for the project.

C. Am I worried about the end result and/or how others might perceive the finished task or project? Is my perfectionist side getting in the way of a completed task/task list/project? Or could it be, that I’m unsure or uncomfortable with preforming and/or producing the necessary things to complete a given task/task list/project?

Often times for me, it’s more than just one of these things, that are keeping me from starting and/or completing a task/set of tasks/project.

Every damn day…

Yeah im there.

Won’t lie. I’ve got a little wiggler in my life. I never feel ennui anymore.

It’s definitely a struggle to find free time for personal hobbies or even just mindless recreation. But I’m also spending a lot more time at the park or the local running trails, playing catch and tag, eating ice cream, playing fetch with the dog, dancing to loud music, reading books, and just kinda roughhousing with a bundle of endless energy.

It’s not for everyone, obviously. But what you might really need is someone else to do the things you love. Hobbies without peers or mentor/mentee can feel hollow. Collaborative projects generate their own kind of energy and momentum, as you get to aim bigger and tackle more complex problems without being overwhelmed by overspecialized minutae. And teaching someone else the basics is a great way of reviewing/practicing what you already know without it feeling boring or mundane.

Oh hey, that sounds a bit like my cursed cycle of Cognitive Entrapment. I fall into it involuntarily every time I lose my job and can’t find a new one. (This slop is worth reading I promise:)

I’ve been in this cycle for decades.

I see that you, too, have ADHD

I thank thats depression. Or ADHD.

This is what weed is for my friend.

I’m in this picture and i don’t like it

I’ve been this way for a while and i can feel my friends drifting away. Good shit.

Not sure I ever existed any other way, hence long history of self medication. But I’m learning schema therapy at the moment and using Lemmy to talk about concepts helps to solidify them so here’s some unsolicited advice.

Shame is never going to be conducive to getting out of that cycle. You can’t self flagellate yourself out of it, but your brain might depend on shame in order to reaffirm what you think you know to be true about yourself and to stay in a familiar cycle.

Schema uses a model including ‘neurotypical critic’ to simplify all these messages we internalise from a society that focuses on optimisation and productivity. Beliefs we form about ourselves that typically solidify by the time we’re 5 years old.

This sums up a lot of my life recently.