How do you motivate yourself to do something?

[Feng]

How do you motivate yourself to stop daydreaming for a while to do something important? Whether it may be to complete an assignment for school, or find a job, or something small like doing grocery, I find it hard to tell myself to stop daydreaming and actually start doing something.

[Heinriech Heisner]

Simply, I would say just stop thinking and do something...but that doesn't always work for me. Perhaps we can channel our daydreaming into what we want to accomplish. You know, use your imagination as a tool rather than a hinderance. Make yourself an imaginary world around your goal. For example, In my alter-world, I designed a special box with a secret lock built into it for my neice and her spy club. Now I am crossing over the imaginative into reality by making drawings of it and buying the equipment that I need in order to make it real.

Also, as crazy as it sounds, sometimes when I go to the store, I pretend that I'm on a secret mission and I act out a character, unsuspiciously, in the real world. In my mind I might be looking for something special (even though in reality it's just a head of lettuce). It's like a big game. We just have to be careful that we don't cross over too much to where we get strange looks from others. On occasion I have crossed that line with full intention of acting as someone else. I don't feel fully comfortable doing this, but ultimately I believe that if I did it more often I would potentially become that new person (like an alias). Ultimately, people like us have no limitations.

[Heinriech Heisner]

Hmm, I was just thinking how unusual I thought that was, that is, how sometimes it takes me several days to get my mind ready for something simple like going to the store. Is it really like that for the rest of you? Maybe this is unrelated, but I use to walk several miles because I had too much anxiety to try riding the bus. Once I finally made the choice to do it, I became acustomed to it and my anxiety usually went away. Does that happen to others too?

[Devonte]

I experienced that problem today. I was suppose to do some studying among other things, but I started having negative daydreams. I tell myself "what are you daydreaming for?" Or if one of my characters says something I'll respond with "so I can stop daydreaming' or something appropriate. But my problem is, I can stop myself from day dreaming 20 times a day but after a while, I get really tired. I'm so worn out and depressed and once something negative happens it becomes overwhelming and I just can't fight anymore.

Everytime I talk about daydreams or thicken that line between reality and my fantasy world, I feel I stepped an inch closer to solving my problem. I'm gonna start trying new methods like writing down my daydreams or, God forbid because I'm so embarrassed, telling someone about them. Whenever I talk about my fantasy world in the real one it makes my fantasy one seem more ridiculous.

[Star Williams]

I am in college and it is bad. I NEED to study and my grades have suffered because of my lack of motivation. I managed a 3.8 gpa last semester and it is looking really bad this semester. As soon as I get back to my dorm room and realize my roommate is not there I want to turn on my computer and start listening to one of my favorite songs on the internet and daydream. This can go on and on. I wish there was a way in which I could trick myself into studying using that urge I get to daydream. I am like Devonte in which I can catch myself and daydream for just a minute here and ten minutes there and stop 20 times a day, but its like an uphill battle and it is so stressful and saddening. And what do people like us want to do when we're stressed? Daydream for hours. Then you stop, feel stupid that you could have been 2 chapters closer to getting a passing grade, and promise yourself that you are going to study nonstop. Then in the middle of your chapter you get that feeling again and you can't concentrate. Then off to your fantasy world in which you have a lover and people admire you and the whole bit. It even makes you smile and sometimes talk out loud (but not too loud) and laugh if you thought of something really clever to say in the daydream or did something really bold that you wouldn't do in real life. That is my battle. Fighting seems futile, but it is necessary for I do not want to regret not succeeding on account of something as seemingly simple as controlling what my mind does. After all, it is my mind. And monks do it all the time. They don't talk for years sometimes. THAT is discipline. Sometimes I feel like I should just put my life on pause and say, "hey anyone who cares, I'm going to join a cult, monastery, become a nun" or something crazy like that. Shave my head and find myself lol. That way I'll be forced to be around people all the time and feel a part of a team and have to focus on something and help other people. It would be difficult to daydream in those conditions and after a few years all will be better. I do believe daydreaming is a habit that we developed. I read somewhere that a habit takes 30 days to form. SO my theory is that if we stop for thirty days (easier typed than done) and then for another thirty days etc. then it won't be so much apart of us anymore. We will be out of practice so to speak. But beginning that journey takes courage and strength and finding another way to deal effectively with stress, sadness, boredom, disappointment, etc. Sometimes I feel as if it is bigger than me. Where to start? When will it end? When will I know that I have reached "that place?" People quit addictions cold turkey, can't I?

[kathleen]

oh my god..... thats exactly how i feel. but how to stop?

Star Williams said:

I am in college and it is bad. I NEED to study and my grades have suffered because of my lack of motivation. I managed a 3.8 gpa last semester and it is looking really bad this semester. As soon as I get back to my dorm room and realize my roommate is not there I want to turn on my computer and start listening to one of my favorite songs on the internet and daydream. This can go on and on. I wish there was a way in which I could trick myself into studying using that urge I get to daydream. I am like Devonte in which I can catch myself and daydream for just a minute here and ten minutes there and stop 20 times a day, but its like an uphill battle and it is so stressful and saddening. And what do people like us want to do when we're stressed? Daydream for hours. Then you stop, feel stupid that you could have been 2 chapters closer to getting a passing grade, and promise yourself that you are going to study nonstop. Then in the middle of your chapter you get that feeling again and you can't concentrate. Then off to your fantasy world in which you have a lover and people admire you and the whole bit. It even makes you smile and sometimes talk out loud (but not too loud) and laugh if you thought of something really clever to say in the daydream or did something really bold that you wouldn't do in real life. That is my battle. Fighting seems futile, but it is necessary for I do not want to regret not succeeding on account of something as seemingly simple as controlling what my mind does. After all, it is my mind. And monks do it all the time. They don't talk for years sometimes. THAT is discipline. Sometimes I feel like I should just put my life on pause and say, "hey anyone who cares, I'm going to join a cult, monastery, become a nun" or something crazy like that. Shave my head and find myself lol. That way I'll be forced to be around people all the time and feel a part of a team and have to focus on something and help other people. It would be difficult to daydream in those conditions and after a few years all will be better. I do believe daydreaming is a habit that we developed. I read somewhere that a habit takes 30 days to form. SO my theory is that if we stop for thirty days (easier typed than done) and then for another thirty days etc. then it won't be so much apart of us anymore. We will be out of practice so to speak. But beginning that journey takes courage and strength and finding another way to deal effectively with stress, sadness, boredom, disappointment, etc. Sometimes I feel as if it is bigger than me. Where to start? When will it end? When will I know that I have reached "that place?" People quit addictions cold turkey, can't I?

[Heinriech Heisner]

Aw, I wished I looked like a twelve year old. Well, my actions probably do anyway. I like to squeal the wheels around on the cart at the store. I don't think anyone notices it too much. But who cares? It's fun. It's unfortunate the rest of the world is too...whatever it is.

Billie Goat said:

I pretend I'm a spy behind enemy lines. I'll be in the grocery store looking for something (usually mac&cheese) and I'll dart down an aisle humming James Bond music. I often get mistaken for a kid just being weird. It's the only advantage to looking like a twelve year-old. : )

[Star Williams]

I don't know, lol. I don't know...

kathleen said:

oh my god..... thats exactly how i feel. but how to stop?

Star Williams said:

I am in college and it is bad. I NEED to study and my grades have suffered because of my lack of motivation. I managed a 3.8 gpa last semester and it is looking really bad this semester. As soon as I get back to my dorm room and realize my roommate is not there I want to turn on my computer and start listening to one of my favorite songs on the internet and daydream. This can go on and on. I wish there was a way in which I could trick myself into studying using that urge I get to daydream. I am like Devonte in which I can catch myself and daydream for just a minute here and ten minutes there and stop 20 times a day, but its like an uphill battle and it is so stressful and saddening. And what do people like us want to do when we're stressed? Daydream for hours. Then you stop, feel stupid that you could have been 2 chapters closer to getting a passing grade, and promise yourself that you are going to study nonstop. Then in the middle of your chapter you get that feeling again and you can't concentrate. Then off to your fantasy world in which you have a lover and people admire you and the whole bit. It even makes you smile and sometimes talk out loud (but not too loud) and laugh if you thought of something really clever to say in the daydream or did something really bold that you wouldn't do in real life. That is my battle. Fighting seems futile, but it is necessary for I do not want to regret not succeeding on account of something as seemingly simple as controlling what my mind does. After all, it is my mind. And monks do it all the time. They don't talk for years sometimes. THAT is discipline. Sometimes I feel like I should just put my life on pause and say, "hey anyone who cares, I'm going to join a cult, monastery, become a nun" or something crazy like that. Shave my head and find myself lol. That way I'll be forced to be around people all the time and feel a part of a team and have to focus on something and help other people. It would be difficult to daydream in those conditions and after a few years all will be better. I do believe daydreaming is a habit that we developed. I read somewhere that a habit takes 30 days to form. SO my theory is that if we stop for thirty days (easier typed than done) and then for another thirty days etc. then it won't be so much apart of us anymore. We will be out of practice so to speak. But beginning that journey takes courage and strength and finding another way to deal effectively with stress, sadness, boredom, disappointment, etc. Sometimes I feel as if it is bigger than me. Where to start? When will it end? When will I know that I have reached "that place?" People quit addictions cold turkey, can't I?

[Sarah]

"Sometimes I feel like I should just put my life on pause and say, "hey anyone who cares, I'm going to join a cult, monastery, become a nun" or something crazy like that. Shave my head and find myself lol. That way I'll be forced to be around people all the time and feel a part of a team and have to focus on something"

Me too! I often think self-discipline and enforced constant company would be the best solution. At the moment I'm reading a book about some of the early monastic orders ... unfortunately, when it came to self-control they were RUBBISH. It seems they spent their entire lives messing up, resolving to change and starting again ... over and over and over. Not very inspiring but it makes for very entertaining and reassuring reading!

[Tinkerbell]

I tell myself that it is very important that I get up in that instant because I have loads to do.  As my MD is triggered off by feeling bored or depressed.  If I am really low I will give myself a hug and say, "Everything will be alright2  and then, I get uop and do what I have to do.