Why something is done. The reasons and rationales for one's thoughts, feelings or actions.

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4
votes
8answers
211 views

The flow phenomena

Short: How to trigger so called "flow" phenomena during everyday work routine (which is not really challenging)? A bit more detailed: On Wikipedia site about flow we can read: Flow is the mental ...
5
votes
3answers
149 views

How can I get rid of the psychological effects of bad experiences from the past?

As a college student, I had my shares of failures in exams, courses, quite a handful of it, so much that it resulted in my one year extension in the university. With this I feel that my past failures ...
11
votes
8answers
366 views

When I'm going back to an old complex project, how can I restore my focus and motivation?

I've had a few weeks break from a large and difficult project that I've been working on for two years. The project could be a few weeks from shipping, if I can manage to focus on it. I've noticed a ...
33
votes
7answers
1k views

What is a good way to begin your work day?

I work for a very small company and most of the time I work alone and manage my own work and don't get much feedback. I'm not completely used to this and though I have projects and to do lists and ...
19
votes
11answers
970 views

Why do I start wasting time when I am excited about learning some technical stuff?

I make plans, todo lists, etc. about the technical stuff which I have to study. I am not, but I do wish to become an excellent C++ programmer. Now, * (when I am pretty excited about learning the ...
0
votes
3answers
116 views

Helping young people that want to improve productivity, but are struggling with authority?

Only a few years ago I was in at that age where everyone around me wanted to party and only have a good time. Even then I was driven to look for another path. Now I find myself with some younger ...
1
vote
2answers
128 views

How should one feel inside when he sees the clash of education and money? [closed]

I have a bachelor and masters degree from a local university. I work in a bank. As time is going by, I am becoming more and more demotivated about my job. Here I see that university-degree holders ...
6
votes
5answers
206 views

Burnout in the middle of semester

I am a student studying the last semester of a 2-year Master's course. My performance in the last three semesters has been according to my expectations. In my last winter break, I had spent almost all ...
14
votes
7answers
1k views

What could I do to convince myself to finish my projects?

Here: you can read : "Often, tasks are delayed till a reasonable time before the deadline. Just because you feel like you can do it later; [blabla] ..." This is not the real problem I've been facing ...
4
votes
5answers
228 views

What can help me be happy about my work?

Before I choose to commit to a project, I'm usually very excited about it. But as soon as the commitment actually requires me to put an effort in, the excitement is partly replaced by stress or the ...
0
votes
4answers
145 views

What should be my motivation to not to give up early?

Suppose, I am mot performing well in my job. I know that management will not give me a second chance and my job can not go on this way. What will be my motivation to keep the job up and try till the ...
10
votes
6answers
368 views

How to keep oneself from feeling dejected?? — Student's point of view

I am a student who is introverted and I believe in making my own success I set goals, plan my time well and work towards the goal. However, of late, I feel that I am moving towards my goals at a ...
5
votes
6answers
151 views

Nudges - to achieve personal change?

I have tried a system of sending myself timed emails daily (using virtual meetings in Google Calendar), each containing a self-message; e.g. at 6am 'stay positive', at 8.30am 'break work down into ...
2
votes
5answers
142 views

Will my workplace benefit from a stack exchange clone on the intranet?

I am thinking of proposing to setup a stack exchange clone at our company intranet. The idea is to have a place where anybody can ask a question about anything work related, especially about our IT ...
10
votes
5answers
259 views

How to enjoy trying to solve hard problems?

How do I enjoy solving hard problems? I love learning--reading and understanding textbooks or papers, for instance--but I am slower to try to solve problems or apply what I've learned. I am naturally ...
7
votes
3answers
111 views

How to better switch gears between tasks?

I can never get myself to start things. When I do, however, and there's an unsolvable problem that needs solving, if I pick up even a little momentum in trying to solve it, I will stay on the ...
19
votes
9answers
2k views

How to motivate people to self-improve themselves?

I'm the curious type of person that likes to learn more, do things in less time, do things better, etc. I take that as a personal challenge and I honestly love it. Of course, it IS a challenge, not ...
1
vote
3answers
131 views

How to concentrate again after getting stuck at some point

I'm a self-employed IT guy at the moment. My self discipline is quite decent usually, I plan and think a lot before implementing something. I got stuck at some point now, because I didn't foresee a ...
1
vote
3answers
189 views

How do I get motivated to study hard things?

Nowadays I study Logic and Philosophy. I think a lot in order to generate new ideas and try not to just know what other's ideas are. This is hard, and I know that Mastery/Autonomy/Purpose help in ...
7
votes
4answers
1k views

How to stop talking LOUDLY to myself?

I have a habit of talking "loudly" to myself. I get an immense satisfaction by doing so. At the same time, I tend to do this in the market, while driving the scooter, working on a C program. ...
3
votes
6answers
328 views

Being motivated for self study

I am a software professional. I have reached a stage in career where I will have to do something apart from regular coding. I am very confused about what that extra thing should be. Sometimes I think ...
4
votes
2answers
168 views

How to overcome productivity/daytime-correlation

After reading some threads here on PP.SE, I've encountered that a lot of people seem to be more motivated and focused in the late evening/night to do challenging and work-intense tasks. ...
13
votes
4answers
677 views

Dealing with Existential Crisis

I was reading a comic on PhDComics and although it is funny, sadly, it is also true. Grad students I know (including me) usually fall into one of these existential crisis at least once a semester. And ...
5
votes
5answers
235 views

How do I get back to doing what I love?

A little background. I started coding in C++ about 5 years ago. Ever since then, I was sure that I wanted a life in code :) In my last 2 semesters, I wrote quite a bit of code for varied purposes. ...
3
votes
1answer
103 views

Improve productivity in a non will job

I need help. I am a software engineer but i didn't opt for this career by will. I did it because of family pressure. I wanted to be a cricketer. I have got good results in all my exams and also been ...
3
votes
3answers
244 views

How to handle short-term high workload?

Occasionally, I have several important, high workload tasks to be done within a short period of time. Some examples would be (as a student) several assignments released at the same time and due at the ...
45
votes
15answers
3k views

How do I make myself stop doing addictive activity?

Some examples of such activity: browsing this site without a particular goal browsing your friends' profiles on social networks reading news hugging with you spouse (endlessly) watching TV You can ...
5
votes
9answers
247 views

How do I start working even having scheduled my day and long term tasks?

I have read things about productivity techniques here and in other places but I still can't get focused. Currently I am searching my first big paid job as I am a recent graduate. I also am designing ...
10
votes
4answers
287 views

Losing Motivation during project

I am a Computer Engineer and working at a Software House as Software Engineer for the last 2 years. I usually observe things a lot and try to get an idea from everything to do something ...
10
votes
6answers
308 views

How to get motivation to do important things in the morning?

I have developed a very bad routine of checking my emails, twitter and few other websites after waking up in the morning. Generally, i wake up at 8 AM and start with my important things very late, ...
16
votes
3answers
416 views

Why am I wired to be motivated to go to work everyday and not motivated to do other things?

I have wondered for some time why I find it so hard to keep motivated to do things like exercising, reading, looking for business opportunities, getting up early etc. I have tried a raft of different ...
3
votes
4answers
233 views

How to overcome cold/allergies/mild sickness?

I am often very productive and motivated. However, this is destroyed when I have a cold or allergies or am simply not feeling well. I am not talking about having a very obvious illness - I am ...
2
votes
4answers
210 views

How do you usually look for inspiration to move on?

Imagine the situation when you stuck with your everyday duties: you have a clear ultimate goal for this week/year/life, but the initial motivation you had when a project started is totally used up. In ...
5
votes
5answers
318 views

What Android applications schedule tasks which appear each day?

I have some tasks to complete everyday (the same task every day) or on a weekly basis (e.g. every Saturday) and during a particular period (e.g. January 10 to April 20). Are there any applications ...
0
votes
0answers
93 views

Please tell me the way to motivate myself [closed]

Today I was robbed on the way from my office to home. I am deeply socked, mentally upset and I am palpitating. Please tell me how to motivate myself. Did that incident has any positive side?
2
votes
4answers
191 views

How to get motivated to finish my incomplete book?

How do I get motivated to finish a book I've been writing for a long time now? I read this article and liked #1 and 2 but I have no idea how to make it fun or how to enjoy it. I can find the good ...
6
votes
7answers
479 views

Putting limits on one's time online

As per Piers Steel's "procrastination equation", Motivation = (Expectancy x Value) / (Impulsiveness x Delay) I find that most of my own procrastination tends to involve the Internet and the easily ...
1
vote
3answers
206 views

How to find a task/goal that you are passionate about?

Are there tools that can help me identify what kinds of tasks/goals I could be passionate about. Any resources that provide insight into reasons why people are passionate about certain goals/tasks?
5
votes
4answers
386 views

How to live a life that doesn't require constant tension for livelihood? [closed]

When I was jobless, for days I used to search for a profession that will give me a balance of relaxation, monetary solvency, education and social status in the context of my country. Then after much ...
34
votes
12answers
2k views

Good at writing Todo lists, but awful at doing them

At night, before going to bed, I write a TO-DO list to remember what I want to do tomorrow. It includes everything I wish to do, like what I wished to do when I was a child! When I get up in the ...
18
votes
2answers
449 views

What methods exist to keep yourself motivated when working alone?

When I studied, I went to the library to have some form of social control. The social pressure made me work better. I'm now working from home for a living. It's my first week and my motivation isn't ...
15
votes
2answers
423 views

How to profit from quitting gaming? (aka how to overcome the quitter's anxiety?)

It always seemed to me that gaming itself was counterproductive, and I've always struggled to spend less time on it, but really never managed to. That is, until now. The only way I found to keep the ...
15
votes
9answers
760 views

How do I get my motivation going?

Often, tasks are delayed till a reasonable time before the deadline. Just because you feel like you can do it later; so, you are basically procrastinating by surfing the web, chatting with people, ...
7
votes
1answer
180 views

Erratic productivity

I consider myself a productive person. I get most of my things done to a level which I'm happy with. But sometimes my productivity just goes down the drain. I sleep in to the point of oversleeping ...
8
votes
7answers
383 views

Are there techniques to stop fearing confrontation so intensely?

Confrontation is a huge part of my life. For example, in my job as project manager I need to confront clients about things that might make them upset or I need to talk to them when I know they are ...
1
vote
0answers
229 views

What can I do if my boyfriend sabotages all efforts [closed]

I'm very eager to get my stuff done at work. At home I want to be as productive, but all efforts won't last long. I'm caught in frustration as my boyfriend needs seconds to mess up stuff that took me ...
3
votes
5answers
284 views

What books are helpful when I'm in a rut, creativity and productivity-wise?

I often feel like I'm "in a rut" - going through the motions at work, generally lazy once I get home, etc. There are various projects/activities that I know I want to do (examples include recording ...
6
votes
6answers
283 views

How do I prevent myself from feeling too relaxed during the uneventful weeks preceding big deadlines?

The situation goes like so: big deadline one month from now. So I make some plan. But it gets too easy to procrastinate early on, to put one thing off, to allow a distraction here & there. How ...
3
votes
1answer
847 views

Why do we waste time? [duplicate]

Possible Duplicate: How do I make myself stop doing addictive activity? I know that I should be working now. Yet I watch funny videos, read the news and browse interesting links. Why is it ...
3
votes
3answers
365 views

Why am I productive but not motivated?

I've got a problem. I'm pretty productive, I have a zillion methods to make me pretty uber productive, however at the moment I have almost no motivation. Productivity and motivation are different ...

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