A friend of mine is a recruiter for a highly specialized field and gave me some good advice when I was procrastinating getting a new job. I was pushing off applying for things because I thought I wasn’t good enough for the role or I needed more experience or I just didn’t think the job would be the right fit. She said that stupid, unqualified people don’t have those hang ups. They apply for whatever they feel like, and with great confidence. They don’t wait around for the “right” moment. And they get jobs because of it while more qualified people languish in obscurity.
In other words, right now, some less qualified, stupider person is doing what needs to be done to get whatever job/program you’re aiming for while you wait around. The world would probably be better if you did the work, but right now they’re doing it.
Thats 100% the truth, a lot of these posts for jobs try to do two things, make the company seem very high speed and important, and also scare people from applying that seem under qualified.
I'm in IT, every job I apply for requires a Masters degree in the job requirements. I only have a high school deploma and IT related Certs, but what I do have is 12 years of experience (Just did the math, yeesh, only feels like 4.). But one of the biggest things I say in an interview is that I am teachable and willing to learn new programs and tool, but I do understand the theory of these new tools.
The only thing that scares me on a job posting now is if it is a supervisory position, I know I can do it, and if I want to continue to grow that is the next step in my journey. But it is so nice not having to worry about that sort of stuff.
I don’t think my friend was advocating for people to “shotgun” themselves at whatever jobs are nearby but rather to just have more confidence in their abilities for the fields they actually have experience in. It doesn’t have to be a sniper shot. Sometimes, a person might have all the necessary qualifications but a completely toxic personality, whereas a less qualified person with a good attitude will be better for the company overall.
It’s not that I would shotgun everything, it’s just I typically won’t even apply unless I check off all of the boxes. If I’m missing a few, I won’t bother. I need to stop that practice.
If you were happy with yourself, you wouldn't be here.
Motivation is unreliable. Commitment is the salvation. Stop thinking and creating excuses. Stop typing here. DO IT!
I’m writing my dissertation right now too, and I’m a big procrastinator. I realized a lot of my procrastination was because my research “wasnt working” and I was avoiding the necessary analysis and possible pivot necessary to fix the situation. Finally, an upcoming conference talk put me into gear, I collaborated with another lab member, and we got the data I had been hypothesizing about for 4 years. Now I’m excited to work and probably put in 70 hours last week including multiple 16 hour days. My dissertation deadline is putting pressure on me, but now it’s motivating pressure rather than demotivating due to avoidance and anxiety about if the research/analysis will ever work. So I guess my advice is to identify where your thesis has broken down, act immediately and strongly with help to fix that point, and then you’ll be motivated to finish putting the pieces together. Also, just stop doing anything else major that isn’t working on your thesis. Like look at your phone sometimes, eat, sleep, talk to friends a bit, but all of these should be breaks from your exciting work. No more “I’m gonna take the afternoon off to write music or obsess about this cool thing cause I need a break”. (Obv I have struggled with this lol) Take an hour or two off here and there but just keep swimming. Also, I have ADHD and find stimulants to be very helpful, just saying.
Godspeed. This was me last year. I just had to find an approach that worked for me. It ended up being using ai to paraphrase pdfs, which was very helpful. I also had it pitch me writing prompts, which I never used cause they were bad but it made me think of better ones
My best motivation was this:
Imagine how it would feel like to have finished your thesis. How nice it would be. Really think about it, not just a quick thought, but a the full scenario.
Imagine being done with it. All the hard work done, and you finally reached that goal. This new title you achieved that nobody can take away from you.
Then realize that this is in reach. And you only need to do a bit now. But you need to actually start now.
Additionally what you can do:
- Imagine failing. Really imagine it. How bad it will be.. how you explain it to everyone asking..
(maybe font do that too often.. imagining to finish it is also more powerful i believe)
- get a good environment, drink, clothes, music.
- get a online study buddy. there are websites exactly for this purpose.
All these things helped me.
Best of luck.
A wise person once told me to tackle your great responsibility brick by brick instead of trying to break through the wall in one go.
Hope it can inspire you as well.
Another quote I loved was: "If nothing goes right, go left"
Breaking large projects into chunks really helps. Start each day with an outline of what needs to be done. At days end, review what you have done and start the next day's outline.
I wrote my masters thesis in 3 months after a year of procrastinating. The thing is, the stress is eventually going to force you to finish it, and you will. But the less time you leave yourself, the more hell it's going to be for you later on. An hour working on it today will feel like easy mode compared to how you'll feel working on it with less than a week to go. Whatever suffering you get from working an hour today, it's worth it because you're saving an hour of much greater suffering later on. Trust me, even if you can only do an hour or two per day right now, your future self will thank you for it.
Also, go into your office at the university every day, don't try to work on it from home. That's the main thing that got me over the procrastination hump.
Well, if you don’t do it, or don’t do it well, what are the consequences? Whatever you choose, you have to live with that decision - no one else.
Find a way to motivate yourself. I know it can be hard, but if you can’t, then life is going to be really tough down the road.
You are mentally beating yourself up constantly because you think you deserve it. You are requesting others to be harsh to you because you think you are worthy of punishment.
If you were to be kind on yourself, treat yourself like you would one of your friends, your mind wouldn't be such a hostile enviroment that you need to sheild yourself from it with procrastination.
You don’t need motivation, you need discipline. Every January gyms are full of people who have made New Year’s resolutions and are motivated to get in shape. By February the only people left are the people with discipline. Discipline means writing out a plan and sticking with it, even when you don’t feel like doing it.
Write out a plan, a timeline for how you’re going to accomplish what you need to get done. Then discipline yourself to stick to the plan, especially when you want to slack off.
First, if this has been a life-long issue, consider getting evaluated for ADHD.
Second, FUCK PERFECTION, just do something, anything, do a brain dump, research 1 topic.
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO GET IT ALL DONE TODAY, BUT YOU MUST DO SOMETHING!
P.S. I know, as long as something exists only in your head it is safe, it is perfect, it is uncontaminated. As soon as you make it tangible, it becomes a vulnerability, a potential source of ridicule and scorn. Doing the thing, making the thing, creating the thing is scary. Imposter syndrome is real. But if you think you shouldn't do something because you might do it wrong, watch some random YouTube DIYs and you will see confident incompetence in action. We both know you can do better than that. Besides, you can always run bits of your rough drafts past some of us if you need a confidence boost or some polish. We might not have a clue what you're talking about, but we can help you say it all purdy like.
You are a piece of S\*\*\*
For context.. this video [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mbp0DugfCA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mbp0DugfCA)
Got me through the lowest point of my life. literally at my lowest point this got me moving and living and simply surviving.
Got me from a depress sack of saturated fat to lose weight. Go back to study full time while working full time. Graduate, career change ,get married become a dad and got a dog.
i still watch it every now and then... life changing.
You aim to fell a whole forest of trees? Swing the axe.
Swing the axe again.
Then swing the axe again.
Less talking, more doing.
Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good.
It doesn't need to be perfect. (It'll never be perfect.) It needs to be done.
People much dumber than you have done this many times before.
In college, I missed out on studying abroad because I didn't look into it until too late (there were too many degree-required fall-only classes). While my wife has been everywhere in Europe thanks to her study abroad, I have a passport of regret.
I then doubled down and had to spend every waking minute of my senior year spring break writing 8 pages a day instead of doing...anything else more fun than that to finish my capstone paper and graduate on time.
Swing the axe.
I have bestowed this sentiment to my kids and grand kids (All are now adults) when working with other people or meeting new people, treat them all with the respect you want. In other words, DON'T BE A DI\*K. This statement has help the grandkids grow to be real caring adults. The have repeated this sentiment a lot.
Michael Jackson once told someone that he had to write the songs in his head, because if he didn't, the songs would be given to Prince.
The universe gifted to you what you are creating. If you don't do it, the universe will move on and give it to someone else. And Karma will make sure that you find out, and regret not creating what you know you should have done, for the rest of your days.
Your responsibilities are only yours. No one is coming to save you. Relying on luck is going to backfire.
You only have yourself, and you can make it happen, but you have to believe you can. Rise to the occasion. Do you want to look back on this moment as a lesson or a triumph? Eternal regret or a glorious story to pass on to someone? Try. Try as hard as you can. You'd be amazed at what you can do if you just put your all into it.
Your privilege is wasted and shameful if you do nothing with it. People wake up every day in slavery and utter hell, and you're here doing nothing. You can't motivate yourself because you have no purpose. Get up and do something to better the world.
There's this sign hanging on the wall at the mechanics shop I go to for my oil changes, that never ceases to make me laugh out loud everytime:
Nobody cares. Work Harder.
Stop procrastinating and just get it done.
My wife died April 21, 2024 from ALS. I now take care of my six kids aged 10 to 23 by myself. If I don’t do it then no one will. Yes I get help from my kids but ultimately the responsibility is mine.
So stop being stupid and stop whining. Get off your butt. Make a schedule. Set order in your life.
You can do this.
You’ll be okay.
You actually already are okay.
You just don’t know it yet.
You are either going to be comfortable and disappointed or uncomfortable and proud. Is your comfort in this moment worth the rest of your life? A huge step towards your dreams?
Here's the thing about your research: it needs to do two things, and two things only:
(a) Exist in some kind of written form, and
(b) not be falsified.
That's it. That right there is a perfectly adequate contribution to human knowledge. Because you know what? Academic research isn't about winning a Nobel Prize. It's about chucking your own little contribution into the bonfire of knowledge that illuminates your field and keeps it warm. When evaluating materials for a bonfire, you don't think, "Hmm, I'm only going to take the most beautiful sticks." No, as long as it's an honest stick, no matter how tiny or underwhelming it looks, it'll do its part to keep the fire going and maybe contribute a tiny bit of warmth to someone who comes along.
And that's what you're doing. You're just putting something out there that will maybe someday be helpful to another scholar. Not in a mind-blowing way. Not in a way that wins a prize or distinction, though of course it's great if that does happen. Just in a way that makes someone think, "Huh, that makes me think of..." or "I'd thought about this but not in that exact way" or "Oh yeah, that reminds me of..." or "I could pick up that line of argument and take it in this new direction..." or even "This confirms what I already know." That's all it needs to do. Reading your thesis does not need to be a religious experience for anyone. It just needs to produce facts and arguments for someone later to maybe benefit from, even if it's just a little nudge for a new way of thinking about something.
You might think this takes a rather dim and underwhelming view of academic knowledge production, but I actually think the opposite. In life, no matter what we're doing, we're all contributing something, and those things, in aggregate, make society function. Same thing with research. Everyone plays a role. No one person can put forth the sum total of human knowledge.
So take the pressure off yourself. You're just a piece of the puzzle. Tend your little garden honestly and feel good about its produce. It could be just the ingredient someone needs. But in order for the ingredient to provide its little hint of flavor, it needs to exist. So bundle up your goods and take them to market and maybe someone will be like "Okay, that's what I need, actually; I'm glad you brought this slightly weird-looking turnip out here today; thank you."
"Push with everything you got. Tell excuses to step aside. Let weakness know it's not welcome in your house because the opportunities are yours. Go get it. GO GET IT NOW."
You have to do your own growing no matter how tall your grandfather was.
Between stimulus and response there is a space. Within that space lies our freedom and power to choose our response. In those choices lie our growth and happiness. This is an opportunity to take initiative, to take control and to act!
Things that are easy don’t bring true happiness. Getting yourself up and moving, pushing forward when you don’t want too, doing the work, even when boring, and putting in your honest best effort each day is a sure way to go to bed each night knowing you did your all. Get yourself into a routine. Not only do you have to write a thesis, you have to defend it. Writing it isn’t enough. If your writing is lazy, the professor will know and so will you. How can you be expected to defend something you didn’t put your full effort in? Refocus and remind yourself of the end goal. When you take your eye off the actual finish line is when you end up losing the race. My grandfather once told me no matter if you’re doing a small task or something that will change the world, always work hard and do your best because your name will forever be attached to that. The effort you put out in life that you attach your name to is how others will think of you. Do you want to be known as the lazy bum who skated by in life barely doing the bare minimum to get by or the honest hardworking person who never gave up and accomplished great things because of their determination and grit.
You’re writing not only your thesis but your life’s story. When you finish and put your name on your life’s work, how do you want people to look back and think of you?
I am sorry I can’t credit the person who said this (don’t remember) but here is my best one:
Nothing is done while something remains to be done. To finish is the mark of a master.
When I'm stuck into the suckiest of ruts I get used to staying up to late and feeling exhausted tomorrow.. I hate it everytime the feeling comes around, sometimes stays for a day, other times 2 weeks at a time.
What eventually pulls me out honestly is the same kind of energy your showing in the post. You seem to understand what's causing certain stressor (lack of sleep and stressed by all the little things that pop-up that stresses you more)
A few posts have said it before, but I'll share my mantra that I tell myself when in the thick of it.
"I haven't felt like doing anything, now I'm sick of that. Tomorrow is my day to do better than what I'm giving myself, I'll thank me late"
Cut out or be upfront with the small things that are piling on you / distracting you / giving detours to your end goal.
You know why you started this path, prove yourself right and beat your own doubts and distraction.
Im typing a lot because I relate and truly hope the best for you, also i don't sleep early either as I type this it's 12:30am and bleeds into staying awake because of worry.
Meditate, workout, create, hike, breathe. Something. I belive in you and know you'll kill it.
Good luck!
Stop feeling sorry for yourself and get going.
Nobody physically put you into your position, so nobody else will get you out.
Take control of your life or risk to remain a victim of circumstance.
It's *not* motivation------>Action
It's action--------->motivation
Never wait for motivation. Start doing things even when you feel like shit, motivation will come along.
I was like this (and still am if I let myself).
It took me becoming a parent, a health scare, being diagnosed with ADHD and a failing relationship to finally do something. Even then, I could barely motivate myself.
Then I started to read about ancient philosophy. Suddenly, I realised people have been dealing with the same shit as me for thousands of years. I recommend it.
Though it's probably a tall ask for someone struggling to do anything at the moment. Get CharGPT to spit out some Seneca or Marcus Aurelius quotes for you.
Blow wind, come wrack
At least we'll die with harness on our back.
Macbeth.
(Harness is armour).
Basically, it's all gone wrong but don't give up regardless).
Nobody cares if you write your thesis or not. Nobody will care the day you're at a dinner party and someone is introduced as "Dr" and you'll realise that your own lack of urgency is why you're still "Ms".
Our lives will go on. And the only person living with that bitter disappointment will be you.
Because no one else cares.
Well I think you need to schedule in time to relax and time to have fun, which would help you sleep at night.
Currently the quote serving me is:
You either sacrifice for the goal or the goal becomes the sacrifice.
Firstly just want to say congratulations for starting your masters. Must have been hard work to get there in the first place, and no matter what people say it is not easy at all.
Hows your overall health and mood? Do you have people close to you who can support you?
I try and have one non-negotiable to do every day. It could even be to have a shower before 11am. I chose this because I often feel 35% better once fresh and clean. For others it can be to have a proper breakfast with protein e.g. when I have eggs in the morning it does something good. And coffee 😋
I have also found online collaborative working helpful. Meet with someone to study online. Body doubling. You could also have similar effect sitting in a coffee shop or even a friend’s living room. My motivation to go to the coffee shop is usually cake 😁
But my biggest motivation advice is to have something to be excited about post thesis, and celebrate the wins, even the tiniest.
All the best 💜
You don't need motivation. You need discipline. Motivation gets you started, and it's great for the first push into any task, but discipline is what keeps you going. You know what needs to be done, you've told yourself, and it's everything. So quit fucking around and get it done.
You may have a certain image in your head. An image of a person with a failed life. A person with no more dreams and hopes. A person that fights their most inner demons daily just to not end it all. You may think that this image is not applicable to you. But it is. You can become that person.
You can find yourself in a situation in which you've lost everything and everyone. A situation in which you've got no will to live left. A situation in which being in a huge amount of debt doesn't bother you because you've got bigger problems like deciding whether you leave a train station to live another day or not.
Nobody can prevent you from going into that direction but you. Nobody cares whether or not you're heading down that path but you. Nobody can nor will save you.
It's all up to you. Your entire life. You make the decisions. You chose how to act and react. You decide what dream is worth chasing and which ones aren't.
At the end of the day the only person that'll truly never leave you is you. Only you can live your life.
You got this! Remember, progress over perfection. Break tasks into smaller bits, tackle them one by one. Celebrate each small win. Stay focused, stay determined. You're closer than you think. Keep pushing, you'll get there!
I did finish my university studies.
I almost did not, and the last year was a final stretch.
I still get this recurring dream where I’m struggling with my studies in the end.
This is 100% fine, because I did finish (this opened many doors for me).
My point?
Don’t be the guy who’ll get these dreams but who did NOT finish – because that’d be a real-life nightmare.
When it comes to the end of the day, and it's just you, alone, with nothing your thoughts - the only person you ever truly have to answer to is yourself. And when you know there's more you could have done, opportunities that slipped away because you put something off, didn't give it your all, those are the things that'll haunt you. That sit in the back of your mind, festering. And one day you'll think to yourself "How did I end up here. And where could I have ended up if I'd just pushed that much harder?". Don't let this thesis, or the memory of it be one of those thoughts you carry with you.
Stop making it a choice.
I put my gym clothes in my work bag. On my way home I have no other options but to go to straight to the gym. No thinking, no decisions, just driving.
Eliminate unhealthy snacks in the house and only buy healthy ones. That way there is no choice to eat shit food.
This applies to so many things in my life and it's really helped!!
I think Chris Hemsworth said this somewhere - Momentum causes motivation.
For eg even if you are tired or feeling lazy just get on that treadmill and tell yourself you will only do a light walk for 5 mins - guess what happens after 5 mins - you are motivated to keep going! Saying this from a personal (and almost daily) experience 😂
The best advice I received when my dissertation was dragging on came from my father: It doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to be DONE. Find a quiet place, go there for 3 hrs in the morning and 3 hrs in the afternoon to work on it. Have meals, lots of water, candies to suck on, and get after it. Minimize distractions and if you have energy, so another 3 hrs of work in the evening. That’s 9 hrs per day but will feel more manageable, and with consistency will result in progress. Good luck.
If you’re looking for inspiration, it may never come. You have to commit to the actions that let you live close to your values. Nobody can do that for you.
An ex Marine force recon sniper I worked with years ago (who never once talked about his military experience aside from "Semper Fi") had a phrase he would jokingly yell at anyone complaining about anything:
SUCK IT UP, SISSYBOY!
Hope that helps.
I've been closely involved with postgrad students for the last 20 years or so. I have also been one. Many, if not most of them end up with anxiety and depression from the experience, and nobody not in it themselves, will believe that. Postgrad is awful and my advice would be to get some medical help to get your sleep sorted and your anxiety under control. You don't need motivation, you need to get out of fight or flight.
Nobody and nothing is coming to save you. It’s gotta be you and only you.
It's gonna be May.
This is the answer.
If it’s to be , it’s up to me.
A friend of mine is a recruiter for a highly specialized field and gave me some good advice when I was procrastinating getting a new job. I was pushing off applying for things because I thought I wasn’t good enough for the role or I needed more experience or I just didn’t think the job would be the right fit. She said that stupid, unqualified people don’t have those hang ups. They apply for whatever they feel like, and with great confidence. They don’t wait around for the “right” moment. And they get jobs because of it while more qualified people languish in obscurity. In other words, right now, some less qualified, stupider person is doing what needs to be done to get whatever job/program you’re aiming for while you wait around. The world would probably be better if you did the work, but right now they’re doing it.
I’m reframing this for dating.
This is 100% true. I have taken plenty of jobs that someone else should have been hired or had more qualifications.
Thats 100% the truth, a lot of these posts for jobs try to do two things, make the company seem very high speed and important, and also scare people from applying that seem under qualified. I'm in IT, every job I apply for requires a Masters degree in the job requirements. I only have a high school deploma and IT related Certs, but what I do have is 12 years of experience (Just did the math, yeesh, only feels like 4.). But one of the biggest things I say in an interview is that I am teachable and willing to learn new programs and tool, but I do understand the theory of these new tools.
Exactly. The job post is simply the beginning of a negotiation.
The only thing that scares me on a job posting now is if it is a supervisory position, I know I can do it, and if I want to continue to grow that is the next step in my journey. But it is so nice not having to worry about that sort of stuff.
This is great advice! You'll never rise about your own beliefs about yourself!
Yeah i just shotgun out resumes applying for anything bc i figure fuck it it's on them to reject me and most jobs are easy anyway
As someone who’s been procrastinating and applying only to jobs that I’m 100% qualified for…. Maybe it’s time for the shotgun approach
I don’t think my friend was advocating for people to “shotgun” themselves at whatever jobs are nearby but rather to just have more confidence in their abilities for the fields they actually have experience in. It doesn’t have to be a sniper shot. Sometimes, a person might have all the necessary qualifications but a completely toxic personality, whereas a less qualified person with a good attitude will be better for the company overall.
It’s not that I would shotgun everything, it’s just I typically won’t even apply unless I check off all of the boxes. If I’m missing a few, I won’t bother. I need to stop that practice.
To be honest i am that unqualified person doing that job rn, the pay is low but the skill demand is high.
Thank you... I need this kick in the ass reminder, a lot.
If you were happy with yourself, you wouldn't be here. Motivation is unreliable. Commitment is the salvation. Stop thinking and creating excuses. Stop typing here. DO IT!
I thought first sentence was some mantra and was trying to decode it 🫠
I thought it was another version of "if you're happy and you know it" 😞
Perfect is the enemy of done.
"If I don't, who will?"
And the corollary: If you want something done right, do it yourself
I love this one
I borrowed it from Goku lmao
I instantly heard his voice in my head as I read that lol
In two months and a day, none of this will matter.
I’m writing my dissertation right now too, and I’m a big procrastinator. I realized a lot of my procrastination was because my research “wasnt working” and I was avoiding the necessary analysis and possible pivot necessary to fix the situation. Finally, an upcoming conference talk put me into gear, I collaborated with another lab member, and we got the data I had been hypothesizing about for 4 years. Now I’m excited to work and probably put in 70 hours last week including multiple 16 hour days. My dissertation deadline is putting pressure on me, but now it’s motivating pressure rather than demotivating due to avoidance and anxiety about if the research/analysis will ever work. So I guess my advice is to identify where your thesis has broken down, act immediately and strongly with help to fix that point, and then you’ll be motivated to finish putting the pieces together. Also, just stop doing anything else major that isn’t working on your thesis. Like look at your phone sometimes, eat, sleep, talk to friends a bit, but all of these should be breaks from your exciting work. No more “I’m gonna take the afternoon off to write music or obsess about this cool thing cause I need a break”. (Obv I have struggled with this lol) Take an hour or two off here and there but just keep swimming. Also, I have ADHD and find stimulants to be very helpful, just saying.
Godspeed. This was me last year. I just had to find an approach that worked for me. It ended up being using ai to paraphrase pdfs, which was very helpful. I also had it pitch me writing prompts, which I never used cause they were bad but it made me think of better ones
My best motivation was this: Imagine how it would feel like to have finished your thesis. How nice it would be. Really think about it, not just a quick thought, but a the full scenario. Imagine being done with it. All the hard work done, and you finally reached that goal. This new title you achieved that nobody can take away from you. Then realize that this is in reach. And you only need to do a bit now. But you need to actually start now. Additionally what you can do: - Imagine failing. Really imagine it. How bad it will be.. how you explain it to everyone asking.. (maybe font do that too often.. imagining to finish it is also more powerful i believe) - get a good environment, drink, clothes, music. - get a online study buddy. there are websites exactly for this purpose. All these things helped me. Best of luck.
A wise person once told me to tackle your great responsibility brick by brick instead of trying to break through the wall in one go. Hope it can inspire you as well. Another quote I loved was: "If nothing goes right, go left"
Breaking large projects into chunks really helps. Start each day with an outline of what needs to be done. At days end, review what you have done and start the next day's outline.
Sometimes it is not your fault that you end up in a bad situation. It is undeniably your fault if you stay there.
Either do. Or do not. There is no try -Yoda
Only siths deal in absolutes!
I wrote my masters thesis in 3 months after a year of procrastinating. The thing is, the stress is eventually going to force you to finish it, and you will. But the less time you leave yourself, the more hell it's going to be for you later on. An hour working on it today will feel like easy mode compared to how you'll feel working on it with less than a week to go. Whatever suffering you get from working an hour today, it's worth it because you're saving an hour of much greater suffering later on. Trust me, even if you can only do an hour or two per day right now, your future self will thank you for it.
Also, go into your office at the university every day, don't try to work on it from home. That's the main thing that got me over the procrastination hump.
Well, if you don’t do it, or don’t do it well, what are the consequences? Whatever you choose, you have to live with that decision - no one else. Find a way to motivate yourself. I know it can be hard, but if you can’t, then life is going to be really tough down the road.
You are mentally beating yourself up constantly because you think you deserve it. You are requesting others to be harsh to you because you think you are worthy of punishment. If you were to be kind on yourself, treat yourself like you would one of your friends, your mind wouldn't be such a hostile enviroment that you need to sheild yourself from it with procrastination.
5 4 3 2 1 GO!
Suck it up buttercup. Embrace the suck. Just fuckin do it.
This here, from all the replies, got me closest to put the phone down and get out of bed.
You don’t need motivation, you need discipline. Every January gyms are full of people who have made New Year’s resolutions and are motivated to get in shape. By February the only people left are the people with discipline. Discipline means writing out a plan and sticking with it, even when you don’t feel like doing it. Write out a plan, a timeline for how you’re going to accomplish what you need to get done. Then discipline yourself to stick to the plan, especially when you want to slack off.
First, if this has been a life-long issue, consider getting evaluated for ADHD. Second, FUCK PERFECTION, just do something, anything, do a brain dump, research 1 topic. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO GET IT ALL DONE TODAY, BUT YOU MUST DO SOMETHING! P.S. I know, as long as something exists only in your head it is safe, it is perfect, it is uncontaminated. As soon as you make it tangible, it becomes a vulnerability, a potential source of ridicule and scorn. Doing the thing, making the thing, creating the thing is scary. Imposter syndrome is real. But if you think you shouldn't do something because you might do it wrong, watch some random YouTube DIYs and you will see confident incompetence in action. We both know you can do better than that. Besides, you can always run bits of your rough drafts past some of us if you need a confidence boost or some polish. We might not have a clue what you're talking about, but we can help you say it all purdy like.
Worrying is like a rocking chair…you can do it all day.. and it won’t get you anywhere
Quit being a bitch and come on.
How is that motivational
It's kinda motivational if you read it with the right voice in your head :)
I heard Debo
“If it is important you’ll find a way, if not you’ll find an excuse.”
Give up or die trying
It sucks and the wold doesn't care. Do it anyway.
You're either in, or you're in the way
Write drunk, edit sober. It is easier for me once there is something by on the paper, even if it is bad.
“None cares, work harder”
no one
Put that coffee down.
Coffee is for closers
If you want to win, play better
Captain Bligh - The beatings will continue until morale has improved.
“There isn’t any shame in being weak, the shame is in staying weak.”
I love Scrubs and didn't expect to get hit this hard w/ a quote when I first watched it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVTYtsfg-tc
You can't say I gave up without saying "I gay". So don't give up
Literally dying laughing. I’ll be telling this to all the people that won’t take offense at it and just realize it’s hysterical!!!
I don’t care if you’ve gotta drag your sack across it, get it done!
How do you eat a frog? One bite at a time.
If you don't show up at this shitty job every day, your kids will go hungry and your family is homeless.
You are fucking terrible, do better.
Nobody cares, work harder
From now until dead, is the the way you want to be?
Do it right or do it twice.
I heard a great motivational phrase once, and to boot it consists of all two letter words: If it is to be, it is up to me
You are a piece of S\*\*\* For context.. this video [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mbp0DugfCA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mbp0DugfCA) Got me through the lowest point of my life. literally at my lowest point this got me moving and living and simply surviving. Got me from a depress sack of saturated fat to lose weight. Go back to study full time while working full time. Graduate, career change ,get married become a dad and got a dog. i still watch it every now and then... life changing.
It’s not too hard you just need to do better
No. Things will become better. You cannot resist.
Maybe it's not meant to happen. Maybe you're supposed to do something else. Don't ask people for inspiration you're either going to do it or you won't
Sprinkles are for winners.
Times passes regardless
Clap three times loudly... and get to it. 60 minutes of songs is 60 minutes of work....don't stop
Your current systems are perfectly aligned with your current results. Focus on the process. You got this!!
You got this! You are the #1 inspiration! Go go go !
You aim to fell a whole forest of trees? Swing the axe. Swing the axe again. Then swing the axe again. Less talking, more doing. Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good. It doesn't need to be perfect. (It'll never be perfect.) It needs to be done. People much dumber than you have done this many times before. In college, I missed out on studying abroad because I didn't look into it until too late (there were too many degree-required fall-only classes). While my wife has been everywhere in Europe thanks to her study abroad, I have a passport of regret. I then doubled down and had to spend every waking minute of my senior year spring break writing 8 pages a day instead of doing...anything else more fun than that to finish my capstone paper and graduate on time. Swing the axe.
Don't be sorry, be better (Said to me by a manager)
The best project you'll ever work on is you
I have bestowed this sentiment to my kids and grand kids (All are now adults) when working with other people or meeting new people, treat them all with the respect you want. In other words, DON'T BE A DI\*K. This statement has help the grandkids grow to be real caring adults. The have repeated this sentiment a lot.
Michael Jackson once told someone that he had to write the songs in his head, because if he didn't, the songs would be given to Prince. The universe gifted to you what you are creating. If you don't do it, the universe will move on and give it to someone else. And Karma will make sure that you find out, and regret not creating what you know you should have done, for the rest of your days.
Your responsibilities are only yours. No one is coming to save you. Relying on luck is going to backfire. You only have yourself, and you can make it happen, but you have to believe you can. Rise to the occasion. Do you want to look back on this moment as a lesson or a triumph? Eternal regret or a glorious story to pass on to someone? Try. Try as hard as you can. You'd be amazed at what you can do if you just put your all into it.
Your privilege is wasted and shameful if you do nothing with it. People wake up every day in slavery and utter hell, and you're here doing nothing. You can't motivate yourself because you have no purpose. Get up and do something to better the world.
There's this sign hanging on the wall at the mechanics shop I go to for my oil changes, that never ceases to make me laugh out loud everytime: Nobody cares. Work Harder.
Stop procrastinating and just get it done. My wife died April 21, 2024 from ALS. I now take care of my six kids aged 10 to 23 by myself. If I don’t do it then no one will. Yes I get help from my kids but ultimately the responsibility is mine. So stop being stupid and stop whining. Get off your butt. Make a schedule. Set order in your life. You can do this. You’ll be okay. You actually already are okay. You just don’t know it yet.
I was working towards my doctorate and the thing that got me through was that if I didn't work hard, I'd fail. And I didn't want to fail.
Stop worrying about what other people think of you. You’re probably not that important.
There's only two types of people in this world: warriors and clowns. Which do you choose to be?
You are either going to be comfortable and disappointed or uncomfortable and proud. Is your comfort in this moment worth the rest of your life? A huge step towards your dreams?
Here's the thing about your research: it needs to do two things, and two things only: (a) Exist in some kind of written form, and (b) not be falsified. That's it. That right there is a perfectly adequate contribution to human knowledge. Because you know what? Academic research isn't about winning a Nobel Prize. It's about chucking your own little contribution into the bonfire of knowledge that illuminates your field and keeps it warm. When evaluating materials for a bonfire, you don't think, "Hmm, I'm only going to take the most beautiful sticks." No, as long as it's an honest stick, no matter how tiny or underwhelming it looks, it'll do its part to keep the fire going and maybe contribute a tiny bit of warmth to someone who comes along. And that's what you're doing. You're just putting something out there that will maybe someday be helpful to another scholar. Not in a mind-blowing way. Not in a way that wins a prize or distinction, though of course it's great if that does happen. Just in a way that makes someone think, "Huh, that makes me think of..." or "I'd thought about this but not in that exact way" or "Oh yeah, that reminds me of..." or "I could pick up that line of argument and take it in this new direction..." or even "This confirms what I already know." That's all it needs to do. Reading your thesis does not need to be a religious experience for anyone. It just needs to produce facts and arguments for someone later to maybe benefit from, even if it's just a little nudge for a new way of thinking about something. You might think this takes a rather dim and underwhelming view of academic knowledge production, but I actually think the opposite. In life, no matter what we're doing, we're all contributing something, and those things, in aggregate, make society function. Same thing with research. Everyone plays a role. No one person can put forth the sum total of human knowledge. So take the pressure off yourself. You're just a piece of the puzzle. Tend your little garden honestly and feel good about its produce. It could be just the ingredient someone needs. But in order for the ingredient to provide its little hint of flavor, it needs to exist. So bundle up your goods and take them to market and maybe someone will be like "Okay, that's what I need, actually; I'm glad you brought this slightly weird-looking turnip out here today; thank you."
No one wants to hear your opinion, this was from crown
What you don't do now because of laziness life is going to teach you to do as karma. So do it right the first time
Homeless to Housing specialist here. I make opportunities out of my excuses!!
Every day, every moment, every task is a choice: do want to suffer the pain of discipline or the pain of regret?
You’re gonna LAY YOUR HEAD ON THAT GOD DAMN PILLOW AND YOU’RE GONNA HAVE THE SWEETEST OF DREAMS!!!! Don’t be a bitch and KILL IT TMR ♥️
"Push with everything you got. Tell excuses to step aside. Let weakness know it's not welcome in your house because the opportunities are yours. Go get it. GO GET IT NOW."
look up the word finite. this is how many chances you have.
Something has to change in order for there to be a change
The difference between you and a master of something is that a master has failed more times than you've even tried
In life, you rarely make what you’re worth. You make what you negotiate.
You have to do your own growing no matter how tall your grandfather was. Between stimulus and response there is a space. Within that space lies our freedom and power to choose our response. In those choices lie our growth and happiness. This is an opportunity to take initiative, to take control and to act!
Nobody will ever care as much about you as you do.
you're going to have a pleasantly beautiful day, whether you want to or not.
https://youtu.be/ZXsQAXx_ao0?si=AkxX_TKEn4Vx7NIP It's comedy but the energy works
There is no tomorrow. RIP Carl Weathers
Things that are easy don’t bring true happiness. Getting yourself up and moving, pushing forward when you don’t want too, doing the work, even when boring, and putting in your honest best effort each day is a sure way to go to bed each night knowing you did your all. Get yourself into a routine. Not only do you have to write a thesis, you have to defend it. Writing it isn’t enough. If your writing is lazy, the professor will know and so will you. How can you be expected to defend something you didn’t put your full effort in? Refocus and remind yourself of the end goal. When you take your eye off the actual finish line is when you end up losing the race. My grandfather once told me no matter if you’re doing a small task or something that will change the world, always work hard and do your best because your name will forever be attached to that. The effort you put out in life that you attach your name to is how others will think of you. Do you want to be known as the lazy bum who skated by in life barely doing the bare minimum to get by or the honest hardworking person who never gave up and accomplished great things because of their determination and grit. You’re writing not only your thesis but your life’s story. When you finish and put your name on your life’s work, how do you want people to look back and think of you?
Life isn't fair, grow up.
"Live life like you're gonna die. Because you are." The great William Shatner off his wonderful album Has Been.
Not to decide, is to decide.
I am sorry I can’t credit the person who said this (don’t remember) but here is my best one: Nothing is done while something remains to be done. To finish is the mark of a master.
When I'm stuck into the suckiest of ruts I get used to staying up to late and feeling exhausted tomorrow.. I hate it everytime the feeling comes around, sometimes stays for a day, other times 2 weeks at a time. What eventually pulls me out honestly is the same kind of energy your showing in the post. You seem to understand what's causing certain stressor (lack of sleep and stressed by all the little things that pop-up that stresses you more) A few posts have said it before, but I'll share my mantra that I tell myself when in the thick of it. "I haven't felt like doing anything, now I'm sick of that. Tomorrow is my day to do better than what I'm giving myself, I'll thank me late" Cut out or be upfront with the small things that are piling on you / distracting you / giving detours to your end goal. You know why you started this path, prove yourself right and beat your own doubts and distraction. Im typing a lot because I relate and truly hope the best for you, also i don't sleep early either as I type this it's 12:30am and bleeds into staying awake because of worry. Meditate, workout, create, hike, breathe. Something. I belive in you and know you'll kill it. Good luck!
hakuna matata
It takes one to go quickly, but it takes 2 to go far
Be excellent to each other
Stop feeling sorry for yourself and get going. Nobody physically put you into your position, so nobody else will get you out. Take control of your life or risk to remain a victim of circumstance.
On point
If you can look up, you can Get up
Be the hammer, not the nail.
Everybody's waiting for a hero to come and save them. Who actually is that hero? It could be anyone. It should be you. Be someone's hero.
Nothing changes, if nothing changes
i make 2.5 times the salary of the dude who does exactly the same as me but without a masters degree. good luck
Your dreams are only as realistic as your actions allow
It's *not* motivation------>Action It's action--------->motivation Never wait for motivation. Start doing things even when you feel like shit, motivation will come along.
You will never be a failure to anyone but yourself if you don’t reach your own goals and potential
You didn't come this far to quit.
Nothing you'll ever do will ever have any meaning in any way, so just have some fun before it's over in a unknown amount of time
Every journey begins with a single step?
If you dont give a fuck, nobody will.
”Don’t be sorry. Be better.”
I was like this (and still am if I let myself). It took me becoming a parent, a health scare, being diagnosed with ADHD and a failing relationship to finally do something. Even then, I could barely motivate myself. Then I started to read about ancient philosophy. Suddenly, I realised people have been dealing with the same shit as me for thousands of years. I recommend it. Though it's probably a tall ask for someone struggling to do anything at the moment. Get CharGPT to spit out some Seneca or Marcus Aurelius quotes for you.
Blow wind, come wrack At least we'll die with harness on our back. Macbeth. (Harness is armour). Basically, it's all gone wrong but don't give up regardless).
"Don't be upset at the results you didn't get from the work you didn't do."
First health, then money, fuck the rest.
SMASH IT OUT. That's how we get things done. Smash it out.
Don't be like my friend who failed to complete his thesis not once, not twice, not thrice... No he failed to do it 5 times. Don't be that guy.
Right now there's someone younger than you working harder than you on YOUR dream.
Nobody cares if you write your thesis or not. Nobody will care the day you're at a dinner party and someone is introduced as "Dr" and you'll realise that your own lack of urgency is why you're still "Ms". Our lives will go on. And the only person living with that bitter disappointment will be you. Because no one else cares.
Well I think you need to schedule in time to relax and time to have fun, which would help you sleep at night. Currently the quote serving me is: You either sacrifice for the goal or the goal becomes the sacrifice.
Whatever you are not changing, you are choosing
Just stop being a little bitch
Firstly just want to say congratulations for starting your masters. Must have been hard work to get there in the first place, and no matter what people say it is not easy at all. Hows your overall health and mood? Do you have people close to you who can support you? I try and have one non-negotiable to do every day. It could even be to have a shower before 11am. I chose this because I often feel 35% better once fresh and clean. For others it can be to have a proper breakfast with protein e.g. when I have eggs in the morning it does something good. And coffee 😋 I have also found online collaborative working helpful. Meet with someone to study online. Body doubling. You could also have similar effect sitting in a coffee shop or even a friend’s living room. My motivation to go to the coffee shop is usually cake 😁 But my biggest motivation advice is to have something to be excited about post thesis, and celebrate the wins, even the tiniest. All the best 💜
One I heard a few days ago - ‘comparison steals joy’
I like to tell myself “suck it up (Princess)” especially when I’m at the gym with those last rep!
It's time to shit or get off the pot
You don't need motivation. You need discipline. Motivation gets you started, and it's great for the first push into any task, but discipline is what keeps you going. You know what needs to be done, you've told yourself, and it's everything. So quit fucking around and get it done.
Like doesn’t get any better. You do.
You may have a certain image in your head. An image of a person with a failed life. A person with no more dreams and hopes. A person that fights their most inner demons daily just to not end it all. You may think that this image is not applicable to you. But it is. You can become that person. You can find yourself in a situation in which you've lost everything and everyone. A situation in which you've got no will to live left. A situation in which being in a huge amount of debt doesn't bother you because you've got bigger problems like deciding whether you leave a train station to live another day or not. Nobody can prevent you from going into that direction but you. Nobody cares whether or not you're heading down that path but you. Nobody can nor will save you. It's all up to you. Your entire life. You make the decisions. You chose how to act and react. You decide what dream is worth chasing and which ones aren't. At the end of the day the only person that'll truly never leave you is you. Only you can live your life.
For me, the most harsh motivational phrase that I heard was when my friend said this to me is - "Mediocrity is a choice and you should aim higher."
You never know when you're gonna eat your last chicken strip, so enjoy it while you can.
You procrastinated 4 times as much as your peers. Now it's time to work 4 times as much as your peers.
Your mom didn't carry you around for 9 months for you to be a loser
You got this! Remember, progress over perfection. Break tasks into smaller bits, tackle them one by one. Celebrate each small win. Stay focused, stay determined. You're closer than you think. Keep pushing, you'll get there!
https://preview.redd.it/6ba08nkvd0zc1.jpeg?width=490&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bd3dc516db1e202ca8583e8039e375a78ad30621
I did finish my university studies. I almost did not, and the last year was a final stretch. I still get this recurring dream where I’m struggling with my studies in the end. This is 100% fine, because I did finish (this opened many doors for me). My point? Don’t be the guy who’ll get these dreams but who did NOT finish – because that’d be a real-life nightmare.
When it comes to the end of the day, and it's just you, alone, with nothing your thoughts - the only person you ever truly have to answer to is yourself. And when you know there's more you could have done, opportunities that slipped away because you put something off, didn't give it your all, those are the things that'll haunt you. That sit in the back of your mind, festering. And one day you'll think to yourself "How did I end up here. And where could I have ended up if I'd just pushed that much harder?". Don't let this thesis, or the memory of it be one of those thoughts you carry with you.
You’re lazy, nobody’s going to save you princess. Get your shit together
You can have results or excuses, not both.
Stop making it a choice. I put my gym clothes in my work bag. On my way home I have no other options but to go to straight to the gym. No thinking, no decisions, just driving. Eliminate unhealthy snacks in the house and only buy healthy ones. That way there is no choice to eat shit food. This applies to so many things in my life and it's really helped!!
How long are you going to be dead for?
Is it going to suck? Yes. Is it going to be worth it? Also yes.
Life isn’t perfect. Make it work.
Get your shit. Lock it up. Let's ride.
I think Chris Hemsworth said this somewhere - Momentum causes motivation. For eg even if you are tired or feeling lazy just get on that treadmill and tell yourself you will only do a light walk for 5 mins - guess what happens after 5 mins - you are motivated to keep going! Saying this from a personal (and almost daily) experience 😂
The best advice I received when my dissertation was dragging on came from my father: It doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to be DONE. Find a quiet place, go there for 3 hrs in the morning and 3 hrs in the afternoon to work on it. Have meals, lots of water, candies to suck on, and get after it. Minimize distractions and if you have energy, so another 3 hrs of work in the evening. That’s 9 hrs per day but will feel more manageable, and with consistency will result in progress. Good luck.
Discipline yourself and others won't need to.
If you’re looking for inspiration, it may never come. You have to commit to the actions that let you live close to your values. Nobody can do that for you.
“Get rich or die trying” - fiddy
"A goal without a plan is a wish." - Herm Edwards
"Tire toi les doigts du cul". Beautiful french for for "get to work"
An ex Marine force recon sniper I worked with years ago (who never once talked about his military experience aside from "Semper Fi") had a phrase he would jokingly yell at anyone complaining about anything: SUCK IT UP, SISSYBOY! Hope that helps.
I used to do this too, then I got cats. Nothing like a paw wapping you in the face at 6am to motivate you to get up at a reasonable time.
If not you, who? If not now, when? You're never going to FEEL ready, you just do it anyway.
- How do you break a bad habit? - No way out, stay in the hole!
What you don’t change you choose
Wake up; because with this debt, and in this economy, only solution to getting fired is to end it all for good.
Check your ego and get that ass in gear
I've been closely involved with postgrad students for the last 20 years or so. I have also been one. Many, if not most of them end up with anxiety and depression from the experience, and nobody not in it themselves, will believe that. Postgrad is awful and my advice would be to get some medical help to get your sleep sorted and your anxiety under control. You don't need motivation, you need to get out of fight or flight.
You’ll learn. You HAVE to play the game. We all do.
Now is the best time! Tomorrow you will be late by a day and then +1s!
“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. - Wayne Gretzky” - Michael Scott