= 27d567bc2d48d9f40e9ccc20ea370b15)
tetsuo55 comments on Poll results: LW probably doesn't cause akrasia - Less Wrong
You are viewing a comment permalink. View the original post to see all comments and the full post content.
= 783df68a0f980790206b9ea87794c5b6)
Loading…= b715d02e85f7b3b4ae65ca3d3e450868)
Subscribe to RSS Feed
Powered by Reddit
= f037147d6e6c911a85753b9abdedda8d)
You are viewing a comment permalink. View the original post to see all comments and the full post content.
Comments (104)
Procrastination is worst for me on tasks where effort is only ambiguously related to goals. For example I know I need to study to do well on a test, but am poorly calibrated on how much I need to study.
If effort and goal completion become strongly linked I seem to have no trouble.
Upvoted. This seems like an incredibly insightful observation, which has not been addressed much in the procrastination or self-discipline literature much, if at all.
This observation certainly would explain why "writer's block" is a thing. ;-)
More formally, such a correlation predicts that writer's block would 1) exist, and 2) be worse for some sorts of writing than others. It would also predict difficulties achieving such outcomes such as losing weight or developing some degree of fitness, where the causal links between inputs and outcomes are tenuous or unclear.
ISTM that one way to harness this observation would be to shift one's goals to refer to things that are fully under one's control. This is already part of standard self-help advice, but it's usually justified on the grounds that it's discouraging to work as hard as you can but still not get your desired outcome.
I've actually read about this connection in several self help blogs and posts. I also casually mention it in my comment earlier today.
I kind of remember getting the same idea from reading your book, maybe memory is foggy or you only hint at it.