People have been encouraging me to share my anti-akrasia tricks, but it feels inappropriate to dedicate a top-level post solely to unproven techniques that work for some person and may not work for others, so:
Go ahead and share your anti-akrasia tricks!
Let's make it an open thread where we just share what works and what doesn't, without worrying (yet) about having to explain tricks with deep theories, or designing proper experiments to verify them. However, if you happen to have a theory or a proposed experiment in mind, please share.
Bragging is fine, but please share the failures of your techniques as well – they are just as valuable, if not more.
Note to readers – before you read the comments and try the tricks, keep in mind that the techniques below are not yet proven supported or explained by proper experiments, and are not yet backed by theory. They may work for their authors, but are not guaranteed to work for you, so try them at your own risk. It would be even better to read the following posts before rushing to try the tricks:
Here's a bit I wrote for my school paper:
In my opinion, the best way to combat akrasia is to put yourself in situations where the willpower necessary is minimized. Below, I've made a list of tricks you can use that allow you to minimize the willpower necessary to start doing schoolwork you're not motivated to do.
Give yourself artificial time pressure. Make plans to do something fun with friends about an hour from the time you want to start working. This way, your deadline is brought closer in time and you'll need less willpower to get started. Worst case, if you don't finish your work before your artificial deadline, you can cancel your plans with your friends: a better alternative than missing the real deadline.
Have your ego work for you. If you have a big ego, this tip is a good one for you. Tell your roommates or family that you're going to start studying by a certain time. You'll be pressured to act consistently with your word because now you will face looking like a liar or just lazy.
Drive somewhere far away to do work. Muster the willpower to drive somewhere far away to do work. Once you get there, you'll feel obligated to start working.
Eat almonds. Almonds give you energy, reduce your appetite and are healthy. Getting started with your work will be easier when your willpower isn't fighting hunger or sleepiness.
Study with hard-working friends. Many people get this one wrong. They study with people who are easily distracted and always want to play. If your willpower can barely get you working, it won't help if it's preoccupied suppressing desires to play. Instead, find friends that work hard in groups. They'll peer pressure you into focusing on your work.
Make a 5-minute commitment. Force yourself to commit to doing just 5 minutes of work and that's it. You may not have the willpower to complete the assignment, but maybe enough for 5 minutes. Even though you only commit to 5 minutes, it is better than nothing and plus there is a chance you'll surpass the 5-minute mark on your own.
Pay the price of procrastination. This one is for those who are chronic procrastinators. Give your trusted friend some amount of money and have him incrementally pay it back to you as you accomplish your goals. For instance, once you finish a page of your essay by a certain time, he'll give you a quarter of your money back. Being productive will never seem easier.
It sounds like a good idea, but it's never worked very well for me. I've tried monetary and other forms of incentives. Sometimes it would work, but over the longer term some part of me began to... (read more)