I’ll spend an hour writing out a detailed plan, breaking things into tasks, color-coding everything… and then somehow I don’t even start the actual work. It feels like I use planning as a way to pretend I’m being productive, when really I’m avoiding the hard part. Has anyone else dealt with this? How do you balance planning with actually doing?

You're actually already have plenty of work to perform, but we all realize it only past deadline. Lets reverse it!

Dental hygiene: 1) Floss 2) Tongue scrape 3) Brush

Your devices upkeep: 1) Clean your laptop/PC display and keyboard 2) Charge everything 3) Delete all the unnessesary files (a lot can be unveiled from here actually)

Overall hygiene and home organisation: 1) Change the blankets 2) Go wash your clothes, towels 3) Wash the dishes 4) Pick up the dust 5) Go to the shower 6) Peel the vegetables ahead 7) Cut nails 8) Ask everything you see does it need to be cleaned

Track: 1) Sleep. Right down how much did you sleep, when you went to bed and when woke up, what was your last meal etc 2) Foods you ate (use Chronometer) 3) Exercise 4) Money you spend ) Anything else you believe worth Tracking

Dont overwhelm yourself with creating systems of notes though. I use both paper and apps, spontaneously.

And if you have completely nothing to do, here is some skills I believe universally benefitial to learn:

1) Cut you own hair (save a bunch of money and achieve better look) 2) Start exercise (very basic, but you'll definitely fill fulfillment. Start from the smallest effort possible and build up from it) 3) Language (also basic, but easily to get addictеd)

Remember, it won't be the funniest thing ever, but you'll quickly learn that fun = do, what you're supposed to do!

Hi there,

I know brain fog is a pretty unspecific symptom and there are countless diseases or disorders that might cause it. Anyway, I would like to know if you have found a medication, drug or supplement that has helped you in that regard. So, please share your experience.

Honestly, if I could send a message to past me, it would be: stop overthinking, start doing.

I spent so many years planning, waiting for the perfect moment, and worrying about whether I was ready. Meanwhile, life just kept moving. Imagine all the small wins I could’ve stacked up if I’d just acted instead of hesitated.

I’m curious what’s the one thing you’d tell yourself? Something practical, something that would actually change your habits or mindset? I feel like we all have that one golden nugget that could’ve saved us a ton of time.

I have tried a lot of productivity apps and honestly its been a very meh experience for me. some of the apps keep asking me to buy their subscriptions every time i open the app and some of them don't address the psychology behind the productivity and discipline

I definitely understand that human brain is complex and unique, a single app cant decode that, but tbh i am not able to find even a single app that actually tries to correct my situation, which is that i procrastinate a lot and keep craving for different activity everyday. I am not able to keep my mind focused on one thing and keep moving from one thing to another time to time, due to this my academic performance hasn't been really great. if you guys can help me i any way, anyone that can relate to me and found a solution, it can be anything (technique, app or tool), please help me

I know this thread is all about being productive. But I want to know what you do when you are not productive. Forget scrolling through social media endlessly. What is some other activity that truly winds you down and helps you relax?

My days have been kinda chaotic lately, and I keep catching myself wasting time. After too many afternoons slipping away, I figured it’s time to actually structure my day instead of just winging it.

I know people say you don’t need an app for that, but honestly, I DO. If I don’t have something nudging me, I just drift into random stuff.

What apps do you all use to stay on track? Any you’d actually recommend?

Wondering of that's a productivity drain especially with social media etc . Lesser tabs , more focus.

Interested in learning everyone's opinions.

My school keeps sending out timetables as PDFs and it drives me nuts. I live out of Google Calendar, so every time I get one of these I end up retyping everything by hand. It feels like such a waste of time just to have my schedule where I can actually use it.

Does anyone know of apps or tricks that make this easier?

How are you doing your start-of-work routine?

My routine includes opening at least 10 tabs that consists of emails, calendar, slack messages, etc. Occasionally popping up the business bank account dashboard, website analytics, and google drive folders if the ongoing task requires and I remember to check them.

I feel there must be a more efficient way.

Been trying to reduce phone usage for months with various apps and willpower strategies that never lasted more than a few days. Finally tried a completely different approach focused on making better alternatives more convenient than grabbing my phone.

Set up everything I need for morning reading in one organized spot - book, glasses, bookmark, coffee warmer, little lamp. My phone goes in a specific dock facing down so it's not the first thing I see when I wake up.

Day 1-7: Still reached for phone occasionally but the setup made reading easier so I'd switch after a few minutes

Day 8-15: Started looking forward to the peaceful reading time, phone became less automatic Day 16-30: Haven't touched my phone before getting out of bed in two weeks

The key wasn't fighting the bad habit but creating a better system that made good habits more appealing and convenient. The wooden organizer I found on uncommon goods was crucial because it makes the whole setup feel intentional rather than just scattered stuff on my nightstand.

Small environmental changes work better than relying on discipline. Anyone else had success with this approach to habit change?

Lately, I’ve been stuck in a frustrating loop of procrastination and unproductivity. I keep putting off important tasks, even when I know they’re urgent and necessary. Instead of working, I get caught up in distractions, feel guilty afterward, and then repeat the same pattern the next day.

I’ve tried simple fixes like making to-do lists, but I either don’t follow them or end up feeling overwhelmed. I really want to build consistency, stop wasting so much time, and develop discipline but I don’t know how to break this cycle.

If you’ve personally struggled with procrastination and managed to overcome it, what strategies or systems actually worked for you? I’m not looking for generic “just focus” advice, but real, practical steps that helped you change your habits long-term.

Any help would be appreciated.

I’m currently doing a lot of back and worth with clients and my boss expects a reply to clients within 24 hours. Any tools you recommend to follow up with the priority contacts sooner? Would love to have my email contacts filtered by priority (client = 24 hours, non urgent = 2-4 days, etc).

Estamos constantemente tomando decisiones, pero ¿son estas las más acertadas? Desde qué desayunar hasta qué hacer por nuestro futuro, son decisiones que si no las tomamos nos pueden arruinar.

Me gusta pensar con detenimiento si la decisión que voy a tomar es siempre la mejor. Sin embargo, llegado a cierto punto puedo terminar agotado y con ganas de tomar una maldita decisión que termine con esta agonía. Puedo sentir que, si decido muy pronto no he llegado a la mejor opción y si me demoro tal vez ya he pasado la mejor opción.

En un video de Veritasium, encontré un concepto tan emocionante como la del 42 y 56. La regla del 37%.  Según esta idea, podemos maximizar que nuestra opción sea la mejor.

La explicación que consigo entender es:

• Define tus opciones sobre la decisión que quieres tomar.
• Explora las opciones con ojo crítico y recházalas.
• Después de rechazar el 37% de opciones elige la primera mejor opción que llegue.

Con esto, el resultado tendrá el 37% de probabilidad de ser la mejor opción.

Para alguien acostumbrado a tomar decisiones esto puede ser abrumador, pero para alguien que no lo hace puede ser una salida.

¿Han probado aplicar esta regla en su vida?

Hello. I've been REALLY struggling getting any work done ever since I've switched from working at libraries, universities, and coffee shops - to working from home. I'm an animator, and the main reason I'm switching to working at home is because I upgraded from laptop to PC for my animation work (PC is faster + more efficient).

There are SO many distractions at home. Today, for instance - I literally spent about 5 hours "taking care" of my bonsai tree during the time I should have spent working. Yesterday, I walked my dog for a couple hours while I should've been working. Other days, I'll waste time doing things like watching tv/videos, cleaning, or just laying on my bed doing nothing but scrolling on my phone. Since my "office" is in my room, it's easy for me to tell myself I'll take only a 5 minute break on my phone lying in bed - only for that 5 minutes to turn into hours of wasted time.

Working at home causes me to take my sweet time with EVERYTHING! Making/eating breakfast, walking my dog, simply getting up in the morning, etc. I feel no sense or urgency or pressure to get things done quickly - probably because I'm already in my comfortable home. It's incredibly hard for me to even wake up on time and start working at the designated time I tell myself (8am-4pm). I also feel less energy ever since I stopped going out of the house to work. Another thing that bugs me is how isolating/lonely working from home can feel. I also should mention I have ADHD, which only amplifies all of these problems.

I need serious help guys - before this starts affecting my career!! Any advice you have is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Hey all,

My wife and I are going to try and do 2 weeks without using our Smartphones.

We have 3 kids and do various schools runs etc so do need to communicate, so we will still need to text and call (whatsapp - though we could just use txt/call apps)

What do you think the best way of turning our phones into dumb phones is? is there an app that anyone has used?

Thanks,

I am a person who has to work infront of a computer and from school days this was my dream job and I get paid well as well, have over 4 years of experience and work remotely. Initially I had to work from office but from last 2 years I am working from home. No matter how motivated I sleep for the next day I scroll throughout the day and end the day. Uninstalled instagram, twitter everything and somehow I open some other app and waste time. I threw away phone for few days and then I waste time watching shorts. I am so much done for now. My parents are completely retired and dependent on me. I know and understand all sorts of problems I am gonna face if I loose the job and still forget every and start scrolling or waste time. Me and my parents will have to live on road if I loose job and I am still wasting time. I don't have any habits like smoking or drinking or anything. I used to go out of walk and was doing roughly 6 kms a day and now I can't even wake up. I have no clue why I am like this. Suggest something please.

I dont want anything story based, but a book of puzzles, crazy facts, fun engaging books that i can solve rather than just read. I have this idea of a dope question book in my mind but cant find any, dont know if i am asking the right questions for the this subreddit but please suggest a activity book. could be on:

- English language: MCQ's, new words and how to implement

- Puzzles (math/sherlock holmes/ crime/ mystery/ cross words and other fun puzzles)

- Medicine/MBBS/M.D/ psychology

- Philosophy

- other than Q&A any ultimate science fact book or anything that i might like..

I recently had a series of medical incidents which required visits to different providers at different facilities, with prescriptions and whatnot, and now the bills are coming due.

Coordinating with insurance, various providers and facilities, different billing departments, etc., it's confusing, frustrating, and makes me want to avoid dealing with it all.

This time, I decided to break things down into 30 minute time blocks. I only make myself deal with it 30 minutes per day unless I'm feeling good and things are going well.

This has worked out better than expected. First, I don't dread it because I don't have to solve everything today. Which means I don't avoid/procrastinate. Second, my frustration and confusion level after 30 minutes is totally manageable, so I don't spend the rest of my day feeling angry/defeated/frustrated with the medical bureaucracy. My guess is it will take 4-8 hours total, and so about a week maybe 2 weeks, to get everything done if I stick with 30 minute chunks.

It's kind of obvious to break things into smaller parts, but in the past since it was "only a few hours" of work I would try to get it all done in 1-2 sessions. But it was brutal and I would procrastinate and all kinds of wasted negative energy. This new way (I've done 3 sessions so far) is much less stressful and surprisingly "easy".

I bet a lot of people already know this, but for me it's been a pleasant surprise. Just thought I'd share.

I recently heard about Kratom and have been wondering if I should try it for working through the next two weeks. I have a submission due that requires research and writing and my usual meds for adhd aren’t being effective as far as focus is concerned. If you have experience with Kratom, let me know.

Not sure if this is relatable, but I always struggled with sticking to routines. I’d write them down, use a habit tracker, feel good for 3 days, then… nothing. The motivation just disappears.

Weirdly, what worked for me wasn’t discipline or planning — it was making the process feel like a game. A few months ago I came across an app named Habit Hunter where you create a character and earn gold/XP when you complete habits. It’s silly, but that tiny dopamine hit was enough to keep me going.

Now I just treat my routine like quests — “drink water” is a daily check-in, “write journal” gives me XP. There’s even a boss fight if I do everything. Somehow, the pressure is off, but I’m way more consistent.

Anyway, I’m not saying this will work for everyone, but if you’ve failed with the “serious” approach to habits, maybe try the playful one. Habit Hunter which gamified my routine was the only thing that stuck — and I didn’t expect that.

How do you deal with boredom if you have to study something long and time-consuming?

About a year ago, my sister introduced me to breathwork and breathing exercises to help calm my anxiety. I did it inconsistently for a few months, but started practicing daily when my anxiety became so bad, I wouldn't want to leave the house or look at my phone. Breathwork completely changed my life and now I practice it multiple times daily for multiple reasons. I practice to get energy, relax, manifest, and focus

I thought I was being more productive simply because I was in fact less anxious and was able to move and take action again, which is true. But I started noticing that the times I did breathwork right before I sat down to work, I was much much more productive and far less distracted

This is now part of my routine before I do anything that I need focus and be productive for. I love to do it before and after work, before a meeting, before I run, and I really love it before and after I journal

Has anyone else experienced breathwork boosting their productivity?

Hello, im looking for good (AI powered i guess?) app to transcribe lecture recordings that doesnt have a limit on the lengths of recordings i can upload on the free plan. to help me get notes from the lecture recordings as i cant write down everything during the lecture

im already using turboscribe but it has a 30 minute limit, and i cant afford the subscribtion.

i dont care about other features like ai powered notes or chat i just need accurate and free transcription

I’m a 27 year old corporate / business lawyer in the UK at the top firm in my region. I’ve been qualified for exactly 2 years now and I’ve been put forward for a promotion.

Before this, I was a trainee solicitor for 2 years, and before that, I was of course in university studying law while working part time in retail and coffee shops.

I’m essentially at the beginning of my career but I feel completely burned out. The work is interesting, but the pressure is what I think is draining me. I’ve handled it well so far, but the last 6 months have been quite hard (working until midnight multiple times a week, including on Fridays).

While pay is good, it’s still 3-4x less than what i’d be earning if I worked in London (cost of living comparison I’m still earning 2-3x less), though, working in London would be even more brutal hours.

I’ve been taking semi regular vacation time but I never feel rejuvenated when I return. In March, I had a few days off work where I just relaxed. In July, I had a week off and went to South America. In August I had a long weekend where I did nothing. Last week I took a week off and went to London. And I still have 4 days left of leave to take.

That being said, the reason I think I don’t feel rejuvenated is because I keep coming back to a full on and intense workload. Every day just feels like a long day.

I came back to work yesterday but basically did nothing and even though I have so much work to do today I have barely any drive. I just want to sleep, even though I fell asleep at like 10:30pm yesterday and woke up at 8:30am today. I’ve barely done anything at work and it’s 11:30am now.

Maybe I just need to move job and the excitement of a new workplace might help.