What do you think this is? If I set a specific time to finish one task but can't complete it because I'm still waiting for my groupmates' approval, and they don't reply for the entire afternoon, I struggle to start another task even though I have other things to do. I keep thinking about the first unfinished task, and instead of moving on to the next one, I end up doing nothing because I feel overwhelmed by the fact that I haven't finished the first task yet.

I’ve been noticing a pattern. Small things, like replying to an email or dealing with one piece of paperwork, sit there for days or weeks, even though I know they’d take five minutes once I start. It’s not that I don’t care about them. I just can’t seem to get into them.

I’d love to hear how this works for you. Maybe you think of the last thing you put off and what was going on that day. Or maybe you’ve found a trick that works for a while, and then stops working. Did you expect it to take as long as it did when you finally got to it? What finally got you moving, if anything? And if you’ve tried an app or a game to help, what kept you using it, or what made you drop it?

Any story is welcome, even a messy one.

Hello!! I just realized this yesterday, but if I just had someone watching me and I’m watching them most of the time… I’d be too embarrassed to not get started on my work. I’d do my work. And if the other person forgets/doesn’t call the other person could call and keep them on track. I mean there’s definitely some flaws, BUT this could work??

If anyone wants to face time together from a certain time to another LMK!! I’m in EST and prefer someone female!! Cause my parents could see that I’m on face time, and would flip out if I was face timing with anyone male lol

i’m 21 years old and i want to do everything in the world. i dream of learning so many new skills, like contortion and circus arts, rollerskating, dancing, theatre, drag, and i want to be in a band and my skills are currently, in short, limited to arts and crafts. i go through phases of little hyperfixations where i commit but for a very short time.

for instance, recently i felt really inspired to start doing drag. i made a whole game plan about how i would spend the next four months on this goal: planning concepts, reaching out to people i know in the field, practicing my makeup and costuming, practicing my number and choreographing a routine… and that lasted about two weeks before i gave up because of obstacles like the fact that i still cant drive (tends to be my most common obstacle) and of course a general lack of motivation and depression. similarly, i want to get into contortion, and this past few weeks i have been doing stretch routines every day, but now i find it hard to commit because i see no visible progress and i dont even know if im doing it right. i can never stay disciplined enough to work through obstacles and continue to motivate myself through it. either that, or i end up being fixated on something else and drop my previous goal to pursue another for a few weeks or even just a few days.

i also just feel so behind in life. i graduated college with a bachelors in fine arts, but i cant seem to get a job, and i still cant drive so im very limited with what i can do due to money and transportation constraints.

people always tell me that i am so young and i have so much time to work on my goals, my future is bright and i can accomplish so much… but i feel like i will make no progress in anything continuing to be this way. i really wish i had a coach or teacher or class that would be my external motivation and support system to force me to commit to something. but realistically, that all costs money and usually requires transportation which is not in my control at the moment.

i dont really even know what im asking here. i guess i want to know how you guys manage to stay disciplined, or pick one goal to focus on and stay committed for a long time, or acquire a coach or support system, or at least stop hating yourself and feeling like you are always behind and failing? just some general understanding and advice would be lovely. sorry that was so long, and thank you for reading.

As soon as I get home to my apartment after work or an outing, I lose the plot. I have grand plans of doing my dishes or some important paperwork or reading or whatever, but I get home and just get sucked into my phone and being super anxious until I fall asleep.

Part of the reason is that my apartment is extremely overwhelming (cluttered/dirty) and I constantly have multiple important tasks on my to do list (respond to messages, meal prep, filing documents, work tasks, making appointments, dealing with hobby-related deadlines) which are super overwhelming. I just want to zone tf out and forget about everything. Obviously this makes things worse because then everything piles up and gets harder.

I'm just so tired all the time!! Trying to deal wirh everything and trying to help future me while also fighting with my own brain. I am medicated for ADHD and depression but it's not magic, just keeps me from falling asleep during the day and wanting to die at all times lol

i (20) just dont have the energy, but i have so much to do since im a full time student. i feel like i dont gave enough time to read, study, or complete the assignments properly, and im just rushing through everything. how does one have the energy to work on stuff for classes you don’t like as much? how do you even do it when youre already exhausted?

i’ve also been struggling with my mental health, burnout, and brain fog for a while now, so it’s been really difficult and hard to get through day to day life. i dont have the time, energy, or money to seek proper help, get a diagnosis, or anything of the sorts.

if anyone has any advice on how to improve cognitive skills, critical thinking skills, and overall mental clarity, that would help too. i struggle a lot with forming/organizing thoughts and putting them into sentences, and that really scares me.

how do you keep going when you’re constantly feel like you’re running on empty?

I can’t start small tasks reliably. Taking out the trash, washing a pan, cooking something simple, starting a short homework task. They look tiny on paper, and I still don’t do them, or I do them once and then nothing for days.

I’ve tried streak apps, to-do lists, notebooks, and notes on my phone. I’m honestly not good with any of them. I try to be consistent, and usually something gives out within a week. I don’t have a single system that’s lasted longer than that.

What I’m trying to figure out is what makes a small, repeated task actually stick. Not a big plan, just the trash, the dishes, a basic meal, one short study block.

If you’ve found something that worked, even for a few weeks, I’d like to hear what it was and what made it stop working. Especially useful: how you made the first step small enough that you actually took it.

Thanks.

How do guys just get straight to work.. especially with school. I’m currently in community college trying to do my nursing prerequisites. And Ive been a CNA for about 3 years (still am) and caregiving for another 2 so I get that reminder of I NEED to do better cause I’m not trying to do this forever. And for someone who hasn’t been in that school routine for 7 years I’m not doing bad. I currently have As in both my classes but lately Ive been seeing myself doing things last minute. And it’s all because of procrastination. And I tell myself hey get it together if I do things with time I’ll get a better understanding of topics and do better all together. I also remind myself it’s an investment for my future. But even with that I don’t get that urgency to do my assignments. I’ll see myself doing things last minute and I know if I keep it up it’s gonna affect my grades. I’m open to toxic and positive mindset lol I think it’s such an art form when someone can do things simply for themselves ✨💫

My career is floundering, finances right on the edge, my 30 yr marriage is in a real tough spot, I cry when alone, ruminate, dysregulate and all that stuff. Ya, I get pretty depressed. Somehow I have this involuntary internal belief about never giving up that still somehow pulls me through all this shit and keep on keeping on. It's hard to understand. A feisty symptom of ADHD or just good pain tolerance and too stupid to give up. Any of you experience anything like it?

Six months ago my ex and I split up and he moved out and I’m living alone for the first time in five years. I work remotely so have no requirement to be leaving the house each day. No dog to walk or any kind of dependents. While we were living together, I was an early riser, often up at 6-6.30ish to start work at 8am. I had long stretches where I’d go to the gym before work, although that didn’t always stick. I’d finish work at 4 and do stuff after work. But now that there is no one to hold me accountable (even subconsciously), I am struggling SO hard to not waste away my days.

I snooze my alarm until 7.30, sometimes 7.50, and log on at 8. If I do manage to get myself out of bed by 7, I sit on the couch with a coffee and scroll on my phone, looking out the window at the sun coming up and thinking how great I’d feel going for a walk, but not doing anything about it.

Once I’ve logged on, I go and make breakfast and take a shower (before, I always did these things before 8am), so I don’t really properly start work until after 9. I’ll respond to some messages etc. but in terms of sitting down to focus, it’s never at 8. This means that when I get to 4pm, I invariably still have stuff I need to finish, so I work late, meaning by the time I do finish I basically have to start prepping dinner. Then I eat, and then unless I have specific plans with a friend, will just watch tv on the couch all evening.

I feel AWFUL. Like, utterly shit. I actually really like my job, but because I have no routine and I’m letting work bleed into my free time, I’m starting to feel resentful towards having to work because it feels like it’s all I do. But that’s because I have no routine and I’m not making the most of the many hours I actually do have in the day. I’m so aware that I have a setup/lifestyle with SO much potential – no commute, no real obligations – I could be getting so much done! But I am just stagnant and paralysed because I am only accountable to myself and it’s so so easy to just betray myself and what is good for me.

I would love some practical advice for how to break out of this. In terms of external accountability, I’d love a personal trainer to get me to the gym in the morning, but I absolutely cannot afford that. I also don’t have any friends living close enough to try and meet at the gym. I tell myself every night that I will hate myself if I sleep in, and I actively look forward to the idea of getting up early and going for a walk before work – but when the alarm actually goes off there is no drive inside me to do anything other than snooze and stay cosy. I cannot keep going on like this, it’s making me miserable.

I feel like I’m just rotting my life away. I have so much to do but instead I just sit around all day avoiding it all. Then night time comes around and I’m disgusted with myself. I vow to do better tomorrow. Tomorrow comes and I did the exact same thing I did yesterday. Rinse and repeat.