Does anyone else procrastinate?

David H

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Hi everyone,

i was just wondering if there are others on this forum that are terrible for procrastinating?

I am a terrible procrastinator and have always been, especially through high school, university etc. but of course a deadline always was the main motivation to get something done at the end of the day.

What i struggle with now is that because I procrastinate I never earn as much as I want from Matched Betting, and I know it can be done, and I also know that is not hard or necessarily time consuming.

I was hoping for any advice, or perhaps you're like me and have overcome your procrastinating traits?
 

skint

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When I get around to it.
 

Chammy

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Oh I really struggle with....oh look Facebook....this! I'm not quite sure how to...ooooh new YouTube video....advise you when I'm actually really....oh oh Shinokerah is now streaming....bad at controlling it myself........checks Twitter, checks Instagram, goes to make a cuppa, checks Facebook, checks Twitter, creates a new overlay for Twitch, watches a YouTube video...

Comes back to TMS to hit "post reply"....
 
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Pbrail

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Yeah, I do that a lot too. If I could make money just reading threads about people making money Matched Betting, I'd be much richer :p

It's a constant battle - and one that I rarely win - but when I do have 'good days', it's when I've made a to-do list (usually the night before) and then next day I work on my list rather than go look for new offers or do...well, anything.

If I start browsing anything else, news, facebook, forums...it's game over. So I try and tackle the list first so I'm only on bookies and exchanges before doing anything else.

That way, at least, I get some stuff done before I start to drift...
 

Jon

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Matched betting is probably the one area of online earnings I never procrastinate with. I think it's because I know just how much I can earn for just a few minutes working compared to writing a blog post which might take me 30mins to do lol
 

Topaz

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Nope. I learned many years ago that it is a waste of time and energy. Get it done, stay on track, then you can enjoy yourself with a clear conscious.
 

Hezzy

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I find that tracking results and setting targets helps!
 

homie

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Yes. It is my only fault. I can find 100 things that don't need doing if it helps put off one thing that does need to be done.
 

David H

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Nope. I learned many years ago that it is a waste of time and energy. Get it done, stay on track, then you can enjoy yourself with a clear conscious.

Was there anything you consciously changed which helped you to overcome your procrastinating, or was it more "learned behaviour" where overtime you gradually just changed?
 

Stims

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This is a question of motivation.

You have to ask yourself what is it you are doing and why. What are your goals?

If you have a real reason to be doing what you are, then I’m sure you’ll end up procrastinating less.

Chasing the money is not a big enough reason for most. You’ll find that when it comes, you value it less – which is especially true if you have a separate pot for MB. You don’t rely on it and it doesn’t matter if you miss out today because you can always do some tomorrow (this kind of thinking is why so many people leave essays until the last minute).

Set a real target.

A holiday. A car. A cleared debt. A house. More freedom.

Whatever it is you have to really want it. And then, you have to be focused.

Revisit the target often and remind yourself why.

My guess is that matched betting is just a tool to you. You might not particularly enjoy it. You may even hate it. It’s just a tool to make a bit of cash.

But it’s a great one.

It’s opened a lot of doors for me and will continue to do so.

Next time you sit down for a few hours of MB, make a list. Close down all distractions and get to work.
 
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Topaz

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Was there anything you consciously changed which helped you to overcome your procrastinating, or was it more "learned behaviour" where overtime you gradually just changed?

I had a health scare, and suddenly realised that procrastinating was a waste of time and energy - why waste a resource that is not infinite when you don't have to.
 
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David H

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This is a question of motivation.

You have to ask yourself what is it you are doing and why. What are your goals?

If you have a real reason to be doing what you are, then I’m sure you’ll end up procrastinating less.

Chasing the money is not a big enough reason for most. You’ll find that when it comes, you value it less – which is especially true if you have a separate pot for MB. You don’t rely on it and it doesn’t matter if you miss out today because you can always do some tomorrow (this kind of thinking is why so many people leave essays until the last minute).

Set a real target.

A holiday. A car. A cleared debt. A house. More freedom.

Whatever it is you have to really want it. And then, you have to be focused.

Revisit the target often and remind yourself why.

My guess is that matched betting is just a tool to you. You might not particularly enjoy it. You may even hate it. It’s just a tool to make a bit of cash.

But it’s a great one.

It’s opened a lot of doors for me and will continue to do so.

Next time you sit down for a few hours of MB, make a list. Close down all distractions and get to work.

Wow Stims, what an endearing and sincere response to my question: thank you for this.

I actually read this last night at work and it really did change my outlook; while writing the original post/question a lot of what you say was something already on my periphery, but sometimes it does help to just have something explained to you. Point. Blank. Though, that is probably just how some people learn and overcome issues, perhaps?

I would never rely on MB as my sole discretionary income, though, maybe this is the failure of my outlook because of course it would be illogical to rely on an income source which itself is volatile but of course no one successful ever sat on their arse (so to speak!)

However, I would absolutely agree that you have to have some sort of goal because this is what will drive my motivation especially, while I wouldn't rely on it to pay on my mortgage, like you say the amount potentially earned via MB can more than pay for a car, holiday, clearing debt etc.

Though, I would say especially for me, and I have seen this as a recurring theme in some of the posts on here is that when all of the sign up offers are done suddenly you have to change the way you do things (dutching etc.) in order to be able to make profit, and I think for many that can run away from barriers very easily this can be a big turn off, though, you do have to tell yourself that: you've followed instructions with the sign up offers, so what is it with the reloads that turns you off? The instruction is not dissimilar, but of course these are individual personality traits that one can overcome, but only with personal perseverance (which in itself is a barrier).

Thank you for your response, it was very illuminating.
 
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David H

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I had a health scare, and suddenly realised that procrastinating was a waste of time and energy - why waste a resource that is not infinite when you don't have to.

I can absolutely see how that would have changed your outlook: and it is also a very true and personal one for many.

Growing up I was always overweight, to the point where confidence was just not even a word in my vocabulary. I did care, but I had nothing to jump start my psyche into telling me that I had to change, and not be in this chronic denial and hide away in my room.

One of my (now ex) best friend's brother committed suicide, and it lead me to falling out with her (there was an obvious reason that doesn't need to be told here) but she "outed" me on social media (told everyone I was gay, which I really struggled with accepting growing up) and it just changed something in me. In a lot of ways what she did was very spiteful, but it changed my life because she had removed those walls for me, and because it had changed me and the way I thought I was then able to lose weight, which along the way brought the happiness and confidence that I had always strived for.

So, I can absolutely see how a "health scare" would change you in the way you say above.

I hope all is okay now with you and your family, Topaz.
 

Jon

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I think having goals is a great way to avoid procrastination because it obviously keeps you focused.

I remember when I booked a holiday in Florida one year I had SET DATES when I had to pay for the flights, the hotel, the theme park tickets etc and I just kept chipping away at what was probably a £3000+ holiday piece by piece.
 
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Jon

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Wow Stims, what an endearing and sincere response to my question: thank you for this.

I actually read this last night at work and it really did change my outlook; while writing the original post/question a lot of what you say was something already on my periphery, but sometimes it does help to just have something explained to you. Point. Blank. Though, that is probably just how some people learn and overcome issues, perhaps?

I would never rely on MB as my sole discretionary income, though, maybe this is the failure of my outlook because of course it would be illogical to rely on an income source which itself is volatile but of course no one successful ever sat on their arse (so to speak!)

However, I would absolutely agree that you have to have some sort of goal because this is what will drive my motivation especially, while I wouldn't rely on it to pay on my mortgage, like you say the amount potentially earned via MB can more than pay for a car, holiday, clearing debt etc.

Though, I would say especially for me, and I have seen this as a recurring theme in some of the posts on here is that when all of the sign up offers are done suddenly you have to change the way you do things (dutching etc.) in order to be able to make profit, and I think for many that can run away from barriers very easily this can be a big turn off, though, you do have to tell yourself that: you've followed instructions with the sign up offers, so what is it with the reloads that turns you off? The instruction is not dissimilar, but of course these are individual personality traits that one can overcome, but only with personal perseverance (which in itself is a barrier).

Thank you for your response, it was very illuminating.

Spot on with this!

I think people have a mental hurdle sometimes to learning something new and so instead of pushing forward they stay where they are and end up.......procrastinating.

Before you started doing MBing, you didn't know how to do it. So you read, practiced, and did it!

Now it's time to learn a new skill (Say Horse Refunds). Read > Practice > Do it!

Now it's time to learn accas . Read > Practice > Do it!

If you just stay where you are with Matched Betting of course you will end up procrastinating because you will just do the 'things you know' which will massively limit how much money you can earn from it!
 
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Queen Jess

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I think having goals is a great way to avoid procrastination because it obviously keeps you focused.

I remember when I booked a holiday in Florida one year I had SET DATES when I had to pay for the flights, the hotel, the theme park tickets etc and I just kept chipping away at what was probably a £3000+ holiday piece by piece.

This is great advice. My targets are too big to even calculate and so after reading this I created two mini targets am tracking those those. Once done I'll do the next two until my big goal is reached! Even found an app to track my progress and show how much I should be saving/making everyday :)
 

Jon

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This is great advice. My targets are too big to even calculate and so after reading this I created two mini targets am tracking those those. Once done I'll do the next two until my big goal is reached! Even found an app to track my progress and show how much I should be saving/making everyday :)
Hate to bring in a bit of 'Jon Psychology' here but have you thought about MindMapping

I use it a LOT for projects I am working on and it helps you break BIG GOALS onto smaller achieveable chunks

As an example
This is a project I am working on that has MANY parts to it and so I cross (and achieve them) one by one

JPThGVY.png


As you can see in the green boxes the circle fills in depending on how much of the other tasks I have to do

I use SimpleMind for my MindMapping but it when you said your goals are TOO BIG you may find breaking them down into smaller goals and keeping track really helps you achieve your main 'too big' goal!

Just a thought...
 

Queen Jess

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Hate to bring in a bit of 'Jon Psychology' here but have you thought about MindMapping

I use it a LOT for projects I am working on and it helps you break BIG GOALS onto smaller achieveable chunks

As an example
This is a project I am working on that has MANY parts to it and so I cross (and achieve them) one by one

JPThGVY.png


As you can see in the green boxes the circle fills in depending on how much of the other tasks I have to do

I use SimpleMind for my MindMapping but it when you said your goals are TOO BIG you may find breaking them down into smaller goals and keeping track really helps you achieve your main 'too big' goal!

Just a thought...

It's a good idea, but I'm currently trying not to think about all the things I need to do to reach my ultimate goal as I'm finding thinking about it overwhelming. I need to concentrate on the little baby steps and then hopefully one day I'll realise I'm almost there!
 
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