How to beat procrastination?

miketheman · 2014-01-08T09:06:04.000Z

This thread is great, thanks for all tips!

I think setting up a very specific goal/vision may help. But reaching a goal, will need certain things specified. I´ve found out that for me, that is: time, money and most importantly decision.

There´s were I usually lacking, thus I have a few ongoing hardware projects: foot controller, rig setup etc. Of course all projects are all “connected” to each other. Therefore, it takes a lot of money to get the parts. Takes a lot of time, saving up the money and hunting down the parts (preferbly for the least amount of money). And of course it also takes a lot of time to think, plan and make decisions of what the next step is.

It surely doesn´t help finding out in meantime that old gear eventually breaks.

It surely screws things up, when manufacturers are releasing new firmwares or hardware that pretty much makes your old gear redundant.

Decision: continue with old plan or re-configure the whole setup(plan)?

Daisuk · 2014-01-08T09:34:41.000Z

""Astrolab"":

I discovered years ago that we are ALL ruled by our “Biorhythm”. And therefore, you cannot be creative or (pro)active during your “down” period.

That’s not magic. But it’s like that.

Some people are more affected by their biorhythm than some other people. Some people are less affected by their biorhythm than some other people.

Our Biorhythm is like based on the Elektron step sequencer: it’s cyclic!

There are three main cycles: Physical (23 days), Emotional (28 days) and Intellectual (33 days). When my Intellectual cycles + my Emotional cycles are linked down, I’m in a total procrastination

Try this link:
[url=“Natural Superellipse | Lamé curve | Super-ellipse Calculator & Plotter”]Natural Superellipse | Lamé curve | Super-ellipse Calculator & Plotter

Well, I’m not going to start a debate, but it’s not particularly well documented that we do in fact live by these biorhythms. So don’t pay too much attention to them, I’d say.
http://www.skepdic.com/biorhyth.html

boboter · 2014-01-08T10:11:28.000Z

I have a slighty different approach to get myself going. It depends on the goal I have:

For example if I just want to make something music-related everyday, I will just sit infront of my gear, power it up and start messing with it. A beat of some sort will happen after a while. But if I do that, I mostly know from the beginning that I won’t come up with something that I will be really happy with at the end of the day - nothing release worthy. This technique is fine for learning some gear or trying out new methods. Basically, everything that is more like homework. But:

If I force it too much, I loose my groove.

That’s why I simply try to put me in the best possible mood. Of course that’s not easy after a hard day’s work but it’s doable. I do whatever makes me happy that day. Even if it’s just a cup of tea, something nice to eat or an hour of mayham in GTA. When I’m relaxed and simply feel good (almost empty), I will go almost automatically to my gear and everything will work on it’s own. Then I will get totally lost in a track and finish it without it feeling like work.

Basically, try to feel good as much as possible and when you do, try to make music as much as possible. Then a routine will take shape.

And I’m not talking drugs or alcohol here. Of course, that might work, too, if that’s your thing.

And if you can’t feel good, you have bigger problems than not finishing a track

iromeku · 2014-01-08T10:19:39.000Z

Turn off the internet.

miketheman · 2014-01-08T10:38:03.000Z

""iromeku"":

Turn off the internet.

I will…

…later…

RawTicks · 2014-01-08T13:11:29.000Z

I’m hoping this will do the trick for me :
http://weeklybeats.com/

Also, the best trick I’ve read (I think it was on lifehacker) to break procrastination is this : Give yourself 10 minutes to start what you should be doing and if it doesn’t work out after 10 minutes give yourself the right to stop doing it.

I always end up working much more than 10 minutes on stuff (music or other things) when I actually begin working on it. But knowing that I give myself the right to quit after 10 minutes somehow makes it easier to actually begin working, which I think is the hardest part of the process. Once you get going… the hours often end up passing by without notice.

Gouxte · 2014-01-08T13:32:35.000Z

I sit in front of my machine with music (rhythm,texture, whatever) instead of thinking about procedure or technique which will end in experimentation/homework to learn machines without any musical result.

On the other side, I don’t put on machines while I’m taking a beer or a scotch. I don’t use drug either, I’ve waste too much good time of classical guitar practicing with it…

cosmosuave · 2014-01-08T13:47:05.000Z

Have kids and then realize how little time you have for music or other things you took for granted (like reading the paper)… After about the first 8 years the amount of time for yourself increases… The time you have now use it wisely…

RyanElektric · 2014-01-08T13:50:38.000Z

Record everything: it’s a rule I vowed to live by and what finally got me to really start doing this 4 months ago. Avoid perfectionism- nothing will ever be exactly what you imagined it to be when you started walking down the path towards it (with all things in life). With music, it’s easy to walk away from something good because it doesn’t conform to your expectations or your “style”. Which leads me to my next point:
Try to make different types of music: too many people put labels on themselves. That’s no way to be creative! It’s a marketing strategy…if you should end up in a position to have a nice sized following, let the fans or critics put labels on you- it’s totally out of your hands at that point anyway!

Plus, If you’re worried about what anyone else thinks about what you’re creating, you can bet that you’ll have a hard time starting or finishing a project or that you’ll lose interest in it entirely.

Have fun. Collaborate with other people. Go outside every once and a while and get some sun and talk to other people in person (not just on forums like this…)! Creative impulses can leave you totally alone (even when surrounded with other people)- emotional and/or physical isolation has it’s benefits, but you need to find a balance. (*this is one I need to follow myself).

udenjoe · 2014-01-08T15:58:21.000Z

Make it easier to work. Make things simple and easy. Start small. Work smarter, not harder. Eventually you’ll realize an hour flew by and you may or may not have made progress. Don’t let the lack of progress hinder you.

I’ve moved my A4 and OT to my kitchen table. I don’t have an excuse to turn them on and work on them for at least an hour a day.

Remember, the dead don’t sleep. They don’t dream nor wake up. Forget those people who say that.

TrabanT · 2014-01-08T18:52:03.000Z

what are YOUR circumstances?

do you have kids?

smoke weed?

do 15 push ups every morning?

children?

day job?

depression?

anxiety?

goals in life? major drawbacks? developed a habit of X Y Z? Friends? Family?

what does your hygiene look like? psycho hygiene? work ethics? support groups around?

go to bed at 2 am, get up super late? go to bed drunk wake up hungover?

go running twice a week?

do X push ups when you read this, and do push ups everytime you think of push ups… I forgot, went from 35 to 5

inevitablecrafts · 2014-01-08T19:04:24.000Z

[ul]
[li]dont use your computer[/li]
[li]use a name convention that makes sense for you and save everything[/li]
[li]work on sounds instead of patterns or songs and you will automatically need one of the two sooner or later to brows though and develop things further in times of procrastination[/li]
[li]change musical style[/li]
[/ul]

Allerian · 2014-01-08T23:41:21.000Z

Roll up your sleeves. Works for me.

Geneoart · 2014-01-09T00:16:42.000Z

Record your sessions then chop and paste them. Live jamming is always more fun for me. It also gets me in an creative altered state much faster.
Portable equipment is a great tool for this as well, like a iPad, volcas, or op-1. I’ll give my endorsement to the op-1. It’s the sh!t!!

zfigz · 2014-01-09T00:19:24.000Z

""cosmosuave"":

Have kids and then realize how little time you have for music or other things you took for granted (like reading the paper)… After about the first 8 years the amount of time for yourself increases… The time you have now use it wisely…

This…

I just had my first kiddo this past March, I’m also a first time husband, and first time teacher. My free time is extremely limited now, though, I just built a live rig. It’s nice to be able to move my setup to different places in the house. I plan on bringing it to work (my fifth grade clsssroom) so that I can stay late at work to be creative.

Before all the big changes in my life, I found that exercise and weed were good motivators in creating. Also, I find it extremely important to have a focus/goal when making music (e.g. Sound design,
chord progression, etc).

In any case, just keep doing it even when you don’t want to, there’s really no such thing as inspiration, you just gotta be diligent in just doing it til you sleep. It also helps to get up early on weekends.

LordAlister · 2014-01-09T00:29:25.000Z

I embrace my procrastination sometimes. Its best to realize that maybe you just need some down time and put your mind on hold.
One day you’ll fire it all back up and come up with some pretty interesting things.

NRain · 2014-01-09T03:01:13.000Z

I have found on occasion that reverse engineering and recreating a challenging track helps get the juices / motivation flowing.

FreeFall · 2014-01-09T06:53:26.000Z

Sometimes conjuring inspiration is like conjuring a fart. If you push too hard, it might come out shit!

However, after twenty years of being a graphic designer and having had MANY occasions where I absolutely had to produce something, whether I felt like it or not, is “borrowing” a little something from another artist. It can sometimes be just enough to get the engines running. Most of the time it will turn into something of your own anyway.

Low_Life · 2014-01-09T08:54:13.000Z

I’m still on my personal step 1: Stop listening to synth demos and browsing gear forums and accept that what I have now can do anything I’d need at this point.

But I want to get rid of my R3…

Slick_Chris · 2014-01-09T11:17:37.000Z

""Allerian"":

Roll up your sleeves. Works for me.

…the words of someone who’s never suffered from (or should I say subjected themselves to) real procrastination.
Coincidentally, this appeared on my facebook feed this morning and it’s one of the best articles on procrastination I’ve ever read. I suspect many on this thread will recognise the Dark Playground:
http://waitbutwhy.com/2013/10/why-procrastinators-procrastinate.html