Unlike the violinists, I usually have 15-20 min of work then 90 min break.

My procrastination has reached such a point that common sense advice like this just doesn't help anymore.

1. get started 2. deliberate practice -focus on hardest tasks -take breaks -disciplined scheduling 3. get a deadline 4. accountability chart -time + what you did 5. don't multitask 6. split up large tasks into small bits

If you're here... you're probably being unproductive...

Stop reading the comments and finish that work you need to do!!!!!

It sucks feeling trapped when ya know ya should be doing what ya really gotta be doing, but simply aint moving. Over the last few years, the two greatest things that I've learned were ..... . . . 1.) Replace "I can" with "I must". And ... 2.) "Action" is the fundamental key to all success. Two great quotes, yet although I've improved greatly, I still struggle. My belief now is that it truly is a long process of slowly but gradually reprogramming the brain. And in order to win (being successful), ya gotta make it a habit. Simply because ..... . . . Winning, is a habit ~

School needs to know this

I have an exam tomorrow and I haven't even STARTED studying... so much for productivity

I should be doing my homework.

I can never follow deadlines I set for myself, because I know beforehand that there will be no immediate negative consequence for it, thus more procrastination is possible. I always think 'I can do it tomorrow, because I want happy times in the moment, not in the currently non-existent future. I can't feel the future, thus I must be happy today.' The problem is I think the same thing again, when tomorrow becomes today. And then it's the last possible day I can work, the workload is too high, and I give up entirely because now it seems impossible to do. After all, the consequence will only come tomorrow, so don't ruin today, the only moment I can ever feel now.

Instructions not clear enough, got my productivity stuck in the ceiling fan.

Hey. I don't appreciate KZfaq being on the "small, mindless tasks" list. I'm learning a lot on this channel. Lol.

Science of Productivity : Pretty comprehensive take on the popular subject in 3 minutes. Start Plan tasks Set Deadlines Track progress

Meh, I'll start tomorrow.

Oh, okay! Its time to start being productive with my work! *looks at suggestions* Wait... The Scientific Secret of Strength and Muscle Growth? I gotta see this. *2 hours later* Dang, now I need to go to bed, and I didn't do any of my homework... ALL THANKS TO YOU ASAPSCIENCE.

Eee this is cool! I'm homeschooled, and it's hard sometimes to motivate myself to do all the work I need to do in a day. (I often find myself taking too many notes as well, and then one subject takes an hour & 30 minutes - when it could have taken just half an hour.) But this is pretty cool!

But I always eat cookies in one bite...

Helpful video. Weird how I used to do all these things on my own when I was younger (the whole following routine stuff) and now have to watch videos to figure out what's wrong.

12:00 Am---1:30AM Dammit I've done nothing

Hi, Can you please do a video about "common sense"? Why some people have more than other and/or nothing at all? Thank you

... This video just made me procrastinate more..;.

I am always multitasking I do homework while breathing, using my brain, moving my eyes, writing, pumping my heart, and many more 😂 😂

Omg this video is so true, when I haven't started a project I feel intimidated by it but when I start even a little, I just feel compelled to finish it, I need to keep in mind to "start" on my projects more often now!

what's the nicest thing about this channel is that unlike the other science channels is that these are comparatively less shorter and have are most interactive

Was anyone else multi tasking by watching this video and doing something else?

I'm watching your videos instead of what I should be doing... Damn it

"Willpower can be exhausted" "The biggest barrier to productivity is just getting started! Just start and it will usually go well!" Me, looking at my empty barrel where I used to keep my willpower "Okay. How do I start? What do I use?" Also Zeigarnik effect doesn't work on my brain. Been midway through several books and stories for years. Progress is slow. Diagnosis? Depression. I'm just royally boned by brain chemistry. Thanks.

Writing down a realistic amount of tasks for the day is a great technique. I have noticed that when I can see on a piece of paper all the tasks that I have to complete, I concentrate more and waste less time during the day. Also, taking a break and not overwhelming yourself is really important.

Oh Man!!! This is the best video advise on time management skills that ever stuck with me. Thanks AsapSCIENCE, you're really helping mold my decision making for my best. Love you guys!

I watched this years ago when this was uploaded. Yet i was unable to do the advice here for several years until this week. I did not know how i got the idea of writing down what ive done and setting deadlines. Maybe subconsciously the advise in the vid was still ingrained in me lmao Nonetheless, writing things down as said in the video really does work! I became significantly more productive and actually got things done even without fear and pleasure as main motivation.

Asap you have changed my life in so many ways, i wish i could make this kind of impact on others...

This video is on point. Being productive isn't all about will power. You need to start a project in order to continue it. Tracking your progress is almost important. Keep in mind what you have done, and it will give you motivation by knowing you have accomplished some already. Another thing: don't multitask! Take one step at a time. When you complete one thing, you will feel accomplished and more likely to be able to happily move on to the next.

Some notes: - ego depletion - willpower is like a muscle; it can be tired out if you overuse it! - how to finish something: just get started! - it's not as hard as you think; your brain just makes it seem that way - don't distract yourself with mindless tasks - Zeigarnik Effect - you'll want to finish what you start - time management - work deliberately, not more - work intensely with breaks - focus on hardest tasks - use disciplined scheduling - ex.) 90 min work, 15-20 min break - give yourself a deadline - use an accountability chart (time-logging) - column one: tasks finished - column two: time taken - avoid multitasking - actually less productive! - make an action plan the night before - split up large tasks into smaller minitasks to make it less daunting Hope this helped :)

Ironically stopped my studys to watch this. #procrastination

Brilliant! You marveled in summing up all that in such a short span of time. Well that's your PRODUCTIVITY.

An important point to add, consider being realistic while setting your deadlines.

Can some people not have this 'zeigarnik effect'? No matter what I do, if I want to start a project e.g. writing, I start it and then never get the urge to continue with it. Is there an explanation for this?

I've been doing this and I've noticed, while all of this works for a while, I feel like it's getting worse and worse and I'm slowly slipping back to my old habits... For example for studying, I make a schedule for months and then for each day and then I go to my study place to study and put on a timer, after the timer I take a break and then I continue.. At first it worked wonders but then slowly but surely I just got addicted to those small breaks and my brain could only be focused on the "ok, now there's X minutes left before I can go take a break.." so what happened was that my brain started multitasking on counting the time in my head while I was trying to concentrate on studying and slowly all the studying I did was a waste of time as my brain only concentrated on the counting of time or remembering the schedule but not actually understanding what I've been reading or studying.. I also noticed that as I set a place for my study I'm now totally unable to study anywhere else, so if I for some reason am unable to go to that place, I will not be able to do any studying and I feel bad when it messes up my schedule. For some odd reason I have no problems with changing other things such as start exercise routine or a diet (probably because I found some diets and exercise routines that are a perfect fit for me).. I guess there must be other people with the same problem and if anyone has found a solution for this, it would be awesome to hear. I'm now sticking with this as it is the only way to keep me somewhat on track, even though utterly inefficient imho: Make a schedule in the morning, go to the study place, read, take a break, read, take a break and then after 10+hours of studying while learning nothing I go back home, have some free time (exercise and youtube + whatever), go bed and the next day rinse and repeat..

i love how the cookie at 2:42 is split into different pieces that are as big as the parts of the essay they represent should be: smallest piece for introduction, biggest piece for research, another big piece for discussion, smaller piece for conclusion.

I love your videos! They are always so helpful and eye opening! Keep up the great work :)

Your channel is simply amazing!

Oh crap, that's what I experience when I start a bag of chocolates... The Zeigarnik effect! D: Thanks AsapSCIENCE! :D

Awesome video! Going to add this to my repertoire to continue being more productive. Still battling the procrastination beast!

Hi, very illuminating video. Here is my experience with the depletion of willpower and low productivity. At my work, I frequently have to work on plans and strategies, so in my private life, I often use the same concepts: planning churns and envisioning the steps that have to be done. But usually, this makes me tired even before I start with the work. I see so much that has to be done, that the pile of tasks in front of me seems insurmountable. I've learned that the easiest are new tasks or projects because for such tasks I have no idea how hard or complicated they really are. I just follow the principle one step at the time and this often brings me much further.

The accountability chart is an extremely great idea! Thank you so much :-)

I got no problem starting things, but my problem is actually keeping my interest long enough to finish anything! lol..

I found out this channel about 2 days ago and I can't stop watching these interesting vids. Are there any other channels similar to this one that you guys watch?

This video is very helpful. Today is my first day at Ashford University and I have been working on my first assignment since last night. Lot of reading, mostly but it's very interesting and exciting. Not doing a whole lot of procrastinating because I'm studying cognitive neuroscience, something I picked.

"I don't feel like making another ASAP Science video!" "Why not just get started?" The beginning of all ASAP Science videos...

To lazy to pay attention to this video....

I like the little 1st 2nd and 3rd note stickers on the violin and the fact that when he shows the bow moving its going the completely wrong way

I watch this video like every time when I start a task! Helps be not lose focus!

Whenever I have to write a huge 2000 word essay for University, I always set myself certain days in which to complete parts of that essay. I'd usually give myself 2 days to do research, and then 1 day per paragraph. So depending on the size of the essay It usually takes me abut 6 - 7 days to complete. Which is much more comforting and easier to accomplish than completing it in say 2 - 3 days. I also find that my paragraphs sound a lot better for I have a whole day to focus on one of them, and not worry about the others sounding just as good.

Folks I can vouch for that first point like no other. The way I am, I will be doing something that isn't work and I'll be saying "I don't wanna work yet I'm comfortable spending my time doing this." The thing is though, that very effect will apply once you switch into work mode. I say to myself "alright, if I can get 15-20 minutes in of work and focus on it then I will stick with it" and it's true, after that time is up you'll typically just keep working. Bottom line: trust you'll get into it once you start, force yourself to work for 20 minutes knowing this. Try to make the workplace as comfortable as you can during this 20 minutes as well

This is so helpful to me. Whenever I need a little push I watch this video.

I'm so grateful you made that video omg I really needed it❤🙌🏽

Great video - fun, inspiring and easily implementable tips on productivity

Now, how to not get so caught up in these charts and graphs that they become a mindless task that becomes a distraction from doing real work?

Your videos has so much informacion! Uhh!! My brain can't take it anymore, its going to blow up!!!

this channel is so awesome. thank you for this

So back in 2011 9I think, maybe 2010) there was a small game I started making where you take care of different aquatic animals. I eventually lost steam due to the huge daunting tasks of programming the animal health systems and other features in the game. I later found out that an online friend of mine was disappointed when they found out that I seemingly stop working on it. In order to finish it, i made a list. On the list, I laid out the days I would be working on the game, and the tasks I hoped to finish in each day. (Finish programming the Jellyfish system on Monday, finish setting up the food shop on Tuesday, etc) and as long as I finished the task allotted to that day, I could either stop, or continue working on the task for the next day and just take that day off. It worked MARVELS, and I finished the game on time. I try to apply that to other areas of life too, but it's not as easy. It seems silly to stop working once I've started going, but it really worked.

multitasking while watching the video...

Thanks, AsapSCIENCE. You're great.

I have a broken pinky, but this motivates me to go back into playing the violin... I needed this, thanks.

Everyone who's watching this video is probably procrastinating. I know I am...

What are the best ways to survive a day after barely sleeping? (as a student) I have to wake up at 6 am every morning for school, and i have tons of homework and lots of studying to do, so its hard to even sleep by 10 o clock. school days are DREADFUL and tiring! How can i make my body feel more awake??

Y'alls videos are so fun and entertaining and educational. Got something right here

Thanks a lot, you changed my whole mindset about studying, it's so easier now

This really helped me, but I've been having trouble getting motivated. I wonder if he could do the science of motivation, or even the science of phobias. I am having problems with those right now, but the phobia one would be informative/helpful to everyone. And I can't be the only person in the one million viewers that have trouble with motivation.

Anyone watching this instead of working on any task?

Excellent for people with ADD/ADHD. Baby Steps. Reminders. Deadlines. Condensed Work... Really good concepts here, nicely illustrated.

Watching this made me feel a little more motivated. And I'm glad I'm finally doing the stuff I should do. But it's a cycle, and I know it'll start to feel pointless after a few days. Then it'll be back to being useless.

Ironically, I found this video because my current action is exactly the opposite of what this video suggest. Work time? Of course not! it is youtube time! \ :v /

*Watches this video while writing Essay* oops!

very clear, simple, and refreshing!!! thnx 4 the work!

I'm JUST now finding out about this channel. Where has it been all my life?

Way to lazy to actually do any of this...

I know I need to study for my exams, but I always get distracted. What should I do?

Best channel ever.....lots of stuff in entertaining way!!!!

Thank you for this video. I have a hard time focusing on homework some days. Another tip is when you are trying to get something done, (ex. homework, report, exercise), turn off all electronics and go do it.

My log as follows: Approximately 2:00am February 8th 1994 - 10:58am January 3rd 2014 Survived 10:58am January 3rd 2014 - 10:59am January 3rd 2014 Composed a comment on a KZfaq video This is somewhat incorrect as I can not log what I am doing as done... while I'm doing it... if that makes sense. Plans for the future: 11:00am January 3rd 2014 Click 'Post' to allow the world to see this comment I'm currently writing and now you've gotten this far have written. Burning question: What's the difference between the words written and wrote? I think it's the difference between I have written and you have wrote. My guess anyway.

Hmm.... I may try this with drawing. Like set an hour for nothing but sketching/doodling. Break or a game or two on Xbox or something. Go back or another hour for lineart and coloring, another few games, than finish it up.

Thanks so much for making this video!

I loved this video! It's so fun the way you present your information.

I didn't feel lazy before I got here...

This is so true recently built my pc and I swear I couldn't stop till I got it done took ages but once I started was on a roll.

This video actually keeps you from being more productive.

Seriously, you guys make the best videos! Nice job on this one, too.

*looks at several years of unfinished projects*

Or : Start meditating ! It does wonders to your mind, period

"MOTIVATION" How to surpass the norm of laziness and the scientific explanation behind it; including how to approach it and if takes a toll on your future. The divergence of wanting to do something and actually implementation, whether it be the use of commodity or plain realisation. This would be a perfect video and intern create more people that can change the world.

As soon as you showed the posted note, I'm there like ooooo lists :D

I'm watching a video on productivity the night before an exam. Science, bitches!

i'll watch later

That totally makes sense!! I also like the wonderful drawings, it keeps us glued!! :)

Planning some break help to stay focus when working.

Why the dogs move the tail when they are happy? LIKE THE COMENT

Is this psychology? or biology? anyone know? ty

Thanks for the info! Really concise and acessible.

I'm just straight up lazy wich makes me procratinate, no matter what I do, or how hard I try, after a week, I always end up the same lazy procrastinating person I am.