Procrastinating on difficult work

[milkshakelake]

I'm doing calculations for a project that is very difficult to me. This work (i.e. materials, methods, codes, calculations) is new to me. I'm on my third project of this type, but it doesn't seem to get any easier; I'm still learning new things on a deadline. The consequence is that I'm procrastinating to avoid the dread of actually doing the work. Browsing Spotify, checking stocks, talking to people, etc. I know it'll get done eventually, but I'm very slow right now. For context, I rarely procrastinate.

Question: What are your strategies for dealing with procrastination for difficult calculations?

 

[ChorasDen]

It's a good question, but I'm not sure I have a truly good answer. In my experience, I typically try and learn tangentially to the problem. Say for example I'm trying to learn how to use a custom library to bring in a large dataset from a .xlsx and, manipulate the data, and record into a new location. I've never done this specific task before, so I tend to look up ways of breaking up the problem first, such as:

1) How do I read the data?
2) How do I effectively store the data once read? I may not have experience with locally handling large datasets in memory, so where do I go to figure it out?
3) How do I effectively record the data once analyzed?

The heavy lifting here is the phrase "effectively". We all can work our way through a calc or problem, but the problem sometimes appears too large at first to overcome. My technique is to typically try and break down smaller portions of the problem, optimize those portions as best as I can, and then at the end fit them all together into a coherent package. This makes the first 1 or 2 times of solving the problem inherently longer that it otherwise would, but this process 1) teaches me more about how to address the issue and variances in future endeavors, and 2) gives me a toolset/procedure/method to fall back on the next time I come across a similar problem.

 

[BulbTheBuilder]

I can totally relate with this post. I often ask myself whether I want to be a problem solver or simply stick to the problems I already know - the easy life. I've spent quite some time in my comfort zone, but now I'm committed to pushing beyond those boundaries.

Believe it or not, walking genuinely helps. I'm a strong advocate for taking walks. It’s the first step (pun intended) toward clearing the mind, especially when things feel mentally cluttered. Keep this in mind as you move forward: motivation is great, but consistency and discipline are even more powerful. You might feel inspired to read or learn today, but if you don’t keep it up regularly, that spark fades.

Personally, I’ve adopted the “30 minutes a day” method and dedicating at least half an hour daily to reading on a specific topic. It’s made a noticeable difference. I’ve even set up a reading focus mode on my devices to silence all notifications. The key is to concentrate on the small portion you’re reading, rather than getting overwhelmed by the complexity ahead (here’s time for that later).

Reading can be dull at times, so I mix in videos to keep things engaging. I also visit this forum, search for relevant topics, and read through the responses—they often offer more practical insights than the dense, conceptual books.

I am in a wind region and not a seismic one, so I dread all SDC D and upwards projects. The thought of getting deeper into ASCE and AISC 341 was a nightmare, but I am gradually overcoming this fear as I progress. I pretended to be busy doing other trivial tasks just to avoid studying seismic-related topics - I did all you have listed.

The first step for me was grabbing a textbook (they’re also expensive these days, but that’s a topic for another day) and reading through and just reading through a chapter without forcing myself to understand. After a chapter, I went to ASCE/AISC 341 to see how well I understood and what the commentary says. Just understanding the basics; Ss, S1, how stiffness/period affect seismic force, and that ground motion. I am not an expert, but gradually I have developed a better understanding to the point I had a big argument with a registered licensed engineer on major issues in his seismically designed structure for him to later admit a flaw in his design.

In fact, I was so proud of myself when I commented on this post: Design of Beams in Special Concentric Braced Frames . I was like, "how did Ido that???????????"

 

[IRstuff]

Also, baby-steps; procrastination often comes from the enormity of the singular task at hand. Break the task down to palatable mini-task chunks and grind through them one at a time.

 

[milkshakelake]

@ChorasDen

My technique is to typically try and break down smaller portions of the problem

I hear you, pretty much the same thing as @IRstuff is saying. I actually think that making things too effective can be a loop by itself. Sometimes, it's better just to start and scribble things, and clean it up later. I think I was getting hung up because I spent a lot of time on repeating calculations. When I tried to make it more effective and automate it, the problem was grander than I imagined; I'm on like day 3 of making a spreadsheet to simplify it. Though I did break the problem up into some smaller steps, and that helped. Sometimes, the interaction between the steps (like in your example) can only come to daylight once the pieces are in place. I separated the loading, analysis, and code checks, which was great.

@BulbTheBuilder I don't have a problem studying. It's actually very easy for me; no deadlines. Same as you, about 30 minutes a day or something. I did take your advice about going for a walk, and it helped.

 

[MintJulep]

Reframe.

Instead of "I must do this thing I don't know how to do."

Approach it as "I get to learn how to do this new thing."

I guess you're viewing the learning time as "unproductive", when in fact it is productive.

 

[GregLocock]

+1 on that. I love it. Switch email off, skip all meetings unless I’m on the agenda, scuba tanks filled, it’s deep dive time.

 

[XR250]

For me it is to start early A.M. and caffeinate the crap out of myself.

 

[Latexman]

Are you sure it's procrastination? When I had a new, difficult task, I did a lot of thinking/research/scribbling/talking to co-workers and others. Until I (and my instincts) knew I had, or was on the right track for, a practical solution, I think a lot of folks watching would say I was procrastinating. But I wasn't. It was part of my innovation process