Working from home has been a productivity disaster (as a web developer)

I was thinking of starting to work from home so I don't have experience doing it not sure I can offer advice.

Have you tried finding somewhere to go work outside your home maybe that will help you focus?

I would probably try a college or university library around here if I end up doing remote work not my home.

 

Sounds like you need to pick a set schedule and figure out how to be disciplined enough to stop procrastinating which I also need to work on better go get started

 

you just need to pull it through, man. you gotta. it is possible. you know what to do. remove the distractions, and suffer. bear the pain. the beginning will be hard, but you will see that gradually it will become more easy. right now you are like the rat thats used to push the dopamine button to get its kick. fortunately you are not a rat but a human and you have free will to stop it

 

I've been home working for 8 years now as a freelance translator, and yes - maintaining self-discipline is a real challenge. I'm procrastinating right now by writing this, for instance. I have a fixed 8-6 schedule with meal breaks, but still it's pretty much impossible to push yourself into doing JUST work all that time. Especially when working in front of the PC connected to the Internet there's just so many distractions (and no, I'm not talking about social media).

 

But how severe is your issue really? How much % (estimate) of your daily assigned work time do you waste?

 

Have you heard of the Focusmate website? I have only used it a little bit basically you just have someone else coworking on whatever else with you, and seeing each other on video keeps you accountable.

Some of it is a matter of keeping a schedule, actually that should be a program in itself considering there's just the biological reality of how our bodies and brains work and it isn't just a matter of what we think we "should" do. Maybe it would help if you think in terms of programming your day? And of course you need to eat well, get a little physical activity, some breaks. And sometimes certain options aren't available so you would want alternatives in an if-then logic. Basically program yourself so you're working optimally before you do the programming for work.

 

Oh yeah, I mean people just say hi real briefly or type in chat but the idea is you see face to face so there's a human presence to keep you accountable.

The software matches you up with someone, you can Friend/Favorite some from what I remember but there's no telling when someone will be online but usually someone somewhere needs a partner for the session fairly soonish.

 

This is why I love NOFAP!

I gotta get me a focusmate!

I have struggles with working alone too, but guys, it's not as simple as just saying that you 'procrastinate'. Maybe you need to look into your 'avoidance issues', 'self-doubt' and 'self-sabotage'. You are doing what you do because you have deeply rooted issues about not being good enough, so it's important to start looking at ways to address those deeper issues like telling yourself "I am good enough!" and "I do not doubt myself!

I noticed a lot of really negative self-speak above. That's clearly a huge problem of yours. If you tell yourself that you are bad at this, or rubbish at that, or can't do this and struggle at that, then you will experience JUST THAT! So start digging yourself up. Look back at all your great achievements, write them down and marinate your sub-conscious on your greatness!

Something like focusmate could definitely be helpful to get you to act and engage with the work you need to do in the short-term, but what about the long-term? Focusmate is about relying external factors to change your ways. It's relying on a stranger to be there. I'm going to definitely give it a go, but I'm not going to loose sight of the changes I need to make within on my own.

Good luck with the web-developing!

 

I am too. Just signed up today. Never know, maybe we will meet and we'll never know it!

 

Tips from my persona experience:

1. Definitely do set up an 8 hours schedule. In my translator’s career I would start with having a very loose work routine, which would occasionally end up with me working at night, because I just couldn’t get myself to work during the day. It was a complete nightmare and soon I was a wreck out of touch with the world around me. Definitely a low point in my adult life and I advise against going down this road.

2. Include regular meal breaks in between (second breakfast and lunch in my case), but also 5 minute relaxation breaks every hour for doing whatever you want on the PC.

3. If you come up with brilliant ideas during work like “oooh, I just remembered I wanted to visit this website X to see if Y” (happens to me all the time), write the idea down in a Windows Sticky Note and use it during the 5 minute break.

4. If you happen to prolong the 5 minute break out of lack of will power, then gather enough will power to at least control and note down the excessive minutes you wasted from your work routine to add them up after finishing your day and see what a damn lazy bone you are (I often have those moments of self reflection; the time controlling part is the toughest, though. It takes a real badass to actually do that).

5. Remember that work is not always fun, so don’t get discouraged if it proves to just a dull and mundane activity with a strictly financial purpose. Blah, this advice doesn’t work with me, but maybe it will with you.

And hey, Focusmate sounds like a useful thing. But what if your mate happens to be a hot chick? She’ll alone be a distraction. But there’s probably a gender selection option.

 

You actually get to see a little profile, so you may just completely avoid women or if there's a photo look for one that isn't attractive. I seem to recall they have "groups" too though I think I only saw groups for women.

 

Hey, can i drop my summary in this thread:
https://forum.nofap.com/index.php?t...and-mindfulness-in-relapse-prevention.309088/
Hope this helps you. You can see at the Productivity part. But yeah, reading articles and adapting them in real life is much much different, but, yeah

 

Yeah ideally also in the old days, people would commit each other and just do that with the same persons instead of always fishing for a random person through the site.. After all you can just set a time and meet on ZOom or whatever.