I have always been terrible at the whole self discipline thing. Every time I sit down to get work specifically school work all the much more interesting things I could be doing start running through my mind. Inevitably I put the book down and start lolly gagging. This is starting to get kind of depressing. If I don't get my grades up I am going to be in huge trouble. Hell I have a hard time doing anything other than lolly gagging it is starting to get depressing it's like nothing is worth while other than lazing around. I have a couple of theories to explain why I do this.

1) I don't like my intellect and try to hide it.

2) I put to much of a high premium of F U N there are other things that are also emotionally rewarding. Like being in "flow." I am irrationally afraid that if I study too much I will loose my sense of fun, or will be unable to have fun. 

On a slightly related not I worry that if a study to much I will loose my imagination.  

3) When I do study I put a whole lot of pressure on myself to get a certain amount done. This takes away a lot of the fun of studying.

4) If it is not thought provoking it is hard for me to focus on it. A lot of work is just busy work.

I haven't found anything thought provoking for a while.     

5) I know a lot of people who study to much, I see them as unimaginative ass kissers.

I was taught to learn in such a way designed for sensors that just doesn't work for me. I heard some were that the most successful people know when it's time to work and time to play and can easily switch states of mind. That skill would probably help a lot.

Anybody have any luck on this issue?   

 Noodle,

Reward yourself for studying X amount of time.  

When I worked, I was an accountant.  Kind of boring for an ENFP.  But I was really good at it.  Long before computers when I had to do all the work by hand and then add and subtract numerous numbers (like 100 or more) and the total was $0.00 as it was supposed to be, I'd reward myself.  My usual reward was lingerie.  That way when I was sitting at my desk doing "not fun" numbers, I could at least feel sexy.  LOL!!!

Years later when I was in sales (I wasn't very good at selling accounting software), and I had to dress conservatively (my boss made me), I'd wear garter belts and stockings under my super conservative clothes and just be laughing my ass off in my own head.  

Both of these "tricks" worked for me.  I love rewards.  And I love having a secret that is personal.  LOL!!!  Yes, I'm a bit twisted that way.

So, find something to reward yourself with after you've worked/studied.  Trust me on one point, you'll enjoy your goof off time so much more.  Granted, it does take some discipline to get to that point.  But it does work.

Hehe - sounds fun. Not sure if I should try it though - I think my mother might be rather surprised to walk into my room and find me wearing lingerie while I study!

Noodle, if you ever find out how to get work done, tell me and we'll make millions together

Here's one of my struggles: when I'm working on task A, I'd rather be working on tasks B, C, or D. And then, when I do get around to doing B, C, or D, I find that I'd rather be doing A! So for me, it's not that I'd rather be doing "something fun"--because A, B, C, D are all fun in their own ways--it's just that I'd rather be doing something ELSE. I guess it's a problem with commitment and follow-through.

Wow, Kathy! I admire your perseverance. That is something I am really working on day by day. Thanx for your advice, I think this one would really help me to make things easier for me. I had it with my imperseverance and I want to challenge myself on this, I want to see how far I can go. Sometimes to change the world you must be a good example of what you want others to be. I learned from my mistakes of changing too much from job to job... economical set-backs, low salary, no satisfaction of having done something great, not even one thing! I'm working along with my husband an INTJ in our own business and he helps me to stay focused... he's great! Because he wants to do leave a  legacy to our people in Puerto Rico, for the children to improve academically and personally. And that's something really satisfying for me because I have enough money and can be my own boss, and at the same time I am helping others achieve better in their lives. But the planning and organizing is all done by my lovely INTJ, I don't touch that part!

But what surprises me more is that you Kathy, have written at the end of your post...  that what you end up doing is exactly what you wanted. That's what responsibility is all about! And I wrote a poem that says this almost the same way you wrote it! Haha! The only difference is that it was written in spanish... I guess that only a few of the Champions desire to stay grounded for a longer time in a job, from what I'm observing here.

To all of those who wish to get some work done, or stop jumping from place to place. I recommend a partnership with an INTJ, or some other person who likes to do the things you don't like and is brutally honest with you so as to pull you down from the clouds whenever you end up daydreaming or wishing to try the green grass that is right next to the other fence. Also doing hobbies, remaining sober or just refusing something that you really want to have or do but don't really need at all in this present moment right now can help you be patient and take a brake from the boredom too. Like it or not, to really grow up and be really happy you must feel the pain first... to get there, it's just like crossing a river. You can't just jump right through it, you must cross it! And that my friends, takes a lot of courage. But eventually at the end of the day it will all pay off really good!

 I definitely agreed SO much with wanting to do Task B, C, or D while working on A. I reward myself by rotating tasks. For example, I'll work on a scientific paper for X amount of time and then blast music and do the dishes. It works for me pretty well.