That website is incredible and such a wonderful resource! Thank you very much.
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No probs! Suffice to say that cramming with the questions really helped me qualify for the AIME this year.
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That’s really impressive! Congrats! I’m also glad to know that my goal is feasible so long as I put in the work.
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That’s amazing; I’d love to hear more about your career.
I’m wasting my time with frivolous activities such as YouTube and Reddit instead of doing other activities I enjoy but don’t provide an instant release of dopamine. It’s an issue, but I’ve been slowly tackling it.
Sorry I’ve been replying to your posts in a very disordered fashion, but I appreciate your help very much. It’s nice to know that kind people like yourself are taking the time to thoughtfully respond to other’s problems by providing solutions and comforting words. I enjoy being around other scientists and learning about physics, but that joy can be obscured in the midst of adolescence and mental health issues. Thank you very much for everything!
*And yes, I’m currently taking SSRIs
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Do you enjoy the work once you get started? You said that you do enjoy problem-solving activities.
Somebody above said something about breaking down big goals into small ones. That’s what works for me. Enormous, ambitious goals are often vague and overwhelming. How to even get started? Even if you know where to start, the effort to get there can seem impossible.
There are different ways to approach this. Here’s one possibility:
If you are a planner by nature and enjoy organization, take one of your “big dream goals” and brainstorm all the kinds of activities that will get you there. Think of this brainstorming as a fun thing (No pressure) and write every idea down. Make it a positive experience (As if you are planning the best and most fun trip or project in the world). Decide if your goal is mostly made up of several activities that can be done in any order, or if there’s a natural time-line of linear steps. Usually it’s a mix. Think of it as the kind of creative problem-solving puzzle that you enjoy. You are investing in you! Take a day or many days to get this worked out, whatever works for you. The plan will be evolving anyway. This can get you excited because you can imagine your goal being doable.
When it is time to work on the different components of your goal (OR,if you’re not a planner but just want to jump right into activity that you know that will help toward your goal) tell yourself it’s OK on any given day that you can do just ten minutes toward a mini-goal (or one small, specific task if that works better for you). Anyone can do ten minutes per day. Thing is, if it’s an activity or goal that really reflects who you are and what you love to do, that’s usually all it takes to engage you. That ten minutes can get you hooked more than any you-tube video, and you’re on your way. Ten minutes could become thirty minutes or even hours of absorbed activity. But if you do ten minutes and you’re done, allow that to be OK with no guilt. Another day you may become absorbed. If you NEVER want to do more than ten minutes, then you know it’s time to re-evaluate your goal 
. Good luck!
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Thank you for the advice! I’ll try and implement it into my own life–the journaling sounds especially fun.
How much time are you spending on them? How much do you want to spend on them? Make a budget. (Just like with real money) I won’t stay stop doing these things - just make a plan and hold yourself to it.
If you want a career in science, you will need to learn how to do this. Much of what needs to happen to make science happen is not science.
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Responding to the original post here:
Break up tasks into small measurable goals that are easily accomplished in about 20 minutes.
These have to small and easy or it won’t work. And, they have to be measurable in some way so that you can know whether you completed them or not. For example, “work on the essay” is not a measurable goal. But, “write one paragraph” or “freewrite on the topic of x for 10 minutes” are measurable.
Set a timer for 20 minutes.
Record your result: success or failure.
If you have 2 fails in a row, that tells you that you set the measure too high for 20 minutes. Reduce the goal. Try again. Keep track on paper.
When you start to consistently hit your goal, then you know you are doing it right.
Continue this daily if you can. 1-3 20 minute sessions per day.
You can increase the number of timed sessions per day and the extent of the measurable goals as you progress over several weeks, but never set it too high that you consistently fail.
Success breeds success.
Breaking a large task into several smaller ones is very effective for me. I use the Pomodoro technique in order to avoid distractions, to stay motivated and focused while I work.
Is anyone else using this technique?