With NaNoWriMo looming ever nearer, I would like to hear your best tips, tricks, habits, and techniques for staying chained to the keyboard. [more inside]
posted by BitterOldPunk on Oct 22, 2009 - 26 answers

Recommendation for alternatives to Tony Robbins for people who find Tony Robbins a little eerie? [more inside]
posted by surenoproblem on Oct 13, 2009 - 10 answers

Are there any stories of people notable/talented/successful in their field who started out being completely crap? [more inside]
posted by divabat on Oct 5, 2009 - 32 answers

Stuck in a rut. Help me find meaning, direction, and help me get back on my feet. [more inside]
posted by saragoodman3 on Sep 19, 2009 - 16 answers

I'm having trouble adjusting to an environment where everyone around me seems to be leaps and bounds more advanced. [more inside]
posted by the_dude on Sep 9, 2009 - 20 answers

Help me understand/encourage my seemingly unambitious boyfriend. [more inside]
posted by molybdenumblue on Sep 7, 2009 - 33 answers

Help me handle/reduce assignment stress while doing uni by correspondence. [more inside]
posted by Chrysalis on Aug 13, 2009 - 9 answers

How can I change my mindset to think of food as sustinance and not food as entertainment/reward? [more inside]
posted by arniec on Aug 11, 2009 - 42 answers

How do I get coworkers to spend quality time with me? I am starting a new gig as a business analyst, and will be trying to convince strangers that they should meet with me to tell me about their jobs, needs, and requirements. After that I have to also get them to review the documentation I will create. What tactics have / would you use to get quality results from people who are busy and don't know you from Adam?
posted by jasondigitized on Aug 11, 2009 - 15 answers

What are some methods for compartmentalizing my life? [more inside]
posted by philad on Aug 5, 2009 - 6 answers

Help a skinny guy shape up! more after the jump! [more inside]
posted by freddymetz on Jul 31, 2009 - 24 answers

Teach me how to study, please? I am 29 and going back to school to complete my BA. I haven't been to school in around 4 years. I don't think I have ever studied for anything. [more inside]
posted by mokeydraws on Jul 21, 2009 - 22 answers

To keep myself motivated to loose the extra pounds, I'm looking for links to videos (or image heavy articles) about health problems caused, or made worse, by being being overweight/obese. [more inside]
posted by Gobo on Jul 19, 2009 - 7 answers

How do you stay motivated when you're living in the ghetto and broke, and how do you get an edge against the competition (for grad school/job applications) when you have such a lowly background? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jun 22, 2009 - 29 answers

I have a very hard time keeping motivated and being productive when work is slow. If I am not either feeling pressure or being challenged, I get sloppy and underperform. Is this normal? What can I do to fix it? [more inside]
posted by twiggy on May 27, 2009 - 9 answers

GTDFilter: I need help managing my time but it's something different. Not necessarily time for doing things but thinking about them. Basically, I cannot cope with multiple responsibilities effectively; even small things end up taking hours. [more inside]
posted by the_dude on May 2, 2009 - 2 answers

I regularly get bursts of creative energy and motivation to work on personal projects right smack dab in the middle of the workday, when I can't do a thing about them. But when I've got free time, I don't feel like doing anything. How can I better synchronize my motivation with my free time? [more inside]
posted by Metroid Baby on May 1, 2009 - 10 answers

How Might the Personal Pet Projects of NASA Employees Provide Fuel For Innovation at NASA? [more inside]
posted by choragus on Apr 26, 2009 - 10 answers

How do I start to enjoy reading again? Books and news just aren't fun anymore... [more inside]
posted by torietorie on Mar 26, 2009 - 27 answers

I have the attention span of a gnat. [more inside]
posted by pseudostrabismus on Feb 28, 2009 - 20 answers

Please help me brainstorm: how can technology be used to increase, otherwise augment,or lead to greater self-awareness in the real (non-virtual) world? I'm putting together a presentation around what I perceive to be a growing trend in Human Computer Interaction: systems that help us to become more self-aware, or at least help us to understand the hidden consequences of choices that were once invisible. I'm particularly interested in the area of personal health and wellness but I'm not parochial in this respect. [more inside]
posted by anelsewhere on Feb 19, 2009 - 13 answers

How do I motivate myself to do honest hard work at my job after a lifetime of cutting corners and slacking off? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Feb 12, 2009 - 21 answers

I am looking for motivational anecdotes or stories that would appeal to students in Grades 6-8. [more inside]
posted by ms.v. on Jan 7, 2009 - 2 answers

Lately I find myself using 5 hour energy product even when I'm not drowsy as it sees to significantly improve my ability to focus and socialize. Are there dietary supplements available that will give me the same effect in a more reliable manner? Is this safe? Will my body build a resistance to it? [more inside]
posted by Niomi on Dec 31, 2008 - 14 answers

I have the first 4 days of 2009 off. How can I use those to get a great big jump-start on my diet? [more inside]
posted by cloudsandstars on Dec 28, 2008 - 18 answers

How can I stay motivated on a very long term diet/exercise/weight loss routine, and eventually convert it to lifetime maintenance? [more inside]
posted by arniec on Dec 9, 2008 - 21 answers

How do inspirational/motivational/informational speakers get started? [more inside]
posted by explosion on Dec 9, 2008 - 5 answers

I'm a terrible procrastinator. I have an idea for a solution, but it requires other people. Does this sort of thing exist? [more inside]
posted by Dec One on Dec 4, 2008 - 12 answers

I exhibit many, if not all, of the symptoms of ADHD-I AKA "ADHD predominantly inattentive". After further research I also exhibit many of the symptoms of hypothyroidism. Should I see an endocrinologist, a general practitioner, a psychiatrist? Or all of the above? Long explanation follows. [more inside]
posted by thegmann on Nov 20, 2008 - 10 answers

Why am I getting a PhD? [more inside]
posted by Weng on Oct 6, 2008 - 11 answers

Looking for a documentary about subliminal messaging, the power of suggestion and holding up a armored truck. [more inside]
posted by notchristopher on Oct 4, 2008 - 4 answers

What's some successful self talk to help me reach my weight loss goals? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Sep 14, 2008 - 22 answers

Is there an occupation easy to get into, self contained in regard to expectations, and sufficient? [more inside]
posted by Vague_Blur on Sep 10, 2008 - 11 answers

How have you figured out what your passion(s) is/are in life, and how have you translated that into a successful career involving your passion(s)? I am intentionallly not including details about myself and my situation because I don't really want specific suggestions about what might be good career directions for myself or what interesting areas I might pursue. I'm looking more for concrete examples of what steps you've taken to find out what drives you, and how you were able to make a career out of that.
posted by entropic on Sep 4, 2008 - 26 answers

How do I transform my short term spurts of motivation/adrenaline into constant motivation? [more inside]
posted by decrescendo on Aug 26, 2008 - 12 answers

I have concentration, focus, work efficiency, and motivation issues. I am much more motivated at this point in my life than ever before, but working inefficiently and focus issues make it difficult to sustain. I am looking for lifestyle changes, mental exercises, diet changes, and maybe an inexpensive over-the-counter supplements to help sharpen my problem solving and information processing skills. [more inside]
posted by Niomi on Aug 21, 2008 - 16 answers

What are some good ways to motivate underprivileged high school juniors and seniors to pursue a college education? [more inside]
posted by chara on Aug 19, 2008 - 17 answers

So I'm 40, what next? [more inside]
posted by lonefrontranger on Jul 31, 2008 - 27 answers

How do you keep track of your project ideas? How do you get yourself to follow through on them? [more inside]
posted by rivenwanderer on Jul 18, 2008 - 14 answers

I haven't been interested in anything at all lately. I just feel low and I want to get motivated to do things again. How? [more inside]
posted by onepapertiger on Jul 11, 2008 - 17 answers

I'm an otherwise healthy 29 year old male who easily gets exhausted and mentally foggy on a regular basis, sometimes seemingly without cause. Not normal-tired, but feeling as if I were 80 years old. It's been like this for at least a year and a half. I have an appointment to see a doctor (endocrinologist) in two weeks, but now that I've finally admitted to myself that I've got a problem... I'm antsy to start figuring out what it might be. Any ideas, hive mind? More details inside... [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jul 8, 2008 - 31 answers

Freelancers and other creative self-employed types: How do you set realistic, meaningful work goals and stick to them when the main person you're answerable to is yourself? [more inside]
posted by El Curioso on Jul 2, 2008 - 11 answers

My former boss contacted me out of the blue a couple of months ago, offering me a job. After some protracted negotiations the time has come to decide if I should take it or not. [more inside]
posted by claudius on Jun 28, 2008 - 13 answers

How can a self-described "lazy" person develop really effective and successful long-term work habits? [more inside]
posted by itchi23 on Jun 3, 2008 - 22 answers

Life kicked me in the teeth, but I've got work to do. I don't need anyone to cheer me up, I'm just looking for a specific bit of advice: how do you get things done when you're depressed? [more inside]
posted by nebulawindphone on Jun 1, 2008 - 39 answers

Why am I so lazy? [more inside]
posted by giggleknickers on May 19, 2008 - 40 answers

Where, online, can I buy one of these rocks? Ideally, I'd like to be able to chose from a selection.
posted by Rabulah on May 9, 2008 - 2 answers

Looking for a cute, silly, tongue-in-cheek motivational "go get 'em!" video to send to a friend about to make one of the biggest presentations of his life. [more inside]
posted by inatizzy on May 7, 2008 - 9 answers

Citalopram: I've been taking this for two-and-a-half weeks now, with the last ten days being on 20mg. While the hand-wringing anxiety and depressed feeling seems to be fading, I am having problems with the continual desire for sleep. I've tried taking it four hours before going to bed, and last night I slept for 13 straight hours. Then when I get up, I have very little inclination to do anything other than look at the wall or mindless television. Has anyone else had these effects with Citalopram and did they get better? [more inside]
posted by stenoboy on May 5, 2008 - 10 answers

This year's my final year of my degree. My psychologist asked me if I had any plans for next year. My original plan fell apart, so now I don't really have anything. Hmm. What could I look into? [more inside]
posted by divabat on Apr 15, 2008 - 8 answers