How does one motivate themselves
 

I've been procrastinating for 5 days on a paper for school

How do you people motivate yourselves?

You need to slay the MEHbeast! SMITE IT WITH FIRE! [illgetu]

Honestly though, not really got anything useful to suggest D: Do you usually leave things to the last minute in this way?

Is this your issue?
http://duffmcduffee.com/content/uplo...astination.jpg

Or are you more like this?
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fb1egA56ye...astination.png

I'm terrible for procrastinating - the more I know I need to do something, the less I seem to be able to just get on and make a start on it. My usual thing is to make a to-do list and then for every item I manage to complete and tick off, I reward myself with some aimless web browsing or a cup of tea, or something equally as unproductive.

I know this feel 100% [sweat]

I wonder if any other species on the planet is as contrary as we are. ><

I relate to both of them way too much.

I always say, "I'll start from Monday, promise!" and there goes all of it. Even now I've printed out a timetable so that I'd atleast study 30 hours a week, and it is starting from monday [XD]

I don't motivate myself, I remain a useless member of society

You're not useless [poke]

You're entertaining on here, and that has got to count for something!

It's all I aim for in life [lol]

Hey me too :D

I would procrastinate wildly right up to due dates for projects and papers while assuming I could just finish it all without life interfering or burning out quickly. It took me two semesters to break that habit because, inevitably, someone would get sick or injured, or some drama llama would emerge. I started preparing early, then I'd set things aside and just pace myself.

Since I've entered high school (meaning year 7), I've been a horrible procrastinator. It's my habit to leave everything, even the really important assignments, to the last minute. Back in year 7 and 8, I even did some of my assignments the day before they were due (how I haven't failed them I have no idea), but now I leave them until the day before they're due, which is an improvement, I guess, but that's only because now I can last longer without sleep. The thing is, now I find myself procrastinating while I'm writing essays that are due the next day. I'm pretty horrible like that. The thing is, I'm in my second last year of high school, which means I'm a senior, which basically means that it's a pretty important year, so the plan is to try harder this year to overcome my urges to procrastinate.

Then again, I'm procrastinating right now, since I'm supposed to be studying for a test.

I wish I'd known the answer to that back when I was doing essays. I still don't.
One thing I did discover taking Two-Dimensional Design is that I was most motivated by the other student's preliminaries. Before then ideation was near impossible, it's always been the most difficult part of the creative process for me.

As for essays I am a writer by nature but can not work worth shit with a subject I have no interest in and/or a short time limit such as a single class period. For example Star Test essay about Rosa Parks, major fail. XD Final, in class essay about 'All Quiet on the Western Front' (one of the least interesting books I've ever read, thank god the end of the school year cut us off at chapter 7), major fail.
An example of a successful essay, senior year of high school, the story of how my best friend at the time and I tried several times to run away from school in the fifth/fourth grade(me fifth, him fourth). I really enjoy the memories of him.

What's the subject of your paper? Perhaps try to Google for information to work with. That's sometimes been of slight help to me in ideation.

I find that getting started is the most difficult part. Once you see how much work is in front of you, it can be intimidating. You have to get over that hump and the rest will flow more easily.

I look at motivational pictures

Which in itself is procrastination. [:O]

Agreed. The less you stress over it the easier it will seem.