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Source: (consider it)
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Thread: Procrastination is the thief of time...
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St Everild
Shipmate
# 3626
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Posted
...and of a lot of other things too.
My lifetime habit of putting things off is beginning to cause real problems.
Do other people have a similar problem and if so, how do you manage it? (Telling myself to Just Do It...isn't really helpful.)
(Admins - I'm not really sure if this is the right place. If it isn't would you kindly kick it to where it belongs or close it, please? Thank you.
Posts: 1782 | From: Bethnei | Registered: Dec 2002
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Nicolemr
Shipmate
# 28
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Posted
I think this is more an All Saints sort of thread, but for what it's worth, I too am a terrible procrastinator. I'm slowly getting better butI still have a long way to go and if anyone has any tips I'd love to hear them.
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On pilgrimage in the endless realms of Cyberia, currently traveling by ship. Now with live journal!
Posts: 11803 | From: New York City "The City Carries On" | Registered: May 2001
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Hairy Biker
Shipmate
# 12086
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Posted
I've got a few tips that could help you. No time to type them up now - I'll do it later.
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there [are] four important things in life: religion, love, art and science. At their best, they’re all just tools to help you find a path through the darkness. None of them really work that well, but they help.
Damien Hirst
Posts: 683 | From: This Sceptred Isle | Registered: Nov 2006
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mousethief
Ship's Thieving Rodent
# 953
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Posted
I get tons of things done due to procrastination than I might never otherwise have gotten done. To keep from doing the thing I should be doing, I do those other things. Then if I'm lucky I still have time to do the thing I've been putting off.
It's a weird dynamic, but often it works.
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This is the last sig I'll ever write for you...
Posts: 63536 | From: Washington | Registered: Jul 2001
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Eutychus
From the edge
# 3081
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Posted
hosting/
Nicolemr is right. Over to All Saints you go...
/hosting
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Let's remember that we are to build the Kingdom of God, not drive people away - pastor Frank Pomeroy
Posts: 17944 | From: 528491 | Registered: Jul 2002
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jacobsen
seeker
# 14998
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by mousethief:
I get tons of things done due to procrastination than I might never otherwise have gotten done. To keep from doing the thing I should be doing, I do those other things. Then if I'm lucky I still have time to do the thing I've been putting off.
It's a weird dynamic, but often it works.
I find that too, Mousethief. Often the displacement activitiy - ANYTHING rather than doing my tax!- unlocks my ability to get on with said tax. Also, the DA seems in retrospect to have been something which is an enormous relief once it's done, so it was unconsciously bugging me and blocking doing anything else until it was attended to.
Having said that, I have found that as I get older, I just forget things. So I try to do them before I forget! This operates particularly at work. It is soothing to make lists and stick them on the wall (thank God for blue-tac) so that the information which I would otherwise forget instantly is visible and retrievable. Visible is important, as I would otherwise forget that I had this info, and certainly where I had put it! ![[Eek!]](eek.gif)
One of our exam accompanists at school gets a great sense of security if she is given the music immediately, and I try to do this for her. There is a knock-on advantage in that I get a reputation for reliability and quick response which is all down to age related amnesia! ![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
[ 13. April 2014, 06:29: Message edited by: jacobsen ]
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But God, holding a candle, looks for all who wander, all who search. - Shifra Alon
Beauty fades, dumb is forever-Judge Judy
The man who made time, made plenty.
Posts: 8040 | From: Æbleskiver country | Registered: Aug 2009
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The Intrepid Mrs S
Shipmate
# 17002
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Posted
To-do lists! those bright yellow ones.
I found at work that if I had a to-do list, at the very least I would work my way through the things I knew were within my power, which might give me confidence to start off on the rest. And the feeling of delight when you can cross something off, often sets you up to tackle the next task.
FWIW and YMMV, of course.
The other thing I find is that if I tell Mr. S I need to do something, he will 'remind' me so many times that it becomes easier to DO the damned thing than make up another excuse ![[Hot and Hormonal]](icon_redface.gif)
Mrs. S, wearing her Nike expression
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Don't get your knickers in a twist over your advancing age. It achieves nothing and makes you walk funny.
Prayer should be our first recourse, not our last resort
'Lord, please give us patience. NOW!'
Posts: 1464 | From: Neither here nor there | Registered: Mar 2012
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Boogie
Boogie on down!
# 13538
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by mousethief:
I get tons of things done due to procrastination than I might never otherwise have gotten done. To keep from doing the thing I should be doing, I do those other things. Then if I'm lucky I still have time to do the thing I've been putting off.
It's a weird dynamic, but often it works.
Yes!!
My house is never tidier than when I've got a huge pile of marking awaiting attention!
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
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Garden. Room. Walk
Posts: 13030 | From: Boogie Wonderland | Registered: Mar 2008
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ExclamationMark
Shipmate
# 14715
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Posted
Procrastination is ok provided others don't expect you to do stuff on time.
Posts: 3845 | From: A new Jerusalem | Registered: Apr 2009
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Nicolemr
Shipmate
# 28
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Posted
Doing things immediatly when they're given to me rather starting the procrastination cycle by setting them aside helps.
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On pilgrimage in the endless realms of Cyberia, currently traveling by ship. Now with live journal!
Posts: 11803 | From: New York City "The City Carries On" | Registered: May 2001
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infinite_monkey
Shipmate
# 11333
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Posted
Warning naughty words:
why procrastinators procrastinate (with bonus monkey!)
I find that to be a pretty good summary of how procrastination can play out for me and often does play out for friends of mine--in the moment,short term, it's like anything is more pleasant than the item I'm putting off, though long term, the choice to procrastinate is ultimately the choice to taint everything else with the anxiety of not doing the thing I'm putting off.
I find that setting a timer and just bloody well forcing myself to do five minutes of it usually starts the momentum I need to continue: initially, the five minutes is not too daunting, and after the timer goes off, half the time I want to keep going.
Let's hope that works for my taxes today...
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His light was lifted just above the Law,
And now we have to live with what we did with what we saw.
--Dar Williams, And a God Descended
Obligatory Blog Flog: www.otherteacher.wordpress.com
Posts: 1423 | From: left coast united states | Registered: Apr 2006
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Doublethink.
Ship's Foolwise Unperson
# 1984
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Posted
I genuinely tried to do a project on procrastination at Uni as part of my undergrad course, but didn't get enough done on it so had to change topic - and return the book on procrastination I had borrowed and not got round to reading.
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All political thinking for years past has been vitiated in the same way. People can foresee the future only when it coincides with their own wishes, and the most grossly obvious facts can be ignored when they are unwelcome. George Orwell
Posts: 19219 | From: Erehwon | Registered: Aug 2005
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ExclamationMark
Shipmate
# 14715
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Posted
If you are a procrastinator, then consider this. Y
You have a project that you have to complete by a certain date. The completion of said project does not depend on you but on someone else.
That person is a fellow traveller, another procrastinator.
Their procrastination results in non delivery of said project. Apologies and blame casting/finger pointing are useless: delivery is your job but this failure is not your fault. You get kicked and/or sacked. It's unfair and you seethe.
Now play role reversal. You are the procrastinator whose late or rushed or non delivery causes meltdown. You know what others feel like cos its happened to you. Do you get on with it because you empathise or do you still procrastinate because that's what you do?
Posts: 3845 | From: A new Jerusalem | Registered: Apr 2009
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Doublethink.
Ship's Foolwise Unperson
# 1984
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Posted
You are assuming a level of choice that may not be there, Nobody wants to procrastinate in the same way no one wants to be clinically obese, or addicted to drugs or alcohol. People want control, but they may just struggle to attain it.
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All political thinking for years past has been vitiated in the same way. People can foresee the future only when it coincides with their own wishes, and the most grossly obvious facts can be ignored when they are unwelcome. George Orwell
Posts: 19219 | From: Erehwon | Registered: Aug 2005
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Lucia
Looking for light
# 15201
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Doublethink:
You are assuming a level of choice that may not be there, Nobody wants to procrastinate in the same way no one wants to be clinically obese, or addicted to drugs or alcohol. People want control, but they may just struggle to attain it.
This.
I hate the way I seem to be unable to get on with things that need doing. I know it messes things up for others, and it certainly messes things up for me. It causes me stress, guilt, frustration and anger at myself. Yet still I do it... Seriously I wonder at times what is wrong with me? I find it incredibly difficult to start all kinds of tasks. All I can say is I think it is linked to deep seated feelings of inadequacy and lack of self-esteem that makes me fear even trying to do the thing that looks even mildly difficult. It's not rational, believe me, and it's really quite depressing. If I could easily change this my life would look very different, I would have achieved a lot more and would probably be happier. But mostly I just feel stuck and paralyzed as I watch issue after issue turn into a crisis due to my own stupid inaction...
Posts: 1075 | From: Nigh golden stone and spires | Registered: Oct 2009
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jacobsen
seeker
# 14998
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Posted
Clutter clearing advice suggests that if the house is chaotic, start by sorting out one drawer. There's a good deal of sense in the proverbial "Well begun is half done." I think this could apply to almost any daunting task, but must admit to a continuous supply of cluttered corners in my life which need sorting out on a regular basis. So in fact becoming a more-or-less non-procrastinator means a complete change of life-style, at present in my case only partially achieved, and at work. It took me twenty years to get my tax details to my accountant in reasonable time for him to file my return without having to stay up all night to complete the job. Apparently many of his clients are dedicated procrastinators...
I would agree with ExclamationMark that the problem is intensified when procrastination impacts on other people. If willpower alone doesn't work, as so often it doesn't - Doublethink is quite right there - maybe it's time to seek help.
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But God, holding a candle, looks for all who wander, all who search. - Shifra Alon
Beauty fades, dumb is forever-Judge Judy
The man who made time, made plenty.
Posts: 8040 | From: Æbleskiver country | Registered: Aug 2009
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Baptist Trainfan
Shipmate
# 15128
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Posted
I wanted to be a procrastinator, but I never quite got round to it. ![[Devil]](graemlins/devil.gif)
My wife thinks that I am really bad at putting things off, but I'm not as bad as she thinks I am! As a Minister, I have to hit several targets every week; the things which don't get done (principally routine visiting) are the ones which are not bounded by specific time constraints.
[ 15. April 2014, 13:59: Message edited by: Baptist Trainfan ]
Posts: 9750 | From: The other side of the Severn | Registered: Sep 2009
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Caissa
Shipmate
# 16710
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Posted
I teach my students the Seven Day anti-procrastination plan from David Ellis' Becoming a Master Student. It is a mnemonic device to remember seven ideas. Monday make it meaningful. Tuesday is take it apart. Wednesday-Write an intention statement. Thursday-Tell Everyone, Friday-Find a reward, Saturday- Settle it now, and Sunday- Say "no".
Posts: 972 | From: Saint John, N.B. | Registered: Oct 2011
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Piglet
Islander
# 11803
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by iamchristianhearmeroar:
Am I the only one to see the irony in this thread?!
Not at all (she said from her w*rk computer).
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I may not be on an island any more, but I'm still an islander.
alto n a soprano who can read music
Posts: 20272 | From: Fredericton, NB, on a rather larger piece of rock | Registered: Sep 2006
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W Hyatt
Shipmate
# 14250
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Posted
I try to be a careful procrastinator by figuring out just how long I can get away with procrastinating on any particular task without getting into serious trouble. At that point, I have to count on the pressure to get started in order to find the motivation. After working for decades to counter my strong tendency to procrastinate (going back to when I was eight or less), I can finally report that I've been experiencing a little bit of success! At this rate, I'm hoping to report on significant success by the time I'm 150 or so.
It has taken me many years to find something that works at all for me, but it seems that I can allow myself to procrastinate as much as I want, as long as I don't allow myself to do anything else while I'm procrastinating, including SoF, Free Cell, surfing the web, reading a book, etc. All I allow myself to do is sit and think about all the things I'm putting off and how long I can safely put them off. It sounds depressing, but since I'm convincing myself that I can put them off, it's actually something of a relief. Sometimes, I can even convince myself that everything unpleasant can be put off for at least one more day and I'm free to do whatever I feel like doing. Otherwise, I eventually reduce the list to one or two things that I really should get started on. Then I think about those things as long as I want without actually doing anything about them, just imagining doing something about them. And eventually, voila! I find myself ready to get started. Of course, I don't push myself too hard to keep working on things once I do get started because that would just discourage me from getting started the next time. Instead, I just take a short break/reward whenever I run out of steam and start the whole process over again. All in all, only a little bit successful, but quite relaxing!
Hairy Biker, I hope you do get time to post those tips!
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A new church and a new earth, with Spiritual Insights for Everyday Life.
Posts: 1565 | From: U.S.A. | Registered: Nov 2008
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