Procrastination

[catherine]

I'm putting this in the "organizing" forum because procrastination is SO counterproductive, with the result usually being total disorganization.

I am a world class procrastinator, and the evidence is right here, right now--a deliverable due by 2pm, and I'm desperately looking for ANY reason to avoid finishing this work!!!!

So, just curious--who considers themselves to be procrastinators here? How do you overcome it?

(I have to now make a promise to myself to NOT check this site for responses until 2:01, and if I do, moderator, please kick me off!!!!)

[SteveinMN]

* raises hand *

I've discovered I'm all in on about 80% of almost any project. It takes an effort to do the remaining 20%. But I push myself to do it so I can take that task off my to-do list and because I lose too much energy when I look at all the tasks which are tantalizingly close to complete. But that's me. I don't have a problem focusing on a task on my computer even with a dozen open windows behind the one I'm using; I know others don't want to see anything on their desktop but the task at hand. I think it's a matter of deciding what it is that distracts you the most and then addressing that. It won't be the same for everyone.

I should add that I've (finally) learned to quit saying 'yes' to more when I am juggling too many balls (projects). Let me finish some projects before I can even consider taking on more.

[lmerullo]

* me too *

Steve - my boss will come in and ask how I can think with so many windows open... I say, they may be open, but I don't have to look at them all... he is totally the "one thing at a time" kind of person, where I can put blinders on to other distractions yet still be cognizant of them.

I know it's a cliche, but setting a timer and working for that amount of time on that one task is really a good strategy. When I get into the sinking sensation of "oh well, it's so bad - I won't even bother..." mentality, then I find the amount of headway that can be made in a short time is very encouraging. And, a side effect of dedicating say 15 - 30 minutes on a task is that you can then often see the light at the end of the tunnel and just push on to completion.

Another technique is to reward yourself... if I do X, I can then do Y... X being what you are avoiding, and Y being either something you enjoy (reading, cup of tea, etc) for a personal task or the mindless, easy, zone-out tasks of work days.

[catherine]

Here I am! 2:02 and I just hit the "send" button! Great to see I'm in some good company!

Yes, lmerullo, I actually have a great app that you can set for any amount of time. So I'll set it for 20 minutes or 45 minutes and determine not to let anything distract me in that short timeframe. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

And Steve, yes, I'm the one with so many windows open on my computer, I'm surprised it doesn't crash.

I think one of the reasons I love flying so much is because I'm strapped into a seat, with no internet (well, now you can get access to internet on some planes), and I'm forced to just work on ONE THING. Thank goodness I don't like spending the $7 for DirectTV when flying.

[Spartana]

So, just curious--who considers themselves to be procrastinators here? How do you overcome it?

(I have to now make a promise to myself to NOT check this site for responses until 2:01, and if I do, moderator, please kick me off!!!!)

OK, don't hate me because I'm..... speedy :-)! I am the complete opposite of a procrastinator - to the extreme. I am almost obsessed with doing everything even before it needs to be done. Can't hack having things undone. Drives me batty. Makes me stressed. Makes me unable to enjoy the other aspects of my life. Makes me unable to relax.

So that being said, I don't think procrastination is always a bad thing. I have often done things to "get them out of the way" in a rush and often regretted that I didn't take some time to think things thru. So I think finding a middle ground is probably the best way. Not that I have found it - and am unlikely to ever find it just because I seem to be wired this way - but don't hate your procrastination tendancies as they may actually help more than harm sometimes. Of course you'd drive me insane (as my procrastinator sister does) but, like my sister, if you procrastinate doing something long enough then others (me!) will often come along and do it for you :-)!

[fidgiegirl]

I am also a procrastinator!! In fact I have done so little this week (work gets my prime hours - I'm a morning person - and the evening light is soooooo short right now - a very hard time of year for me) that I finally made myself a long list this morning over breakfast of things that are ongoing that could be done in an evening or at least partially done. I don't plan to overwhelm myself with them but man that get-up-and-go is hard lately. Or maybe it's not quite procrastination? Anyway, I also do it

Glad you got your project sent off . . .

[chrissieq]

OMG I was just thinking today that I am a 90% of the time person - so close and yet so far!

[Gardenarian]

My dd has a real problem with this, but we call it akrasia.

[catherine]

OK, don't hate me because I'm..... speedy :-)

I don't hate you--I love people like you! I'm just in awe! I have a few friends who are real "doers." They just.. do! While I'm sitting there, mulling, analyzing, planning, listing, goofing off, taking breaks, these folks just GET IT DONE. Really--I admire that trait so much.

One of my project managers I hired to work with me was perfect for me, because she is a doer. Doers and thinkers make great partners. I'd be sitting there mulling, and her mantra was "Push it forward. Push it forward." In other words, she was telling me I don't have to bite off the whole thing at that moment. I could do one little thing to advance it--to push it forward. I still use that little motivational mantra to this day because it really helps break my inertia.

As it turned out, that project manager I hired about 10 years ago became a VP, and after I broke off from my company, she continues to hire me for contract work (and I'm actually doing a presentation for one of her clients today!) I knew she was going to be successful.

[Florence]

Well, I guess I have put off reading this thread as long as I could....