One of our Authors here on the Post is stunningly good at workplace performance. I’ve seen Jason Womack in his element, and he has a serious talent for making the little things in life work in harmony with the big picture.
My question for our audience today – to what extremes do you go to procrastinate, and what do you do to get back in your groove?
For me, its reading blogs (big surprise) and flipping through email, and to get back in the groove, its simply a matter of taking the first step. Once I start in my groove, I am off and rolling, but why is that first step so difficult to take sometimes? Let’s see how we procrastinate, and maybe we can rope Jason into moderating the discussion.
What Would Jason Do?
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{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
I bite my fingernail (yes, there’s only one fingernail I bite), and stare at the blinking cursor! What’s that about? It’s like I’m paralyzed or something. Or I will busy myself with other, less important projects/tasks. Or I will wash the dishes.
have a cuppa coffee
There are always chores to do, and I will always do them instead of a project I’m not ready to do.
For me, the trick is to notice that I am procrastinating and then figure out why I’m doing it. What is it about the task that I am avoiding? Is it that I don’t know how to start? Is it that I don’t really know what I want the outcome to be? Is it that it involves the unknown (learning something new, talking to someone new)? These are the three big culprits for me. Once I identify the cause, it is much easier to remember other times when there was a block that I successfully moved through. If I can remember doing it in the past, I am better able to anticipate success this time around, and therefore more likely to take on the challenge!
Uhhh I am a codependent procrastinator. I take on other people’s problems and/or jump in to help them. I often justify in my mind that their problem is more important and yes, it often is a bigger seeming deal than whatever I’m working on. I know how to find the crisis!
I’m also mighty be about checking craigslist and uh certain blogs.
And there is no better time to think of cleaning the underside of tables and vacuuming under heavy objects than when I am under a deadline.
Anybody have any emergencies? I have to write a project order and do some invoices….
I always try to put off dealing with my tendency to procrastinate. So far, this strategy has worked just fine.
Actually, here are some of the things I do: I take a nap; I take a walk; I take a long drive to someplace I’ve never seen before; I do yardwork; I write letters I’ve been meaning to write; I organize photos & other files on my computer and do necessary backups; I comment on blogs; I think about the meaning of life, and I spend time thinking about how much better things will be once I stop procrastinating.
I know that nobody can fix any of this except for me, and perhaps tomorrow I’ll get ready to get ready to start thinking about how I might someday come up with a plan.
Try to imagine yourself 5, 10, 20, 30, 50 years from now broke and homeless.
That should be enough to get you back to work, if that is what we are talking about.
And if you still insist on procrastinating, make sure that the activity or lack of activity that you are using to delay, is truly fabulous.
I try to look at my procrastination as “gearing up”. I tend to need a lot of time to gear up, get things out of my system, clear the space, clear the air, wait for the stars to align, etc… I think it’s because of my writing background – as a writer I always have the excuse, or benefit, of the plentiful harvest after a period of composting.
Hey,
Jason here…prone, as well, to procrastination from time to time. Say just a while ago, for example…
While driving through town, after running 4-stores-worth of errands in Ventura, and having dinner at Rainbow, I saw Tyler who said, “Have you seen the post?”
“Not yet!” I replied.
On the way home, I said to Jodi, “I’ve got to get another OjaiPost.com entry written, maybe I’ll have time to do that later!”
I got home, and then did the famous “watch-Jason-move-from-room-to-room-unpacking-and-repacking” move. It really is comedy in action. I pick up something from one room of the house, to bring it to another room, only to find something THERE that needs to go somewhere else, the then walk THERE and…it goes on!
So, I s’pose for the first few entries, we’ll focus on what we do TO procrastinate. Maybe (”later”) we’ll talk about about to get “out of ‘procrastination station’ and move along the track of getting things done!”
More to come…for now, here’s a link:
http://jasonwomack.typepad.com/working_outwhile_youre_ou/2007/02/a_readers_idea_.html
I used to procrastinate A LOT, yet then I realized my commitment is to live a simple, stress free life and procrastinating was neither simple or stress free. In fact, it caused more stress. So when there is something to DO that my ego is resisting, I a.) remember life is 90% being and 10% doing and b.)gear up for the task by breathing intentionally, almost like I am about to lift weights, like a psyche up. This propels me with some life force and soon I find myself fully engaged with what I am doing. I want to live a life of joy and often procrastinating is a kill joy.
Funny coincidence…I JUST received in the mail a book I recently ordered to have at my day job, “Managing Priorities and Deadlines” by Marcia Dennis. I plan to read it…someday.
Someday.
OK. The truth is that without a deadline, I do nothing but procrastinate. The deadline looming on the horizon gets me back on track.
i too used to have a problem with procrastination…. but then i found the perfect solution for it…. i’d like to share it with you all, but don’t have time just now… will get back to you tomorrow… or maybe the next day….
The truth is…I do my best work under pressure!
I am ready for the ‘how to get out of procrastination mode” discussion.
anyone else?