ok ok... it's 2012 and over a month since I've written anything. Ya know... excuses excuses. I could make up a million... and they'd all be pretty convincing. Truth of the matter is...... yeah.... I've got nothin.
Those that know me are well aware that I thrive on procrastination. I love doing things last minute... thrive on pressure. Have been this way FOREVER. Drives most absolutely crazy... yet intrigues them as well as to how I'm always able to pull stuff off without a hitch. It's a talent... don't try it at home until you've mastered the art. I've had my pitfalls... but with a positive attitude and a lot of smoke and mirrors.. I've become pretty good at it.
So let's talk about this.... procrastination. Good or bad?
The most impressive people I know are all terrible procrastinators. So could it be that procrastination isn't always bad?
I looked online and most people who write about procrastination write about how to cure it. But this is, strictly speaking, impossible. There are an infinite number of things you could be doing. No matter what you work on, you're not working on everything else. So the question is not how to avoid procrastination, but how to procrastinate well.
So the way I look at it... there are three variants of procrastination, depending on what you do instead of working on something: you could work on (a) nothing, (b) something less important, or (c) something more important. That last type, I'd argue, is good procrastination.
That's the sense in which the most impressive people I know are all procrastinators. They're "C" procrastinators: they put off working on small stuff to work on big stuff. What's "small stuff?" Roughly, work that has zero chance of being mentioned in your obituary. It's hard to say at the time what will turn out to be your best work (will it be your magnum opus on Sumerian temple architecture, or the detective thriller you wrote under a pseudonym?), but there's a whole class of tasks you can safely rule out: shaving, doing your laundry, cleaning the house, writing thank-you notes—anything that might be called an errand.so.... procrastination is good for your health. And here's why:
I know you're all shaking your heads (SMH! :)) and wondering if I should be on some type of anti- delusional medication. Bottom line is.. I like being last minute. I love starting dinner for 10 at 4:00 and kinda still not have the menu totally planned. Throwing it all together at the last minute is refreshing... and FUN! The fact of the matter is that we live in a go-go-go society where everyone is expected to be constantly running from one place to another, multi-tasking and working overtime. Our brains simply get tired out. MY worst procrastination occurs when I'm overtired and overstressed, which might indicate something. Could it be that avoiding work is the mind's way of telling us to slow down? Finding yourself vegging out in front of a stupid movie when you ought to be working on a last minute report is a good indication that you might need to stop cramming so much into your day. Saying no.... can be a good thing.
Bottom line... Procrastinating isn't bad. Avoiding the bigger issue to clear away the debris of a noisy mind is a positive and healthy thing to do. It'll make it a lot easier to start with the bigger things..... tomorrow. :)
Those that know me are well aware that I thrive on procrastination. I love doing things last minute... thrive on pressure. Have been this way FOREVER. Drives most absolutely crazy... yet intrigues them as well as to how I'm always able to pull stuff off without a hitch. It's a talent... don't try it at home until you've mastered the art. I've had my pitfalls... but with a positive attitude and a lot of smoke and mirrors.. I've become pretty good at it.
So let's talk about this.... procrastination. Good or bad?
The most impressive people I know are all terrible procrastinators. So could it be that procrastination isn't always bad?
I looked online and most people who write about procrastination write about how to cure it. But this is, strictly speaking, impossible. There are an infinite number of things you could be doing. No matter what you work on, you're not working on everything else. So the question is not how to avoid procrastination, but how to procrastinate well.
So the way I look at it... there are three variants of procrastination, depending on what you do instead of working on something: you could work on (a) nothing, (b) something less important, or (c) something more important. That last type, I'd argue, is good procrastination.
That's the sense in which the most impressive people I know are all procrastinators. They're "C" procrastinators: they put off working on small stuff to work on big stuff. What's "small stuff?" Roughly, work that has zero chance of being mentioned in your obituary. It's hard to say at the time what will turn out to be your best work (will it be your magnum opus on Sumerian temple architecture, or the detective thriller you wrote under a pseudonym?), but there's a whole class of tasks you can safely rule out: shaving, doing your laundry, cleaning the house, writing thank-you notes—anything that might be called an errand.so.... procrastination is good for your health. And here's why:
Good Things Come To Those Who Wait - Hey, maybe you’ll win the lottery in the time you spent avoiding work.
Stress And Anxiety Cause Acne - It’s science. Look it up!
I know you're all shaking your heads (SMH! :)) and wondering if I should be on some type of anti- delusional medication. Bottom line is.. I like being last minute. I love starting dinner for 10 at 4:00 and kinda still not have the menu totally planned. Throwing it all together at the last minute is refreshing... and FUN! The fact of the matter is that we live in a go-go-go society where everyone is expected to be constantly running from one place to another, multi-tasking and working overtime. Our brains simply get tired out. MY worst procrastination occurs when I'm overtired and overstressed, which might indicate something. Could it be that avoiding work is the mind's way of telling us to slow down? Finding yourself vegging out in front of a stupid movie when you ought to be working on a last minute report is a good indication that you might need to stop cramming so much into your day. Saying no.... can be a good thing.
Bottom line... Procrastinating isn't bad. Avoiding the bigger issue to clear away the debris of a noisy mind is a positive and healthy thing to do. It'll make it a lot easier to start with the bigger things..... tomorrow. :)
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