Procrastination tips

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Sexually…rethink the middle-east crisis…good for a 3 hour delay.

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I’ll tell you tomorrow.

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Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow.

Repeat daily

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Procrastination is easy.

Concentrate really, really hard about what you want to do. Mentally work through the steps required; if ticking through a list helps you feel more productive, write them down.

Then open your laptop and start looping through your bookmarks.

Feel the sense of self-loathing* growing.

Look at the clock: it’s midnight and you’ve achieved fuck-all.

Procrastination complete.

*Giggidy.

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Post on an Internet forum - ideally asking about tips for procrastination.

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I wish I felt self loathing, Ant. Sadly I’m so experienced at the art of procrastination, that I now consider it God’s calling.

It’s just anxiety of knowing it needs to be finished today that gets me!

…ohhhh something shiny. I’ll get back to you…

I used to fight procrastination but now I sort of welcome it and work with it.

Over the weeks, days and hours before a deadline, I run through the things I should be doing and how I should be doing them in my head - only to find more interesting things to do.

As the tipping point looms (the point at which it’s impossible to do the job to anywhere near the standard I’d be proud of), I ignore the deadline and put it to the back of my mind.

But just as that tipping point arrives, I usually, miraculously knuckle down and get the job done.

It feels rushed, it feels horrible, I usually work into the wee small hours and get up early to finish off but more often than not I get the job done.

What I’ve come to realise is that all that build up of mulling stuff, false starts, dead ends, etc. actually helps to get my head around what I need to do.

As a result, I sort of see the procrastination as a necessary part of the process now.

I’ve either become zen-like in my approach to work or I’m now as complacent as fuck and am heading for a real bollocking down the line.

I hope you’re not heading for a real bollocking, @coxford_lou .

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Ha - that’s pretty much where I’m at Bletch! This: “It feels rushed, it feels horrible, I usually work into the wee small hours and get up early to finish off but more often than not I get the job done.”

I’m never heading for a bollocking, but I’ve made it unnecessarily painful. And yes, I guess that’s just part of the process!

I’ve cracked open a beer now - that’s usually when my inspiration starts :lou_surprised:

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I work better under pressure so I normally delay and delay until I really *NEED* to do it, then I do it so damn good Carlsberg would own it.

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Yeah, in all seriousness, virtually every project or piece of work since my college years has been conducted in the way Bletch and BTripz describe. Sometimes it feels as though it’s a way of seizing a little control back. Ironically it normally just eats into time where I could genuinely do whatever I chose. Either way, it’s a bit weird needing to wait it out in order to artificially create the required pressure, but whatever works I suppose. So long as it does keep working.

Sometimes it gets to the point where you think ‘never again’, as you may after a particularly indulgent drinking session. Shame the effects aren’t permanent.

I’ve been trying to drum up the will all day to complete a pre-interview task. By which I mean I simply haven’t bothered to try starting. Had also planned to pop a beer as a ‘treat’ for finally cracking on with it. Cheers, @coxford_lou !

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I definitely work better when I’m drunk! Much more productive and better output - seriously :lou_lol:

I find the key to procrastination is preparation. I always make sure I have some menial tasks on the backburner, e.g. tidying the shed, cleaning my golf clubs, searching my house top to bottom for shit to sell on ebay. Then when I have something important to do, like a presentation for work or some coursework I always have plenty of other things to do instead. HTH.

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Depends on your job. Don’t think it’d work for a pilot or a brain surgeon though

I can only gasp in awe at your dedication and professionalism.

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Yep. Top work gavstar. That’s the way to roll.

At uni I left every essay until the last evening. My theory was that I wanted the maximum amount of time to absorb information. I would then stay up all night typing up my work whilst smoking at least an eighth. Sometimes lecturers would ask me to discuss essays I couldn’t even remember writing :lou_smiley:

Lecturer: “Matt, you produced an excellent post modern critique of this feminist novel with a thorough understanding of current discussions of literary theory”

Me: “Fuck me, did I?”

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I’m much the same. Give me a task that’s open-ended and you may as well just tell me that you don’t care if it ever gets done. It won’t. Give me a deadline (preferably a tight one) and I’ll hit it every time.

As an example, and on the purely domestic front, I remember when I was working as a contractor and came to the end of a long contract. I jotted down a list of the things I intended to do in the time I had before another contract came along. In the end, on that occasion, I had six or seven weeks before I was once more gainfully employed. Plenty of time to work my way through my list of things to do, and they did indeed all get done. They all got done in the week between my getting a new contract and starting it, but that’s purely by the by.

If you wanna be the best, and if you wanna beat the rest, dedication s’what you neeeeeeeeeeed.

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You’ve obviously never watched Flight have you?

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