Monday, January 15, 2007

Procrastinators Unite! Just not quite yet!

Took me long enough to get another entry out. Fittingly, lets talk about procrastination. I saw the best headline in a newspaper yesterday at work. (No I wasn't reading the newspaper at work... it was someone else's and I stopped to take a look, okay?) Anyway, the headline read "Procrastination Study Complete -- 5 years late", and since it was an apparently reputable newspaper, I thought it deserved another look, as I've been making jokes along those lines for years. As it turns out, more and more people are considering themselves to be "chronic procrastinators", and the basic reason is there are too many distractions and things to help you procrastinate along the way. I did find another article about the same study too.

I don't see myself as a chronic procrastinator, although you may disagree. When I do procrastinate, I find that I have a different reason, though. After having thought about it, the desire to complete the task perfectly prevents me from starting it because there isn't enough time. Of course, I realise that not starting it also prevents me from perfecting the result, so it must be some sort of mental block.

The perfect example of me not procrastinating is this particular blog entry, since I only read the article yesterday and am writing this a day later (and posting it the next day). However, a perfect counterexample is the length of time since my last post, but I can just blame it on the desire for a really good post. Personally I don't think it was worth the wait, but at least I'm back on the blog again! So leave a comment... whenever.
Daniel

7 comments:

Kirk Schmidt said...

I wanted to leave a long response, but I'll do it later.

It's nice to have you back posting again...

Anonymous said...

I don't think it's chronic procrastination, but more "there are more pressing things to do". In the case of Jana and I, we sometimes put off cooking, or even Christmas Cards writing (shameful, I know...) as the benefits of getting it done is outweighed by other hectic activities out there. To some, writing Christmas Cards at the last minute is procrastination... heck to some doing your essays at the last minute is procrastination, but it's just a style!

Anonymous said...

PROCRATINATION
Hard work often pays off after time,
but laziness always pays off now.

Anonymous said...

It's been almost a year since "Smiters #1"; when do we get the next installment?

-Adam F

Anonymous said...

Great to see you back on the blog, Daniel...

What about too much multi-tasking? "Putting off" completing things (presumably the more difficult ones) because it's easier to divert attention to another project and/or start something else?

JD

bitz said...

Unite? nah, lets just blog about it!

Donny said...

Zounds, you're alive!

Happy belated B-day.