03-31-2011, 12:54 PM | #1 |
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Structured procrastination
I am a terrible procrastinator, and I always found this webpage to be helpful to me. It is also pretty funny.
http://www.structuredprocrastination.com/ Here's the first paragraph: "I have been intending to write this essay for months. Why am I finally doing it? Because I finally found some uncommitted time? Wrong. I have papers to grade, textbook orders to fill out, an NSF proposal to referee, dissertation drafts to read. I am working on this essay as a way of not doing all of those things. This is the essence of what I call structured procrastination, an amazing strategy I have discovered that converts procrastinators into effective human beings, respected and admired for all that they can accomplish and the good use they make of time. All procrastinators put off things they have to do. Structured procrastination is the art of making this bad trait work for you. The key idea is that procrastinating does not mean doing absolutely nothing. Procrastinators seldom do absolutely nothing; they do marginally useful things, like gardening or sharpening pencils or making a diagram of how they will reorganize their files when they get around to it. Why does the procrastinator do these things? Because they are a way of not doing something more important. If all the procrastinator had left to do was to sharpen some pencils, no force on earth could get him do it. However, the procrastinator can be motivated to do difficult, timely and important tasks, as long as these tasks are a way of not doing something more important." For all you mobileread procrastinators, what's your secret to treating this terrible disease? Last edited by spellbanisher; 03-31-2011 at 12:57 PM. |
04-01-2011, 12:25 AM | #2 |
ZCD BombShel
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I find that if I really dread doing a school assignment, I will do nearly anything to avoid it. Therefore, when I have an assignment coming up that I really, really, do not want to tackle, I end up doing the next most obnoxious chore on my list, which is usually housecleaning. You can always tell when school is killing me, because my house is spotless!
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04-01-2011, 12:31 AM | #3 |
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This is. So true. lol
Ditto what Shel said. I've only done it by accident so far. I'll see if I can trick myself into "structuring" it. |
04-01-2011, 03:04 AM | #4 |
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I've done the test and am not a procrastinator, though I thought I was, as I'm always easily distracted. But I also work very hard and efficient when I want.
I don't know what to think of these test or surveys. |
04-01-2011, 03:32 AM | #5 |
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Sorry, started to read this, but wandered off to tidy up.
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04-01-2011, 05:47 AM | #6 |
Chocolate Grasshopper ...
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Sorry, could not be bothered to read the full article, needed to move a speck of dust from my shoe.
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04-01-2011, 06:04 AM | #7 |
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What test are you talking about?
I am a terrible procrastinator. I have had loads of problems because of that. |
04-01-2011, 06:29 AM | #8 |
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04-01-2011, 11:45 AM | #9 | |
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Quote:
I love John Perry's method, but there is a critical flaw or shortcoming to it. He says that it works best when projects "seem to have clear deadlines (but really don't)." As a tenured professor, he can ignore almost any deadline. Short of raping a student, he is immune to being fired or disciplined. If he wants to ignore the deadline for submitting a books list, what is anyone really going to be able to do about it except nag and pester him? But if a student ignores a deadline for, lets say financial aid applications, they are screwed. There is no leeway. So this method works for positions where you have lax deadlines, are an authority figure, or have tenure, but I don't think it works for most underlings. I love this little bit at the bottom of the webpage: Copyright John Perry Site designed by the author's granddaughter, who did the work while avoiding the far more weighty assignment of her literature test. |
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04-01-2011, 12:44 PM | #10 |
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I have solved my procrastination problem using Microsoft Outlook.
I've set a recurring task for Monday thru Friday that reminds me to "Stop Procrastinating, Starting Tomorrow!" It seems to be working so far... |
04-01-2011, 03:24 PM | #11 |
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I must confess: posting this thread was a way of avoiding a more pressing task. So is this post.
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04-01-2011, 07:24 PM | #12 |
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I'm gonna structure my priorities, just as soon as I can think of something more important to do. Uh, maybe tomorrow!
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04-03-2011, 05:42 AM | #13 |
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