How to work on projects you don't really want to?

[Bob]

I have garbage to do.  Projects and things I'm supposed to read.  Really, there is no end to it.  'Too much' to do in 'not enough' time but that's how it is.  I find my mind is really resisting. 

Thinking about it more, I can't blame it.  It's stressful work.  I have deadlines and whatever I do I won't be sure if it's good enough or right.  The work is as much as I can handle but more is always expected. 

I'm thinking the best thing to do is just either set a goal or set a certain amount of time.  This is the type of project that can eat up all your time.  And I'm really not happy with that since it steals my practice time. 

I have another darn deadline tomorrow.  I doubt I'll be fully prepared and I doubt it's possible to be so.

So I'm thinking, do something.  Set a block of time aside or work on some attainable goal.  Let the rest go.  Otherwise it really is impossible and there's not much point worrying about that.

Sucks though.  I feel my mind screaming out about sitting down to do this work.  It will be tomorrow very soon.  Then Tuesday already.   Then next weekend.

I think the stress is the thing.  It's just race, race, race.  Time zips by and I'm not really finished. 

I suppose block time, set attainable goals, then clock out until the project is done or what I can do of it.  It's not something I really care about either which may have something to do with it.  Another few hours, another day or so or my life spent on some dumb project.   But it has to be done, whatever I can do with it.

Any ideas?  Just suck it up and do something?  Make a good show of it?  lol  And stay off PS.

[Bob]

Coffee.  Force of will.  A temporary time schedule.

I suppose another question is... How to keep from going nuts from this stuff?  It gets old real quick.


Back to this garbage.... 

[Bob]

Grr... I suppose a better question is... How to push yourself with work, or maybe there's a way around pushing yourself?, and get things done without going nuts?

I find anger works quite well.  But it doesn't seem healthy.   The stress makes me a little nutty, but at least that's freeing in way. 

Is there anyway around this?  I really think it bends my personality after awhile. 

[rc]

Yeah, I think being too busy warps people.  If I'm not careful I get caught in the whirlwind too, in fact I am right now.  I get burned out without a little downtime, and slowly everything in my life falls apart.

I've found my answer: screw it and screw the consequences.  When the pressure builds too high and the heat's starting to cook me - screw it!

I think of all the deadlines and frantic rush, where does this stuff come from?  Mostly it's some artificial limit, somebody promised somebody else an extremely optimistic timeline.  It's usually got nothing to do with me, so why should I stress over somebody elses promises?  The worst is if I somehow pull through, because now they expect it and perhaps more.

I tell 'em "it's not going to be done by Tues, maybe Thurs", they stress but what I say is true, "look, not even close to being done, and I have a dentist appointment tomorrow"...  So they adjust, we're behind schedule but the schedule was probably garbage to begin with.  Everyone lives.

Sometimes the deadline is my own doing, I do my best to make good on my word but it's just not happening.  "Sorry but I was wrong, it's going to take a few more days".  I try and do better in the future.  Everybody lives.

We're only human.  I think when the mind rebels against stress, it's for a good reason.  A much better reason than any deadline.

[Bob]

I'm giving up for tongiht.  Just a heck of lot of stuff left to memorize now.

On the other hand, I like the cutting edge. 

The music sounds fresher now too.  Interesting.   Like the mind wakes up after being pushed.  Maybe a comfortable zone is a nice cushy hell you don't realize.  Or waking up the emotions by working pissed.  That can't be good in the long run though.  Although you do hear about the mean old people, suriving on their anger.  I just get sick of this pattern.  There's never enough time.