Are you a procrastinator?

[perprocrastinate]

I've been diagnosed with chronic procrastination for a while now. It's quite unfortunate.

[j_menz]

I keep putting off my appointment to get a diagnosis, so I don't know yet.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Only for things I don't like.

Which is why I learned the Bach p&f pretty late for college auditions.

[davidjosepha]

I keep putting off my appointment to get a diagnosis, so I don't know yet.

the ol'e ironic procrastination joke? 2/10

[49410enrique]

Only for things I don't like.

Which is why I learned the Bach p&f pretty late for college auditions.

peanuts and figs?

[perprocrastinate]

peanuts and figs?

If you're joking I'm going to feel pretty stupid.

Prelude and Fugue.

[j_menz]

peanuts and figs?

Yes. For the Well Mannered Cavalier.

Or is that the Good Tempered Cavalier?

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Yes. For the Well Mannered Cavalier.

Or is that the Good Tempered Cavalier?

Bad tempered cavelier?

[j_menz]

Bad tempered cavalier?

Like this one?

[zezhyrule]

I wish my Cavalier was that well-mannered.

[49410enrique]

If you're joking I'm going to feel pretty stupid.

Prelude and Fugue.

i think i was just hungry.

[faulty_damper]

My theory of procrastination is that procrastination is a symptom, not the problem.  The problem is lack of knowledge and/or skill that leads to the symptom of procrastination.  For example, if you have to write a term paper, and procrastination occurs, it is because you either don't know how to write or don't know what to write about.  And if you don't know what or how, then you will probably procrastinate.

Procrastination is always discussed as an active process, something that you purposely do.  ("I'm procrastinating.")  However, this theory places procrastination as the symptom.  "I don't know how to do it."

[j_menz]

Procrastination is always discussed as an active process, something that you purposely do.  ("I'm procrastinating.") 

It is, though. It's the only exercise I get! Don't take that away from me.

[49410enrique]

i'm going to add this to my 'watch later' list,  later.

[faulty_damper]

The video is pretty up to date as to known strategies to increase goal attainment; it is drawn from multiple areas of psychology that is shown in experiments to work.  However, they only work individually in the experiments but do not translate very well to tackling a complex symptom like procrastination.  Using the strategies will work for small things, but not for procrastination.  It sounds nice, as if you can't finally stop procrastination, but it doesn't work since procrastination is a symptom, not the problem.

It's like being sick and sneezing. Sneezing is the symptom.  You can't stop sneezing until the cold has cleared.

[m1469]

Welp, I've managed to procrastinate the h*ll outta singing today and this week.  And now the wrath must be felt, as I can no longer fully procrastinate this.  Time to make more magic, folks!  BOOM, done.

[Bob]

My theory of procrastination is that procrastination is a symptom, not the problem.  The problem is lack of knowledge and/or skill that leads to the symptom of procrastination.  For example, if you have to write a term paper, and procrastination occurs, it is because you either don't know how to write or don't know what to write about.  And if you don't know what or how, then you will probably procrastinate.

Procrastination is always discussed as an active process, something that you purposely do.  ("I'm procrastinating.")  However, this theory places procrastination as the symptom.  "I don't know how to do it."

Ditto on that.  I've noticed there's usually a reason behind it.  Avoiding stress or fatigue is a good one.  And not so unreasonable. "I think I'll go wear myself out now.  Or... I'll wait a bit on that."  Procrastination due to lack of energy is another one.  It makes sense. 

The other thing  I've noticed is that even if you did "stop procrastinating" and start doing all those things... Wouldn't you just end up busy all the time, wearing yourself down that way? 

And why is there flour all over this thread?

[Bob]

Thinking about it more, procastinating is probably the start of the edge/zone where you're being inefficient or where stress starts to creep in. If you were doing whatever the project you're avoiding doing is, there would be something else there waiting to be done, something else to procrastinate about.

[unholeee]

cant spell procrastinator without pro. unless you know, it's in another language or something.

[xavura]

I was going to write a long in-depth response but instead I think I'll procrastinate on that for a while.

[Bob]

cant spell procrastinator without pro. unless you know, it's in another language or something.

Zauderer!

[faulty_damper]

Ditto on that.  I've noticed there's usually a reason behind it.  Avoiding stress or fatigue is a good one.  And not so unreasonable. "I think I'll go wear myself out now.  Or... I'll wait a bit on that."  Procrastination due to lack of energy is another one.  It makes sense. 

The other thing  I've noticed is that even if you did "stop procrastinating" and start doing all those things... Wouldn't you just end up busy all the time, wearing yourself down that way? 

When I was researching and writing about procrastination for a term paper, I would stay up 'til 3AM and take a video game break.  I'd play for an hour or so and then try to finish the paper.  But by then, I'd be too sleepy to do it so I'd go to sleep and tell myself that I'd finish it tomorrow.  Unfortunately, the exact same scenario played out the next day... and the day after that... and after that...

In this case, playing video games was an avoidance behavior.  It led to being too sleepy to do the task, hence the procrastination.


One thing that should be mentioned is that prioritization is often confused with procrastination.  Sometimes, watching a TV show is prioritized over doing the dishes.  Watching TV is the priority since it can't be watched later but the dishes can be.

[j_menz]

When I was researching and writing about procrastination for a term paper, I would stay up 'til 3AM and take a video game break.  I'd play for an hour or so and then try to finish the paper.  But by then, I'd be too sleepy to do it so I'd go to sleep and tell myself that I'd finish it tomorrow.  Unfortunately, the exact same scenario played out the next day... and the day after that... and after that...

A lovely example of mastering the practice without mastering the theory. 

[Bob]

And everything else becomes much more interesting and important when there's something you really don't want to do, something unpleasant.

Time is the only real solution I've come up with.  Plan out how much time it will take, how much stress you're willing to go through, etc.  and then force yourself to stick to that.  A big plus being that when the time is up, the project is over, better or worse. 

[faulty_damper]

It used to be suggested that procrastination was an issue of poor time-management skills so time-management classes/seminars went into a fad in the 90's.  Unfortunately, they didn't work and experiments confirmed it.  It doesn't work because procrastination is the symptom of being unable to do something and planning out how to use that time doesn't address the meat of the problem.  It's best to take the time that you are procrastinating to learn about how to do the task or gain more knowledge of the task.  This way, you'll actually be solving the problem, not the symptom.