May 12, 2010

Procrastination Gets a Bum Rap



Today I will answer a question found on the Discussion Forum.

Help! *`Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?' The first line won't come and I sit and stare at the blank screen!

Alice: `Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?'
Cheshire Cat: 'That depends a good deal on where you want to get to'
Alice: `I don't much care where--'
Cheshire Cat:`Then it doesn't matter which way you go'
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: Lewis Carroll


Now, most would advise this writer to just write anything to get some words up there. Even if it’s ‘I want to write but can’t think of anything!’ about a hundred times. That’s supposed to unblock the imagination so the story hidden deep inside can come out. I’m not going to say that. I’ve tried that logic, but found it got in the way of procrastinating so I don’t advise it anymore. Procrastination is a good thing, and we should learn to appreciate it more. It’s been getting a bum rap for too long.

I’m a pretty good procrastinator, but only if I have a deadline, such as this newsletter. Without a job to put off, procrastination has no purpose. The first and most important requirement is your promise to do something.

Don’t become frustrated because you can’t begin your story today, there's always tomorrow. Go vacuum the floors or wash the cat, and while doing that, think about the story.

Stay positive. Instead of saying, "I can't...," "I should...," or "I have to..." say, "I want to vacuum first...", "It would be a waste of time to start without researching..." and "I don't want to." Being honest with yourself is always a confidence builder.

Here are some ways I've used my computer to procrastinate almost any chore.  They all work well.

Take the side of the computer off, and get out a blower of some kind, I use the air pump that came with a air mattress I bought about seven years ago.  the mattress didn't last long, but the pump was worth the money!

Blow away all those dust bunnies that clogs up the air vents and fans.  You'd be surprised at how dirty it gets in there.  When you're finished, trying to find the screws to put the side back on takes another hour or two.  (I never did find mine).  None of my computers have their sides on.

Clean inside the system of your computers. Those registry cleaners are powerful! If something is 'cleaned' that you find you really needed, you get to find it again. Woo!

Study your system devices. Some may actually need updated drivers and searching for them can take loads of time..

Defrag your hard drive. I gained a whopping 3% in my disk.

Clean out the internet history and cookie folders in the windows directory. Do it one file at a time, checking each.

Read your e-mail.

To help your self-esteem, (depending on the final score) exercise your memory while procrastinating, try this one. Keep score. Erase the passwords you stored in the auto-log on of all your browsers. See how many you can remember on your own before clicking ‘forgot password’.

Clean out the windows temp file one file at a time. Open them to be sure there's nothing you want to save. This is also good for the memory. "Where did that file come from and what was I supposed to do with it" is kinda time wasting.

Real procrastinators don’t need excuses, but having a real one might save you some irritation. "I didn't finish the story on time for the contest because my computer broke’ is a good one. This is especially useful for contest judges. And it will be the truth after messing with the settings all day.

Changing your handle to 'without internet' or 'computer broke!' will alert all who are concerned what you've been up to. "ah, procrastinating again, huh?"

Search the web for anything.

Call it research rather than surfing though. Keeping a writer's mindset by using a writer's word is good for warding off your guilt complex. Researching the net is informative and can be very useful in wasting time and putting off what you don't want to do today.

Clean out the crumbs that's accumulated between the keys on the keyboard.

Read your email again..

Repeat for as long as it takes.

Now you're ready and able to start your short story or submit your newsletter.

According to an e-mail notice, my deadline has arrived.

Happy procrastinating!










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