Friday, April 8, 2016

Creative Ways to Get Nothing Done

English: A historic wooden ironing board. Pict...
See what happens when you use the ironing board too much? (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I read a blog post the other day about procrastination. It was genius I think. The author renamed the dirty "p" work calling it Productive Procrastination or something like that. The whole idea made me laugh. I could only think that PP was the best example of an oxymoron I had ever come across.

Do I procrastinate? You bet I do and I am proud of it. In fact my husband and I have made a science of not doing what we need to do while appearing to be doing it. Hence the pieces of napkins under the table leg. It appears to be fixed but the first time I vacuum (later) it will come out and the table will wobble just like it did before.

The author of the article was in the habit of making lists....probably the biggest waste of time in my world that was ever suggested. I am much better at naming what I have done than I am at listing what I am going to do. First of all the done list is very short and second of all the minute the pen and paper is placed in front of me to list what I am going to do what is left of my mind goes blank. The true procrastinator in me emerges and nothing I think of REALLY needs to be done today. It can all wait a while.

Hiding the mess in a drawer, taking the lawn mower to the repair shop then waiting a month or two to pick it up, putting the ironing in a closet or near the ironing board so it is handy...all of those things are ways to not do what needs doing while appearing to be actually do it.

So what do you do...are you as creative as you could be?

Have a wonderful day.

b+

10 comments:

  1. I read that same article! I think of it as structured procrastination. I can totally relate! I always feel my creativity suffers a tad because I can put off doing the things I really want to do.

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    Replies
    1. My father called that "grasshoppering" (not a word at all). My friend calls that "if you give a mouse a cookie" from the famous Dr. Seuss book of the same name. I call it loving the day. After all, if something REALLY needed doing, we would do it. Right?

      Have a wonderful day of flitting from here to there...after all it is Sunday.

      Delete
  2. I am a master procrastinator. I write lists, then misplace the list. One phone call can disrupt my plan for the entire day. Any excuse works for me. Oh the guilt...

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    Replies
    1. We could create a blog post about "guilt free procrastination". Tag, your it!

      Delete
  3. If only procrastination could become an Olympic sport, many of us would be gold medal winners. lol ;)

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    Replies
    1. I have a friend that says each of us needs something to brag and laugh about...maybe we have hit on the motherload!

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  4. I'm a list-maker, esp. at night when I worry about things. I run downstairs, mark it down on my list, and then ... boom, it's forgotten and I can go to sleep. And, sometimes, I actually do the things on my list!

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    Replies
    1. I agree with you...if anything is worrisome, I do it immediately or at least write it down. Life is too short to worry about what we can do something about. I had forgotten about worry Tom.

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  5. I envy you, Barbara, and all other successful procrastinators! Even in my retirement, I am the opposite of a procrastinator, although I try desperately to master this skill. The saddest part of all, as near as I can tell, there is no proper name for the opposite of ‘procrastinator.’ Thesaurus.com does not even try to list its antonym, and for ‘procrastinate’ it lists words like ‘hasten’, ‘hurry’, ‘rush’ and ‘push’, which don’t seem right at all. Some blogs* have invited their readers to have a go at finding this sequestered word, but “precastinate” seems weird, “go-getter” seems condescending, and “freak of nature” is simply unkind. Enjoy your procrastination, Barbara. I will continue to strive to achieve this art.

    *http://www.speakschmeak.com/2007/01/whats-opposite-of-procrastinator.html

    Donna
    www.retirementreflections.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Donna,

      First of all thank you for the link.

      HMMMM...the opposite of "procrastinator". I suppose I would have to call that person an achiever or even a completionist. I know...Completionist is a tag given to gamer that want to complete every challenge or something of the sort. But, in the world of those of you that cannot procrastinate it might fit. I my world of living around people that are little OCD I can see how that might fit too.

      I envy you your ability to actually see what needs to be done...I am blind to that until it comes into view. If it doesn't then so be it.

      Please see the response to Tom comment...never, never procrastinate if the task is worrying you. It is just not worth it!

      b+

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