I know I am a habitual procrastinator, no news there. If a project can be put off until the last possible second I can manage to do it. In school it was studying, essays or assignments, cramming and working late to get what ever it is done. At work starting projects and multi-staged tasks, with the same overall M.O., start at the last moment.
The interesting part is that I also can manage to pull it off at that last possible second as well. School work, while not as good as it could have been was more than acceptable. Work work, same deal, which leads me to continue the pattern as if not only getting things done at the last moment, but starting them when I know there is just enough time to manage to finish on time. I find it interesting that I can manage some of these projects in that fashion.
The good, the bad and... well.... the comfort zone.
The good side of this procrastination streak is that there are many things that, upon closer inspection as a due date looms, they really need not be done at all. So what was the due date all about anyway?
The bad side is that it produces stress, stress that I am sure I could learn to live without... or could I?
Everything leads me to come to better understand where my comfort zone is. I feel comfortable doing things exactly the way that I do. At least I must if I cannot change my tendency to procrastinate.
Let's say that I actually got a head start on everything that I did and finished it all at least on time and perhaps ahead of time... what would be different? Well, I might not be stressed about the project, I expect that I would spend more time on it to get it just right and I would end up working on projects that may not be needed at all.
Right now I have a stack of paper on my desk that I know I could push through in 4 hours straight. I don't usually get that amount of time straight through so I keep telling myself, "if I just start it, I can get it done". We all know where knowing that leads... nowhere until the starting begins. And here I am writing a blog post about it rather than starting it.
Case in point.
Ultimately I am leaning toward conscious methods of applying the same absolute least amount of time to complete tasks and projects in a similar manner as I would if they were due right now. A directed concentrated effort but without the imposing deadline. I may need to change the way I view the end target, time of completion, as the stress is what seems to help me focus on the project with that single mindedness that I just don't manage otherwise... unless I am doing something that I really enjoy of course. Just starting it is not enough on it's own.
Jeff.
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