Procrastination! Are you getting your stuff done?
While everyone has their own personal recipe for procrastination, if you are someone who finds it easy to engage in less than important things at the expense of getting your stuff done, then you might want to check out this free resource.
Don’t be too surprised if you find yourself becoming much more productive as this continually runs through your head in the days and weeks ahead.
What’s been your favourite way of not getting your stuff done?
Have fun,
Anth.
May 28th, 2008 at 4:28 am
Thanks Ath - what an absolute crack up. Only scary thing is I felt like it could have easily been me!
Thanks, Dave
May 28th, 2008 at 4:57 am
I too look for ways to get my “stuff” done. I am constantly looking for dest accessories or the like that will help me be more productive. I find myself thinking that I’ll get up early and start working on my “stuff”. Morning come around 3:30 am and I’m awake to start working on my “stuff”. I sit down to watch a little TV. Next thing I know it is 8:30 and I’ve spent 5 hours getting ready to get my “stiff” done. Oh well, I’ll start right after lunch.
May 28th, 2008 at 6:05 am
Ha ha - me too Dave - wierd thing is I get so annoyed with myself for not getting my stuff done!! In fact I’m doing this now instead of what I logged onto the computer for!!
Thanks
Wendy
May 28th, 2008 at 6:20 am
Oh man, that was funny. But the sad thing is, it’s actually pretty accurate….
Well… See, CONSCIENCE procrastination is one problem - you KNOW when you’re putting something off and need to be doing something more important than what you’re currently doing - and doing after that. But “automatic” procrastination can really be tragic, actually, if you find that every DAY you are not getting your “stuff” done, even though every day you start fresh with new optimism, hoping for a productive day.
All sorts of things can get in the way of getting my stuff done, and I guess one thing you can do is figure out what your priorities really ARE - and why exactly you are resisting so much doing what you’re always putting off. It can be a problem when you have a poor sense of time, or you’re just slow to get things happening, or if you happen to be someone who sometimes finds themself THINKING about what needs to be done, planning it, or buying what you need to plan it, etc, but ultimately not doing what needs to be done. I find it both amusing but troubling at the same time that I’ve read procrastination self-help books, and a book called “Getting Things Done”, but I think I’m doing more reading than action…
I hope this isn’t another form of procrastination, but that video really reminded me of the truth of my life! And what I want to do is be diligent about making a time-log, and accounting for ALL my time through the day for a week or two, and see where I am actually wasting time, or what the problem is! I really want to take my life back!
Thanks for the great video! A laugh, and an eye-opener.
May 28th, 2008 at 9:29 am
LOL!! Scary!!! I have been doing this for too long!! But i have discovered a new way to actually get stuff done! It is to “imagine/know” there is an opossing “force” that doesnt want you to get stuff done. It will come up with EVERY excuse poss to prevent you. You have to challenge yourself/it and fight to get the stuff done!Forsee the distractions and do not sucumb to them, cos you must be focused on getting your stuff done! So when your squeaky chair SUDDENLY annoys you and your feeling efficient about going out to buy oil for it! IGNORE it - see it as an attack, FIGHT back and get your stuff done. Buy the oil another time.
May 28th, 2008 at 10:19 am
This is so funny but so so so very accurate, yes I DO know the old adage, “Procrastination is the thief of time” but how so true.
Thank you for the marvellous illustration, please may I play the video clip to my students in secondary school?
I look forward to hearing from you
Regards and best wishes
Pam
May 28th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
Hi anth,
Nice to know many others go through the same boat, and you are not alone.
Because I am so focused on my study stuff, i won’t do anything else , but end up sleeping.
It is scary and stressful, I even get raised heartbeats and feel guilty.
One pattern I noticed is that, It is when I feel that it is too challenging / lack of time that I procrastinate more.
I keep a log of what I do each day, these days, so hopefully I’ll get out of it.
May 29th, 2008 at 9:21 am
It was a very touching clip. Procrastination has killed a lot of dreams in the world today. I am a very creative person and I’m always dreaming of writing a book or starting a creative project. I have a lot of uncompleted manuscripts in my hands, but it seems I will never be able to complete them.
I am always distracted by worries about the finances of funding the projects or doing other things that do not really count towards achieving my goals. I have learnt a lot from this wonderful clip and would make the neccessary adjustments and be more focused.
Thanks Anth, Thanks for the tips and your mentorship.
Tolu
May 29th, 2008 at 10:08 am
oh myyyy lorrrdddd that is soooo me, im going to stick my head in the
freezer …….well you never know it just may cool the shame off my face lol….
Cheers,
superb and very funny!!
paula
May 31st, 2008 at 12:40 pm
thanks wonderful… I, too need to get my stuff and more stuff done. I found Emmas comment about the force helpful also.
cheers
sue
June 3rd, 2008 at 12:54 am
Oh this is precious! I am thinking that there must be some kind of evolutionary advantage to procrastination since it is so easy! My strategy to combat this type of unresourceful thinking/acting is to say to myself: “My old self wants to relax, to be at ease and to be comfortable. My old self in 30 years will be telling me to relax, be at ease and comfortable and I will be in the same place I’m in now! How long am I going to listen to my “old self”?
July 2nd, 2008 at 1:51 am
ok, so it’s really all about pride and a false sense of security and survival by being in control;
(with apologies to R.D. Laing):
I want to live, I don’t want to die, if I am not in control I might get hurt or taken advantage of, which might mean that I lose control so completely that I end up becoming weak and unable to take control and therefore will die; in order to be in control i have to do things well, i have to do things better than others or else they will take control, to be in control i have to do everything better than anybody else, therefore i must do each thing perfectly; in order to do everything better than everyone else (a.k.a. perfectly) i need to make sure i am as best prepared as possible, i need to have all the things i need, and space, to do everything i do perfectly, which is better than anyone else does them, so that i will be in control so that i won’t lose control and get hurt or taken advantage of which might mean that I lose control so completely that I end up becoming weak and unable to take control and therefore will die …
ok, you’re going to die.
so stop spending your life trying not to die, and start living until you do.
ps: btw, you may wish to consider which eternal residence you would prefer to live in when you do die. I would strongly recommend that you do NOT put THAT decision off, as i hear it’s … well, final.
February 11th, 2009 at 12:30 pm
Hi Anth:
What a great video of illistration and it is sooooooo true. I find myself doing exatly that, I get stuff done but the wrong stuff.