We all do it. Don’t say you don’t! Sometimes, more of us are worse about it than others. I’ve done it a couple of times already this week, including writing this week’s blog! Okay, okay, what am I talking about? It’s putting off until tomorrow what you can do or get done today. Procrastinating! The “P” word, the “Big P,” “P-Daddy! King P” No matter what you call it, we ALL do it!
Why do we do put those things off? Is it because we dread them so badly? Or maybe we think we know we have time later? Yet many times after finishing some of the things we’ve put off, we often laugh about afterwards and wonder why we waited so long. Right? And then we say things like, “Boy, next time I’m not going to wait so long to do that.” or “Wow that took longer than I though it would! I should start on it earlier next time.”
Is procrastination a hereditary “disease or something embedded deep in our human nature? Did I get it from one or both of my parents? My youngest daughter, Andi, is also a big procrastinator. She must get it from me! Maybe it is a learned behavior. M wife Debbie calls us two P’s in a pod! She said she is going to get Andi and I shirts with the letter P printed on them.
Over the years, though, I have been pretty bad about procrastinating. I put off college and promotions until towards the end of my AF career, paperwork which have a quick turnaround, “honey-do” lists—I’m sure the list is endless (I’ll check with Deb!) I’m bad about waiting until the last minute doing a lot of things: renewing my driver’s license and license plates, writing papers for school, doing next week’s lesson plans, or mowing the grass or raking the leaves. Those things…they can wait! I’ve got more important things to do like useless surfing on the Internet, going to the mall, watching that ballgame on TV, going out to eat, and taking afternoon naps!
I think when it comes to projects around the house that maybe I am less proactive. Wonder why that is? Is it maybe because there are more distractions? Here it is, the next to last week of July, and I still haven’t done all of the projects and things I wanted to get done around the house this summer: clean out the rest of the garage, move things into the new storage shed, paint the house, finish double bolting and staining the deck, and move the wood pile. I’ll just wait until the few days right before school starts to begin all of that! Are there really more important priorities?!
I seem to be more of a procrastinator at home rather than at school. I have been over to my school some this summer, preparing for the beginning of the school year, getting my classroom ready, running off copies of paperwork for parents for Open House, and working putting my math presentations on the SmartBoard. I have even done my planning for every subject for the first five weeks of school. on the computer. I’ll admit, I’m getting better about being proactive about many things although I’m not sure why? I think sometimes being too proactive makes me eventually fall back into that rut, “P-rut” I mean!
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Procrastination plagues most of us, I think. It must be deep in our human nature somehow. In my family I am the least likely to procrastinate, but, believe me, I do my share!However, you are correct that there is great satisfaction in a task accomplished and most of us wish we could be more motivated by that fact.
ReplyDeleteGood luck on your "to do" list. Perhaps the act of writing about it will help you change your ways.
Hi My name is Sarah and I too am a procrastinator. I think it is the road of least resistance that makes it so tempting. We are constantly being confronted with resistance at home, work, socially. So often it is easier to step aside from the confrontation and let it pass you by. I too like you John, am less proactive at home. People at school are always saying how quickly I respond to emails, and get things off my to do list. If they only knew! I do things quickly at school most times because if I don't I'll forget about it...and time is money there. I don't get paid after 3:30, so it better get done before then! I think your piece is great and another fine example of a piece that people of any age can connect to. Great job on your piece, even though you procrastinated on it too!
ReplyDeleteI want a "P" shirt! You heard of the queen bee...I'm the king P! It's amazing how the things that need to be done don't get done because I'm surfing the net or out playing golf. My living room has been half painted for two weeks now because my free time is spent playing golf or trying to catch up on sleep while the baby naps.
ReplyDeleteI think it's something that we learn. My mom and dad are procrastinators. My dad especially. Like they say, Like father, Like son.
I said when I graduated high school..."When I go to college, I have to keep on top of things. I can't get through 4 years of college like I did high school." Well I learned to get through 4 years of college like I did high school. Even now, it takes me forever to get lesson plans done. Shamefully, even getting things graded and back to my kids takes longer that it should. Don't even ask about quarter grades. I'm there at the last minute calculating everything.
King P...that's me.
Everyone has a bit of this in them. Reading through your post, I can definitely relate to how you feel! Even this summer I told myself about all of the things that I needed to do around the house and for school and have done none of it. Mostly because I know I have time later. I think that we all tend to procrastinate from time to time, for me it depends on whether I am truely excited about the task.
ReplyDeleteJohn, you have hit the jackpot with this topic. Everyone does it to some degree, some of us more than others. Then there are those of us who just fall into the black hole of procrastination. We have the very best of intentions, but being procrastinators, we have so many things we need to do or have to do that we put them off in place of the things we really want to do. It is a curse and a continuous inner battle we face on a daily basis.
ReplyDeleteAs procrastinators, we are definitely list makers. Those of us who are in the Type A category make to-do lists just so we can cross things off as soon as we get them done. It makes us feel like we are accomplishing something. I, myself, am a master of checklists. Sometimes when I make my list I will add a job that I've already completed just so I can have the pleasure of crossing it off. I know, it's pathetic, but it can't be helped.
Unfortunately, procrastinators can also be pile-makers. We have a tendency to put everything into piles, and not necessarily neat or organized piles either. Pile-makers know the general vacinity of where we put things, but because our piles are so large, or we have created so many piles, it can be difficult to pinpoint exactly where to find what it is we're looking for. Sorting through our piles to organize them requires time and effort, so this job goes to the very bottom of our to-do list.
Living with a non-procrastinator (or even a minimal procrastinator) can be very frustrating. I live with one, and his lists are never as long as mine. He always finishes the things on his to-do list and then gloats. He's not a pile-maker either, so there are always those side comments that are thrown out at me and my piles. I think he's very lucky that I let him stay!
John, I don't know if there's any hope for us, but it's nice to know we're in good company!