Procrastination... The silent killer?

[gevorg]

...And you need to commit to following that plan. And really, your cleaning chart is going to look something like this:

1. Clean toilets - weekly
2. Sweep floors - daily
3. Mop floors - weekly
4. Wash rugs - monthly
5. Vacuum carpet - weekly
6. Do dishes - daily
7. Do laundry - weekly
8. etc.

...

aghh... I gotta get a wife ASAP

 

[paperfist]

I think part of it is that we naturally are blind to lifestyle integration vs. projects. Like...take health, for instance. America is obsessed with dieting. Diets are the dumbest thing I've ever heard, because the definition of a diet is something that you do for a period of time and then you're done. So...following the logic here...you diet until you lose 50 pounds, then once you have lost 50 pounds, you no longer do the diet. Thus you go back to eating your normal way and get fat again. What makes more sense is a healthy meal plan that you can follow every day for the rest of your life...but nobody sees or understands that. And so people make millions off stuff like Nordictracks & Bowflexes (which becomes a coathanger) and chocolate-coated sugary "protein" bars & shakes (cookies & cream protein shakes? seriously?!) that make you fatter while tasting worse.

Yay human nature

It's a strange behavior for sure and I read at least one article that said it was very much a brain function gone haywire. You're right though it's such an obvious choice to make becoming a non-procrastinator and that the benefits outweigh the negatives. Somehow though while you're living as one it's hard to get out from under it.

My biggest problem is organization. Just about everything I touch is out of place and dealing with that is harder then not dealing with it so it just snowballs.

 

[Kaido]

aghh... I gotta get a wife ASAP

Good luck with that in the modern post-feminist world. You're better off with a maid from Craigslist :biggrin:

Also makes me grateful I have a bunch of those little Roomba vacuums...bwahaha :biggrin:

 

[Kaido]

It's a strange behavior for sure and I read at least one article that said it was very much a brain function gone haywire. You're right though it's such an obvious choice to make becoming a non-procrastinator and that the benefits outweigh the negatives. Somehow though while you're living as one it's hard to get out from under it.

My biggest problem is organization. Just about everything I touch is out of place and dealing with that is harder then not dealing with it so it just snowballs.

Yeah, looking at someone else's life & criticizing them is a piece of cake, but looking at your own life is like being blind, lol.

I really struggle with organization, too. Crap just creeps up on me and then my place is overwhelmed. I've had to really struggle not to turn into an episode of Hoarders :biggrin: I used to have an entire room dedicated to piles of computer crap, until my wife whipped me into shape. She's won that battle, but she hasn't won the war yet!

 

[Kaido]

My biggest problem is organization. Just about everything I touch is out of place and dealing with that is harder then not dealing with it so it just snowballs.

And that's actually one of my projects this year. I've had the saying "A place for everything, and everything in it's place" rolling around in my head for the past couple of months and I've come to realize that a lot of stuff I have simply has no place. It's not bad to have a lot of stuff, as long as you have a designated place to put it. My problem is that I do not have an identified location for most of my items, so when I clean up, I'm really just shuffling piles of crap around. Cleaning up is a stressful event for me because I have no friggin clue where to put things, so rather than it being a short, efficient activity is putting things where they belong, I'll wander around with bits & pieces of things and will shove them in random places until the place is livable. Really lame approach!

So the project I'm working on now is what I call "convenience stations". Basically, I have the stuff I use for certain activities readily available, and then I have storage bins for the associated support equipment. So my guitars sit in the living room on an upright stand. The rest of the support equipment (books, tuners, strings, etc.) is in a 27-gallon tote in the garage labelled "Music Equipment". So sort of a controlled-environment approach.

Part of that project is identifying what I want in my life, because I like to try so many different things that I get clutter really easily. The ADD is strong in this one, yessss...

 

[paperfist]

And that's actually one of my projects this year. I've had the saying "A place for everything, and everything in it's place" rolling around in my head for the past couple of months and I've come to realize that a lot of stuff I have simply has no place. It's not bad to have a lot of stuff, as long as you have a designated place to put it. My problem is that I do not have an identified location for most of my items, so when I clean up, I'm really just shuffling piles of crap around. Cleaning up is a stressful event for me because I have no friggin clue where to put things, so rather than it being a short, efficient activity is putting things where they belong, I'll wander around with bits & pieces of things and will shove them in random places until the place is livable. Really lame approach!

So the project I'm working on now is what I call "convenience stations". Basically, I have the stuff I use for certain activities readily available, and then I have storage bins for the associated support equipment. So my guitars sit in the living room on an upright stand. The rest of the support equipment (books, tuners, strings, etc.) is in a 27-gallon tote in the garage labelled "Music Equipment". So sort of a controlled-environment approach.

Part of that project is identifying what I want in my life, because I like to try so many different things that I get clutter really easily. The ADD is strong in this one, yessss...

lol glad I don't have the ADD mixed in, it would be pure doom for me!

I like your idea, but I'd be afraid that I would outgrow the bins and would have to redo everything.

I pretty much suffer from the same dysfunctional organization skills as you. I never know where to put stuff and so it gets dumped somewhere and when I need something from that pile I make another mess. Along the lines of what you're doing I started putting things in bins, computer stuff in one, electronics in another, photos, etc in another. Then I plan to make shelves or another permanent location for these things so they're easy to get at.

I'm kind of amazed I had like 600 CDs for years sitting in a trunk while the 3 Case Logic cases I bought a while ago for them to go into sat empty. A week ago I put them all in the Case Logic cases and sent all the empty CD cases off to the recyclers. One small victory

 

[GoStumpy]

Wow Kaido, that is some amazing advice you have given. You sound a lot like my Father, actually! "Work First, Play Later" has been told to me since I was very young, and constantly throughout my upbringing. I merely forgot it once I moved out and didn't have to hear it anymore!

Now I've started telling it to myself.

It is near impossible to just do a 180 and change everything one does to the 'better' way, however one piece at a time and 'things' improve.

Example...

1) I want a clean & beautiful home
- I don't need to own said house, why not start now?
- There are many parts to a home, better start somewhere
- This week, the kitchen is cleaned to satisfaction, and kept that way.
- Second week of Jan, the Bathroom is cleaned the same way, and kept that way
- Third week, Living Room
- Etc.

Step-by-step things like this are great to talk about on a forum, but actually implementing them into my daily life is not going to happen from typing them on a keyboard. They need to be engrained in my head. They need to be on paper. I need to read my goals so I don't forget.

I am a bit scattered on the subject, as many of you can probably tell, because it is a little bit overwhelming for me to have my eyes opened so wide after so long of being blind. I have SO MANY projects I need to do. I have SO MANY closets & cupboards that need to be organized. It seems impossible...........

Until I break it down, one thing at a time. I don't have to finish everything all at once... Kitchen needs doing... OK, fridge one day, upper cupboards next day, bottom cupboards third day, pantry, and then I have 3 more days of the week to finish everything else... Easy right?

I just have to ignore the urge to play BF3, chat on AT/other forums, go drink beer with friends.. I can do all those things, but only AFTER the duties for the day have been done.


IMHO, I am on a road to recovery. It is not a finger-snap and it's all better. Looking forward to this journey

 

[GoStumpy]

My biggest problem is organization. Just about everything I touch is out of place and dealing with that is harder then not dealing with it so it just snowballs.

One way I combat this, is every time I get up to leave a room, I take something that doesn't belong in the room I'm in, and put it where it belongs.

This ONLY works if you're also diligent on putting whatever you're holding (24/7) in it's place. No more just placing it on the counter...

This is working for keeping my computer desk clean... Until my wife starts putting her purse, dog toys, camera, crap all over my desk... that makes it soo easy for me to leave my own things there... and all of a sudden I'm looking at my desk with a dozen random things that don't belong there!

Ugh! Endless cycle! lol ()

 

[GrumpyMan]

Procrastination...the silent killer. And all this time I thought it was baked beans.

 

[zCypher]

Nice thread, and some great advice too.

*looks around room at crap all over the place... sigh*

 

[WhoBeDaPlaya]

I used to have an entire room dedicated to piles of computer crap, until my wife whipped me into shape. She's won that battle, but she hasn't won the war yet!

It's called a garage :whiste:

 

[Kaido]

I just have to ignore the urge to play BF3, chat on AT/other forums, go drink beer with friends.. I can do all those things, but only AFTER the duties for the day have been done.

This is pretty much it. You sound like me, suffering from ADD :biggrin:

Sort of the underlying key is to be careful about what you commit yourself to, and make sure that you take care of what you are on the hook for (meaning you need to know what those things *are* first), and do them before you can play. Enjoying guilt-free play is the best. Having 500 unfinished projects and playing is not the best.

For example, your Saturday schedule may include scrubbing the toilet, going grocery shopping, and washing your car. So if you already have systems in place for that - toilet cleaner & a brush, a pre-made list of food you buy every week, and a local car wash you can go to for five bucks - then all you have to do is do those things first, and then you are free.

When you are overcommitted to non-specific things, then life becomes a mess and you get behind on what reall matters. That's why I recommend the "Getting Things Done" book - it's a hard system to master, but it's one that will keep you out of hot water and help you to enjoy life. One of the best things I learned is that you can't do a project at all - you can only do action steps related to the project.

A project is simple a specific set of things that you do until your requirement is met, then your project is "accomplished". So making a sandwich is slicing off 2 pieces of bread, applying mayo, putting lettuce and meat on, and slicing down the middle. Now your desired outcome (sandwich) is met through related action steps (cut bread, put mayo/lettuce/meat on, slice). And of course, the action steps could be "go to Subway and buy a sandwich". So there's not really any such thing as a project, it's just an idea - the output after a bunch of changes are made.

That's why you have to be very specific about your desired outcome of a project, because you can accomplish something specific, but you can't accomplish something undefined. In the other book I recommend, "Unleash the Warrior Within", he talks about setting up targets, and then knocking them down. So your job every day is to setup your targets (specifically, exactly what you want to do) and then to knock them down (do the action steps required to meet your requirement). Scrub toilet, make sandwich, wash car. Once you break it down like that, it makes your action item list real easy because all the hard work of defining what to do is finished - all you have is a bunch of little tasks to do, then you're free to nef all day.

And that's an important thing to do, too - you need to use part of your day for work, and part of your day for downtime. Otherwise your brain will short out and you'll binge on playing. It's about balance. So the first part of that is the work first, play later thing, because that's how real life works - people don't play BF3 for 6 hours and then do 4 hours of work. People go to work and then play. Otherwise you'll end up playing all day, or you'll get constant interruptions and never get anything done. That's why you have to work first, and identify a finite amount of things to get done that are actually doable. You can't run a million-dollar company overnight, but you can write a new resume today.

And the second thing, going along with that, is that you have to be careful about what you commit to. You can do a million projects...but you can really only do one or two at a time. That's the hard part - figuring out what you want to do right now. Pick something small, like a chore chart, make a list of chores and attach daily/weekly/monthly, get the supplies you need, and give it a shot for a few weeks. So be happy with one or two projects at a time, and then enjoy your free time - and keep doing new projects as you master the current ones.

And remember, simple things can get complicated fast. A chore chart is more than a simple list of chores. You need to purchase supplies, and when you run out, you need to put them on a shopping list - what happens when your toilet scrubbing task shows up on Saturday, but you are out of toilet cleaner? And then, once you've master that, how do you add on health & fitness for a meal plan & workout schedule? And then school, work, family, friends, free time, etc. The trick is just to take it one at a time.

I'm not much of one to talk though, I'm still a huge mess most of the time :awe:

 

[Kaido]

It's called a garage :whiste:

Renting FTL

 

[ViviTheMage]

yup, procrastination is fail.

 

[vevo_43]

Procrastination is bad depending on what it is. If you procrastinate on getting that lump in your nuts checked, you're probably screwed. But me procrastinating on cleaning my room, not killing anyone. Giving yourself some strict schedule of things you know you don't have any intention of doing anyway will just burn you out. Taking it easy sometimes is good for the soul.

 

[Arcadio]

some great advice in this thread...

 

[HeXen]

Sounds more like a "What If" kinda thing. What if i didn't procrastinate?....well you can what if your entire past, but doesn't mean things would really be that different. Plenty of things i did not procrastinate on that got me nowhere, some didn't matter and much of it was just flat out wasted. I started working and saving at 13yrs old. worked hard all my life. But i can honestly say i wouldnt be much farther off if i procrastinated all those years cause most of that money i made since i was 13 went to things i either don't currently have, lost on, didn't really need...etc.
I know people who procrastinate at my work place yet still make as much as me, so sometimes it doesn't really matter, however you'll never know otherwise.

naturally it depends on what it is your procrastinating on. Thats why you make priorities.
a gunshot wound should take priority over going home to play BF3 for example
But whether you mow your lawn today or tomorrow is quite moot. In those times you do what you feel. Others you just weigh in potential cons of procrastinating and go from there.

 

[WhoBeDaPlaya]

Renting FTL

Ouch man. I rent a townhouse and thankfully it has a garage

 

[paperfist]

One way I combat this, is every time I get up to leave a room, I take something that doesn't belong in the room I'm in, and put it where it belongs.

This ONLY works if you're also diligent on putting whatever you're holding (24/7) in it's place. No more just placing it on the counter...

This is working for keeping my computer desk clean... Until my wife starts putting her purse, dog toys, camera, crap all over my desk... that makes it soo easy for me to leave my own things there... and all of a sudden I'm looking at my desk with a dozen random things that don't belong there!

Ugh! Endless cycle! lol ()

Sound advice, never tried that out. I should try it with mail as I tend to let a month's worth gather before touching it.

 

[Kaido]

Ouch man. I rent a townhouse and thankfully it has a garage

I actually just found my dream place the other day - it's a standalone condo. Sort of like a townhouse without any neighbors - you get your own yard and everything, it's basically like renting a small, very nice house but you also get access to the gym, pool, golf course, etc. In my area at least, all of the townhouses are basically duplexes and are glued together, which is not real conducive to my home theater hobby :biggrin:

 

[GoStumpy]

My dedication to the household is finally paying off, :awe:

Invited a bunch of friends over friday night for a poker game and some drinks, and for the first time in recent memory, I'm not going to have to spend an entire day cleaning the house to satisfaction!

What a good feeling this is! :biggrin:

 

[lozina]

I come from a family of hard workers.

To them procrastination never comes into consideration. Just constantly doing something. Fixing this or working on that, whatever. I almost never see my dad do a fun hobby or watch tv or just have fun. And then they get old, get cancer and are unable to have any fun even if they wanted to.

So I went the other way, I always procrastinate. I have fun now, do the work later. I'd rather have a bunch of jobs left to do when I'm too old and sick to do them rather than sitting there imagining how much fun life could have been

 

[ConwayJim]

pfft, time burglers