BS: Creative Procrastination...?

Subject: Creative Procrastination...?
From: Jande
Date: 09 Apr 01 - 01:26 PM

Ahhh.. yes. Well... I've just spent the last four hours and really the last week I suppose... putting off re-recording the songs that I put up on MP3.com a couple of weeks ago that had bloody orful quality. I find myself doing the most trivial things, like {{shudder}} the dishes! Rather than get on with it, though I reallywant and need to get them done. Here I am starting another fah-hascinating thread on Mudcat probably as another way to spend my time rather than on that which I need to work. ::grin:: The reason there is a question mark up there on the Subject line of this threaddd is that I was wondering

a) IF you do...?

and

b) WHEN you do...?

and

c) HOW do you... finally get yourself to work on the thing you've been procrastinating?

Any hints or tips will be considered seriously..

Thanks!

~ Jande

Subject: RE: BS: Creative Procrastination...?
From: Justa Picker
Date: 09 Apr 01 - 01:39 PM

In business, I make it a habit of dealing with the most annoying, or unpleasant, or tedious tasks of the day first thing in the morning so that I can deal with them, move on and enjoy the rest of the day, with those things out of my hair.

With music it is the same. I tackle the most tasking, difficult tunes first and give them all the time they require, and then reward myself with something simplistic but fun to play. With recording, I do the "grunt" work portions first so its out of the way and save the parts I really enjoy playing for the final parts of the recording.

I find that for me, dealing immediately with the things that irk or annoy me (whether music or otherwise), and then moving on gives me more positive energy for other tasks. I think procrastination of anything if left unchecked becomes misdirected negative energy, which can snowball (into other areas) and affect a person's general well being.

Subject: RE: BS: Creative Procrastination...?
From: hesperis
Date: 09 Apr 01 - 02:08 PM

I do something small and fun, so that I have the energy to takle something not-so-fun. Then I set up systems so that the job isn't as bad as it otherwise would be - if I'm doing grungy work, such as dealing with mouldy stuff (which I'm allergic to and makes me really sick) then I wear rubber gloves, etc, so that I won't be even more weakened by contacting te energy of it through my hands. (I just wish I had a good mask/filter, or one of those "personal air" filters!)

If I have the energy after doing something fun, and yet as soon as I think about doing the thing I'm putting off, my energy disappears, then there is an emotional or allergic problem with the thing, and I try to either do it at once, or make a concious choice to procrastinate. There is nothing wrong with procrastination. It's actually a survival mechanism. Unfortunately, sometimes the things you need to do are the very things that make you sick.

But if it needs to be done, it really is just a matter of forcing yourself to do it.

Subject: RE: BS: Creative Procrastination...?
From: Jande
Date: 09 Apr 01 - 03:02 PM

Wow! Alreaady I have a new excuse for procrastinating! I can't choose between these two (apparently opposing) approaches.

Just kidding!

yeah. I find that if I have already started doing it unawares and the time is getting on and I'm getting jittery, it just starts to "gain inertia" or something.

My own approach is to head it off by way of getting it done and out of the way quickly and asap! But once the inertia has set in... then what do you do? "Force yourself through the mollasses and do it" says Hes(if I understand what you're saying), "or give yourself permission to procrastinate consciously".

That sounds like a plan to tryout. If I give myself pernission, it will take some of the internal pressure off that is adding to the resistance, yes?

Justapicker, your advice sounds pretty close to my heart, too. I guess a good approach, once the negative snowball has started rolling, though would be acombination of approaches. First do something small to get that first "completion energy", then tackle the grunt stuff, then reward time with the sweet stuff, and finish off with a glass of the best and good computer game.

Thanks, both!

~ Jande

Subject: RE: BS: Creative Procrastination...?
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 09 Apr 01 - 04:09 PM

Music is me procratinating from ever getting a real jop!!

;-)

Subject: RE: BS: Creative Procrastination...?
From: JeZeBeL
Date: 09 Apr 01 - 04:28 PM

This probably isn't very useful, but I live with my parents still, (left home for 1 1/2 years but stuff didn't work out at uni, so I'm back home) @ 20 years old. As soon as I walk in the house or go downstairs I get have you done this/that yet?.....well, go do it.....It works though. I'm propcrastinating from tidying my bedroom.....thanx jande!!

Emma xx

Subject: RE: BS: Creative Procrastination...?
From: gnu
Date: 09 Apr 01 - 06:48 PM

Procrastination is the thief of time.... time is all you really have... time is growing shorter by the minute... there's not much time left ( my favourite )...

Subject: RE: BS: Creative Procrastination...?
From: Justa Picker
Date: 09 Apr 01 - 09:49 PM

"Time, it flexes like a whore,
Falls wanking to the floor....."

-David Bowie

Subject: RE: BS: Creative Procrastination...?
From: sophocleese
Date: 09 Apr 01 - 10:33 PM

When the work has piled up and you're staring hypnotized at the impossibly large mountain of need-to-dos our family calls it "going rabbit". The only way to remove the spell is to stop staring it in the eye, get your head down and do a small piece of it. I hate tidying and housework in general so the only way I get moving is to say "I will just tidy away five things." That usually gets me moving enough to do more.

Subject: RE: BS: Creative Procrastination...?
From: GUEST,Wavestar
Date: 10 Apr 01 - 04:12 PM

And for this thread, too, a nice plug for my friends at The Society for Creative Procratination!

www.black-schaffer.org/scp/

I'm an honorary member. You should be too.

-J

Subject: RE: BS: Creative Procrastination...?
From: Jim Krause
Date: 10 Apr 01 - 04:17 PM

Aw, (big yawn) I'll do it tomorrow.
Jim