EmP making it to the Alpha Marathon finish line was a lesson in procrastination for me. I still do it. I figured he might sneak something in at the end, and I thought it might be fun to do it a day before he did it or something, or find some time near the end of the year to pip him. I could've done it earlier--though while planning, I suspected he'd pick things up if I did. The self-fulfilling prophecy came about anyway--he wrote his last couple without knowing I was on 23, 24, etc.
Over the past month I had some open time to look over half-written reviews--ones from as far back as the team tourney--but I never really sat down and did so. Sometimes I put it off with something bigger, and other times I put if off with lesser stuff. I thought I could make 2 reviews a day from 12/24 to now and I am pretty close. Of course, I needed a break. It was too much at once without any semblance of quality control. I know before I proofread a review I make sure it makes sense 2 hours later, then I reread one last time. That seems like the minimum.
I had less than a review a week at some point, and then that ratio slowly increased, and I figured I'd just do it if I felt relaxed and had the time, which I did--once I finished something else I'd put off.
Yet I think it's this sort of lesson about procrastination that stays with me, not the YOU KEEP WAITING AND ****ING AROUND AND YOU WONT GET ANYWHERE IN LIFE AND EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVE TALENT YOU DONT HAVE WHATS REALLY IMPORTANT LIKE PERSON X WHO DESERVES TO FEEL UNDERDOGGY COMPARED TO YOU.
This (and the implications life should be a competition, which took a LONG time to shake) often left me with the feeling that I maybe didn't deserve to do stuff because of previous procrastinating, or that I needed to be all gung ho at other people to stop it.
I quite simply see a lot of ways I wasted time and could've achieved this (fun) goal & it will lead to me getting rid of other stuff that's not what I want. I'll still achieve the overall goal--all 26 letters and a number--without gamefaqs rewrites, barring some crazy accident.
And recently I've found things that are more effective to help me do what I want. It could be as dumb as "Ooh, I came in in the last day of a 2 day sale and they didn't have the flavor of spaghetti sauce I wanted." Or it could be joking to myself that proofreading is -still- a form of procrastination (as I found during the team tourney)--though in college/HS I never even did that.
Obviously to some degree the start/end date of the Alpha Marathon are artificial, but it makes me aware of stuff I say I better not do yet...eg I can't do X til I pay off my condo...and look for ways around it. But whether or not this is known, I've looked back at a lot of silly stuff that I used to put off something less predictable--but more rewarding. The Alpha Olympics is one such thing. I will probably forget soon enough that I did it. But I certainly wanted to, and I had some goal for those reviews.
I'm at 26 now, assuming nothing egregious. I got a Z game. I'll sit back and enjoy it. I've read it's enjoyable. It's started well.
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honestgamer - December 27, 2009 (07:28 PM) There's always 2010! Procrastination sucks, and I do it all the time. I'm trying to do less of it, particularly with reviewing and the site, and I'm finding that it is paying off nicely. The same could be true for you in 2010... with things like reviewing and with the other stuff you mentioned. Make that your resolution for the year: no procrastination! |
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aschultz - December 28, 2009 (05:18 AM) Zero tolerance may be a bit much--I think the best way to go about it is to knock off the big time-sinks, the stuff that seems like living for now but is not something that really has novelty, or that keeps things going well. Apparently there's significant tie-in between perfectionism and procrastination. I think really the most practical thing I've done this year--and that I should continue to do--is to evaluate when an activity ate up a 30+ minute chunk of time without sufficient enjoyment/productivity. But I think a close second has been finding ways to use the time that falls between the cracks--reading to and from work, or even while waiting for something, is a big help. It's second because that time can be wasted with interest later, and without the first bit, it may be an excuse to feel worn out or say "but I already saved a little time" later. I definitely have goals for 2010--and a few to finish for 2009. I'm starting a few days early. |
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