Sunday 15 April 2012

Just Do It


I have perfected the art of PROCRASTINATION.

And I wish there was some way I could make a living out of it because I would be filthy rich.

Please don’t tell me it’s just another sign of the advancing years like greying hair, drooping jowls and memory loss. Because seriously, it would be impossible for me to get any better at it than I already am.

I’ve reached the pinnacle of this particular pastime. I can manage to do anything and everything except the particular task that has an urgent deadline.
And I choose to procrastinate even though I know that nothing is as fatiguing or as headache inducing as hanging onto an uncompleted task.

I don't know why. I’m too scared to put the 'why' question to Google. I know how brutal the answers would be. Lazy, perfectionist, fear of failure, good for nothing. I can guess.

However, like most of my faults, I like to view this particular affliction in the most positive light possible.

I tell myself that at least I’m not one of those lazy procrastinators. It's not like I am stretched out on the lounge in my PJs watching Mad Men episodes back to back and gorging on leftover chocolate eggs. And nor am I am lazing out on the deck in the gorgeous Autumn sunshine with a cocktail and the latest self help book in hand.

Although come to think of it I did try a bit of the latter last week.
I was looking for some inspiration to help me focus on the things that matter. Like my job.

I started to read Eckhart Tolle's, The Power of Now.  Sheesh...

Sorry Oprah, I know it rocked your world but it may as well have been a Superman comic for all the good it did me. I'm already as Zen as I am going to get. In fact, I live in the Here and Now so much that I couldn’t be bothered if the consequences of what I do HERE, NOW, TODAY mean that I will be sacked TOMORROW and end up with no FUTURE.
No, I’m not lazy, I am just...well....busy. I like pottering, doing and achieving stuff in the now. I have a sense of purpose. It's just that none of it is a burning priority, helps pay the bills or actually matters.

Take my Sunday morning as a prime example.

My plan today was to do that urgent work and not get distracted until it was done.

I woke early and made coffee.

And all was going well until my gaze lingered on the fruit bowl a little longer than was absolutely necessary.  Oh my, I thought, those bananas are going brown.

I detest over ripened fruit, food wastage and given all those starving people in third world countries...yada, yada. So before I knew it I was pulling ingredients out of the cupboard to make a banana cake (no, not to actually send the cake to Africa, although fair point to you for thinking this may have been a possible outcome).

Then I looked in the fridge for what seemed like ages. It was overrun with greens I’d bought to make the slightly questionable juice I've been inhaling over recent weeks. So naturally I thought that it would be more productive to make the day's juice now given I would be so busy later.

So, after whipping up my latest green concoction, I was then forced to clean the whole kitchen from top to bottom. I am sure I saw some green splatters on the floor, the blinds…..no, I so did.

I then sat down for a moment to drink the alkaline green goodness. Ah yes, I was really impressed with what the parsley brought to the mix even though I am still hoping, rather malignantly, that sugar will make a comeback in medical circles. This then led me to decide that I absolutely needed to buy and plant more herbs in the garden. Here and Now of course while the weather was perfect, as opposed to later when rain was expected.

So, rather than drive, like I have every other time, I decided to get some exercise and Vitamin D and walk to the Garden Centre.

When I returned some 90 minutes later I planted the herbs, watered them and then gazed at the green expanse of lawn before me. And I can tell you if that bloody next door neighbour had the common decency to have left me something to mow, it would have been the perfect time for me to cut the grass too.

I then wandered inside and made the mistake of opening my iPad.  For just a wee look. An hour passed. Just like that. I am not sure how that happened except I have six months worth of blogs to catch up on. You all have incredibly busy lives, did you know?

I reluctantly closed the iPad but then suddenly had a thought about another silly cartoon about Ageing. Before I could forget the idea, I had to jot it down (see the collection so far here - a body of work that any self respecting pre-schooler would be happy to own).

Finally, after all that activity, I was ready to start the dreaded real work.

I held my breath and checked my email. As expected – my Boss had emailed me to ask if I would have the work completed by tomorrow.

"Yes, of course", I replied, “..... just finalising it now.”

Can you detect fear and lies between the lines of an email I wonder?

Guilt, headaches and nerves are closing in. I’ve got to rush people of the Internet. I've real work to do. Well as soon as I finish this blog post, that is.

How hard is it to JUST DO IT?

Any tips and tricks to overcome this insidious disease let me know.

Of course I will read them.... LATER....it's just that I'm so incredibly busy right ABOUT NOW.

I may have also decided to have some cake now rather then later .....sigh, sometimes procrastination has a place in our lives.

43 comments:

  1. This reminds me of a skit Ellen DeGeneres did on procrastination.  I would hate to leave you a link and find out that you spent hours watching youtube clips.  I rationalize that it's not procrastination but thorough critical thinking of the problem/task at hand.  No rushed decisions here.

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  2. Lilly,
    loved the way you put it. It looks so damn justified in the eyes of another PROCRASTINATORn*ie moi* . I am sure I am close second if not as good as you .
    I am one 'fighter' basically ......a fire fighter to be specific . I throw water eaach time there is a fire by digging a well , fetching water and this makes some other matters urgent which soon culminate into burning issues.
    So, in effect  I am not lazing but I am still procrastinating.
    If you get any help about this  , please forward me 'later'or asap.

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  3. Oh Lilly I needed a smile today and you my friend delivered it in spades!!
    I am a great procrastinator too.  Here I am reading your blog when I should be working on my ancestry and organising my 2011 photos.
    Your banana cake looks really yummy....my favourite type of cake.
    Love you mate
    Peggy xxxxx

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  4. He he Peggy. In the middle of my work but just thought I would check my email. What are you going to do with your photos - photo books. I love them and have to make some more. Love you too mate! xx

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  5. Kirti, Another one. Perhaps all bloggers are procrastinators. If only we could all blog for a living then we would be in our element hey? Yes I am with you, all this frenzy making things twice as hard as they need to be. I will pass on any tips that come my way. Take Care.

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  6. Ok, Lisleman since I do love me some Ellen, please see if you can find the link and I will post it here too. I think you can post it in the comments now. You can post images anyway. Thorough citical thinking of the problem. Yeah I did that and found the problem was me, lol. HAve a great Sunday my friend. As industrious as you choose it to be.

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  7. Michael Horvath15 April 2012 at 22:11

    I just remember that I control my actions. My commitment has power over motivation. Why does the coach yell at halftime when he just did that at the beginning of the game? To motivate his players as motivation is very short lived. Commitment stays with me whether I am motivated or not. 

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  8. Thanks Michael. Commitment over motivation. I get it. Thanks for dropping by and leaving a comment. I appreciate it.

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  9. Yesterday was the industrious day for us.  thank
    enjoy

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9SWJRwvHb4

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  10. your cake looks delicious!  It is hard to get around to doing real work, I know what you're saying!  Sometimes I will decide to do the stuff I hate first, but not often!

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  11. Oh I have days like that too! I think it's a sign of a great mind. We can make things "happen" out of nothing. HA!

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  12. Love you Betty. I like your take on it, ha ha.

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  13. I need to do that Christine, life would be so much easier.

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  14. Oh no, hope you managed to get the work done. I think that is a problem most of th epopulation have really. Especailly when the weather is great. Oh to be focused and committed like Mr Horvath. something we all can strive for. In the mean time, can you pass that yummy cake in my direction?

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  15. That is so funny. I love Ellen too. Thanks for finding that Lisleman.

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  16. All I can say YOU ARE NOT ALONE and I feel much better now. Let's have cake first...

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  17. Hello my friend, I wish we could have cake. How about you travel to Australia some time...

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  18. What's the hurry? You'll do things when you get around to them, and when that doesn't work for you anymore, you'll be more on top of it. Until then, life isn't a race, it's a journey:)

    Hugs!

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  19. Thanks, that's true. Shame I have to keep to someone else's schedule, maybe that is the bit I need to reconsider.

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  20. What it means is that you are not really doing what you want to do. Maybe you can reconsider that work situation and change jobs perhaps? Maybe it doesn't engage you enough to want to do it and is just bringing stress into your live. you will never die of a heart attack though because you see the funny side to everything and make the rest of us feel so much better.

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  21. Hey Anton, yep you are right. I don't like what I am doing at the moment so tend to put it in the too hard basket. I need to take action now and change that. No I worry and laugh at the same time, lol

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  22. Ah procrastination! I recently did a post on that too...I am great at procrastinating when it comes to having to work on reports and stuff like that...stuff I don't like! :) 

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  23. I will have to go and check out your post. Maybe you can give me free therapy, lol. Yes, it's the reports for me too.

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  24. Nearly done. I feel better that it's nearly done. Cake coming your way.

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  25. Me? I "do it" too often and too quickly, with little concern for the consequences. Guess that's why I'm always in trouble :)

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  26. LOL..it just means you better keep doing it..slow and steady wins the race.

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  27. I can so relate to that, Lilly-- Putting things off. I do it all the time.  BUt for me, it seems to go in cycles--  Crazy productive then crazy lazy with no warning whatsoever.

    As for your boss asking for work on Sunday-- That doesn't seem fair (or is that my excuse not to do it til tomorrow???)

    Good to hear from you.  xo jj

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  28. Nice to see you drop by JJ. Well the Sunday thing is only because I should have been doing it the previous week, lol. Because, gee I was putting it off and doing other, clearly more critical stuff.

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  29. I kept meaning to write a comment on your blog but got distracted and finally here I am. Oh yes, join the club I am a shocker at finding better things to do then the thing that really matters. Looks like most of your readers are members. Something about bloggers perhaps...

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  30. You had me laughing for the entire post!  I can relate as well :)
    One thing that helps me to focus on the "really matters" matters... is to create a list.  I know, it's another way to procrastinate, to make a list, but it does work :)  

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  31. Actually I could do that. I used to once so maybe I will start again, thanks Aleta.

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  32. There is something about bloggers actually, lol xx

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  33. Not sure what you can do about the procrastination but that cake sure as he'll looks good.

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  34. Didn't you just blog about Jenny Craig, if she allows carrot cake and i could look like Mel I am joining.

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  35. Why is my avatar on here a gorilla another the sweet flower others get......

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  36. As long as the cake is shrink wrapped and in some kind of cardboard packaging Sorry JC works but I am not entrely convinced its food you are eating. Scary really. Portion control is what works so you can have a small piece, lol

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  37. Haidie and Sue, are you gals fighting over cake again, ha ha. Someone gave me a heap of Jenny Craig food as they were moving. I just do not get how it could be healthy either. It is in plastic, sachets, cardboard boxes and strangely the use by dates are way in the future. Not sure what must be in the food but it cannot be right. The servings are small though and I agree that is the trick. Eat less but you got to try and eat real food at least not manufactured glob.

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  38. God, my eyes are so bad I can't even recognise what the picture is. I have no idea but whatever it is its kind of cute, no?

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  39. OldOldLady Of The Hills18 April 2012 at 14:04

    I finally figured out that I have to go to your blog from my Blogroll on my sidebar--Going to it from the link in your comment, sent me to some very strange page and then...I had to find your posts, etc., etc.....
    ANYWAY....., I really loved this post, Lilly.....And maybe your are procrastinating on some projects, but I think you got a hell of a lot done.....! CONGRATS on everything you DID accomplish, my dear....!

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  40. Oh you are the sweetest Naomi. Don't forget I am going to dedicate my post on the Hollywood movie star who lived near me to you. Every time I think LA, Hollywood or Awards I think of you. xx

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  41. Hey Lilly,
    I consider myself to be a prolific procrastinator! It's so funny to read your post and say yeah, uh -hu, oh that's right, mmm hummm, yep that's me. HA... I have 2 or 3 hours of work I promised my boss to turn in yesterday since I took the day off. Well, after I decided that he probably wouldn't have looked at it until Monday, that gave me the weekend to complete the task. I cancelled plans with my stepmom this morning to "complete my task". After brushing my teeth I noticed my cosmetics were a mess on my bathroom counter. After reorganizing the medicine cabinet, refolding all my towels, organizing the supplies under the sink, and scrubbing the sink I came to the conclusion that Sunday would be a much better day to complete the "task".  

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  42. Oh yes! I so relate. How funny. I hope you get the work done. I think we are related! Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment.

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Thanks for your comments.