Put things off for ages but then they only take a short time to do - why?

[HowToStopThis9]

I don’t know if this is procrastination or tied to constantly feeling overloaded and tired but...

Does anyone else put things off for ages, but then when they do it, they find it only took a short amount of time to do?

I have just finished a project report for work, that I have been putting off for over two months. It has been weighing at the back of my mind for all this time. Yet, I completed it in 50 minutes.

What is that about??

I have unconsciously been feeling a little bit sick and anxious about it for all this time, when in fact I could have done it in less than one hour. And I’m like this with so many things and so many tasks. Why??!

This is me. I hate it but have tried to change and can't. Someone mentioned therapy? How would you go about that?

@ user1497207191 in theory, I like that idea, but my job is one where I can get unexpected new tasks landed on me, so I simply can’t complete them on that day. I would love to go home with an empty inbox but the nature of the best is that there is always a list of things to do and my work is never ‘done’ for the day.

This is me! I don't like the feeling of being under pressure but somehow I always seem to put myself in that situation as I will put off things until the very last minute. My whole being knows that it will be much easier to do at the time but for some reason I just can't seem to do it!!

I put off things that require good quality decisions but don't have a fixed deadline, due to tiredness.

I've got about 1.5 hrs of such task to do this evening. Even though I'm shattered. Wish me luck!

user1497207191 sounds a nice idea in practice, only touching stuff once, but there are parts of my job that relies on information coming in from other people, which is always problematic and you end up chasing those other people.

My old boss had a motto - JFDI!!! Just Fucking Do It!

She was very efficient (and great to work for - I must channel her more).

sounds a nice idea in practice, only touching stuff once, but there are parts of my job that relies on information coming in from other people, which is always problematic and you end up chasing those other people.

So does mine. But I do what I can, then wait for the other person to do their bit. It doesn't stay on my desk or in an intray or on a to do list. I have a reminder system set up where the other person gets regular email reminders until they do what they need to do. When they email me to say they've done it, it becomes "my" task again and I deal with it. My "one touch" is setting up the reminder system and then I don't need to think about it again until they do it.

I found ‘do it tomorrow’ a really useful book on time management

I also do two things with the big tasks that I am putting off. One is say ‘I’m just going to print off the papers/look up that article I need/find that persons phone number/create the title page of the powerpoint’. You get the idea. It tricks the mind into thinking that we’re not really actually going to do this thing. By the time you print off the papers and cast your eye over them as you wait for the rest to print off, you’re already working on it before you know it.

The other thing is working in a different place. So if I’ve already done the print it off trick and need to actually read/make notes/ sketch out my response. Then I physically move myself to somewhere else in the office Often I only need to sit there for 10-15 minutes to get the juices flowing and then I know how I need to response and am ready to make a call/write an email/draft a document.

I have improved this in the past year or so. I too wrote my dissertation in three days, pulling all nighters to do it and was so stressed. I used to think I thrived in stress and worked better closer to a deadline.

Now I try the same attitude as someone mentioned above - if it takes a couple of minutes to do something, just do it.

I don't follow her house cleaning plan (not organised enough for that yet) But something from the team TOMM struck a chord - be your "future friend" -ie do stuff now to make you life easier later. So I find it more motivating to clean the kitchen now after tea than to leave it all for the morning when I'm rushing.

I think I'll always be a bit lazy. I'm just marginally less so than I was last year.

I blame Mumsnet, i spend far too much time on here 😆