To think no one procrastinates as much as me

[Mumtumwhatever]

I have a serious problem. I put things off until I jeopardise deadlines (but never actually miss them), work projects, personal to dos, taxes etc and I stress out about them, nightmare about them and then when I do them I realise they were either easy and I should have done them earlier and saved the stress or I should have started them earlier because they will take forever and I have to pull 3 all nighters to finish them. Why don't I just get on with it instead of distracting myself with mumsnet, DM Online, emails and Facebook??? I know what I need to do but I just don't. I'm watching Take Me Out now (I'm bloody 40 years old!) and I should be starting a work project. I honestly need help!

There must be some (minor) primitive benefit otherwise why would procrastination be as widespread as it is?

Accepting I work like this has made a big difference to me - I agree that the things that need to get done will always be done.

I'm so the same, although I feel so good when some things are done its like I can't let myself feel completely good so I have to just leave a few things undone...strange

Apparently my mum had to take castor oil to get me out as I even procrastinated being born! Hmmm maybe it's just a genetic thing...(hopeful)

I am definitely a procrastinator! My assignments for college are being done a few lines a day, I have forms to fill in for DD1s school residential trip, a letter to write to exMIL requesting DC passports back needed for the already mentioned school trip, thank you letters from my DC for Christmas presents to be written, an overpayment of tax credits to pay back, library books to take back to the library that are months over due, a house that is messy most of the time, a toilet roll holder and curtain rail that needs to be put up, walls that need to be painted, a car that needs to be cleaned ect ect.

I thought I was just lazy!

i am exactly the same- I put off doing work, Which i do from home. I then spend hours working late and rushing to meet deadlines.

The thing is I like lounging around, watching TV, mnetting, walking the dog, cleaning, anything rather than what I'm supposed to do.

I'm 49 fgs

I'm glad I've found like minded people here.

I'm up marking at 2.28 in the morning as results need to be done by monday morning as I'm out all day tomorrow. I started at about 12.30am and clearly off task at the moment as on mumsnet (and watching eastenders - clearly i can multitask in my procrastinating).

oh and I read this thread first at about 10pm and thought about posting then but its taken until now to reply.

I'm going to feel like shit in the morning as I've got to be up in 6 hours and I'm only about a 1/4 of the way through my papers.

I'm one too. I've just accepted it's who I am. If I am struggling to get a job done, I set the timer for 15 minutes.

Uuf, another one here. I think my procrastination is absolutely my worst defect, but has had so many consequences, yuck

Come on everybody - what can we DO about it??!

I'm wondering if it's linked to anxiety

Another one here.... With me, mix of perfectionism, lack of interest in said task... Sometimes..

Several things help me...

Give suitable tasks to others if youre taking on too much.

Use pomodoro technique for heavy brain tasks.

Await and see how much your procrastination is costing you,... at what point the price gets too much.? Ensure youre at this point and it'll be amazing how much stuff gets done!!

Are you me? Ha ha I completely sympathise. I leave everything to the last minute, & go through life in a constant panic.

This thread makes me feel so much better.

I am finally amongst friends

But everything does get done right? The works good enough etc?

Then actually you're fabulous at working to tight deadlines and really good at working under pressure

Turn it into a positive.

I'm the queen of procrastination - wrote my dissertation 23 hours before it was due in (from scratch) - wrote for the entire 23 hours. Got a 2:1 in it.

Ever since then (more than 20 years ago) ive had to realise I only really work when I have to. The key is to not worry about it - that's easier said than done obviously - and start to trust yourself that you will get it done because you always have,

But I do think that the quality of my life would be improved if I could get stuff done sooner. Life would also be a lot less stressful and chaotic.

I also think the root of it must be perfectionism and fear of failure, also maybe something called the Jonah complex or fear of your own brilliance! I CAN get assignments in on time but they would be so much better if I started them on time and didn't panic like a lone at the end!

I started typing an answer to this thread then though oh no, I'll do it later

I'm at uni and I know we're supposed to be like this but it does turn out to be a problem simply because of the guilt. I've just decided to try and not feel guilty about it. Because then you really get nothing done. Last term I didn't really go to many lectures and didn't know most of the syllabus until a few days before I was supposed to hand in my essays or do the presentation or sit the exam. But having the pressure there puts you in a sort of hyperfocus mood. You don't need breaks, you can just work through the day, it's like you don't even think about whether it's interesting or whether you're motivated cos you're on another level. It's great. Maybe that's just what's natural for me, and you lot. And I got my grades back and well, they haven't suffered :)

I just trust that I'll get "the buzz" enough time before deadline and it will be ok and not to panic. Suppose it reaches into another domain really- learning to be laid back.

But then maybe the guilt feeds the buzz! Oh no. What to do.

I need to stop procrastinating; it costs me so much.

DH and I would both like another baby, but I have found it limiting being unable to drive with DC1. As we're intending a more rural (village, not middle of nowhere) move in a couple of years, it's really important to do this. But I don't. Tomorrow, next week, I'll identify the perfect driving instructor, and then I'll learn. Except I never do, even though I may miss out on another baby (and it's not some 'maybe you're sabotaging to avoid actually having DC2' situation.)

With University essays that contributed toward my final grade, I not only wouldn't get them done in time, I would calculate like this: "if I write it to 1st standard, I can hand it in one week late, and with 10 marks deducted for lateness, I'll still end up with a 2:1 for this piece". Twice, pieces that were each 8% of my final classification were handed in so late they went from 1st to 2:2 because they had 15% deducted for lateness by the time I wrote them (each time in one sitting overnight with loads of fags and cherry Coke).

The other day, I got notice from Royal Mail that my redirection was expiring. In three months since moving, I had only changed address for one company. I failed to renew my redirect (3 min task) until days after it had elapsed, so mail will go to my old address for the next week until it kicks back in. No too important (identity theft aside…) but WHY did I not do it.

I have been on the same mobile contract for at least 6 years. I barely use it and have paid hundreds unnecessarily for a deal I don't need.

I opened one of those 4% interest current accounts last year (yay! I did something) but didn't move in the two direct debits required to actually get that interest rate until last week (boo). About £150 lost.

Writing this out makes me feel ridiculous and powerless and self-sabotaging. Is this going to turn into a 'support each other to kick ourselves up the arse' thread?

Here too, Dad says I've inherited it from him. So I blame him.

I find it so frustrating sometimes, I really want to do something I know it's not hard or will take long, but I get an almost dred before doing it so end up doing something else. But if I've left it to be an emergency or if there IS an emergency were quick thinking cool headed efficiency is suddenly needed, I seem to spin into action and I could move mountains, write hundreds official emails make difficult phone calls everything and organise other people. Once it's all over and dealt with the next day can I write a follow up email? Can I bollocks.

These articles are quite good actually. First one could be the one you referred to squoosh.

waitbutwhy.com/2013/10/why-procrastinators-procrastinate.html

waitbutwhy.com/2013/11/how-to-beat-procrastination.html

To do list:

1. Write 'to do list'

I've got a job interview tomorrow, I'm meant to be preparing for it, but I'm just putting it off by doing other stuff.

I know that I'll be ready for it, and I know how important it is, but I just can't get my head together to prep right now

I read this whole thread whilst completely parched, because I was putting off getting a drink. For NO reason. What on earth could be worth procrastinating about getting a sodding glass of water? Nothing - there is no possible benefit to me to not getting a drink. If I wrote as much for work as I do on MN, I would be earning about three times what I am!

I'll read the thread later.

Let me tell you this first.

Last year I decided to solve my procrastination problem once and for all. I found a book called "Stop Procrastination" (or similar) on Amazon and proceeded to load it onto my iPad kindle app.

A message came up saying I'd already bought it. Last year.

Hadn't got round to reading it, though, had I?

I didn't expect to get such a response to this thread but it's nice to hear I'm not alone! Why do we do it to ourselves?!? Some of the responses made me laugh..I too put off sleep. I think for me it is unfortunately not brilliance but anxiety and feeling that I won't be able to complete the task...however on the other hand I had very organised friends in uni who did their essays weeks before they were due and I would pull an all nighter and get a higher mark. But maybe I would prefer a lower mark and less stress! It's dangerous now because I have split from my husband (procrastination not the issue!) but now that I live in my own, I have no one nagging me to get my sh*t done so I am really descending into a pit of procrastination!! Yikes!

Mumtum that's interesting, I'm divorced and I find I'm a little more organised now - I can do things I want to and I feel in control. The apathy I had before has definitely improved.

However, I still procrastinate a lot but less if that makes sense!!

I too am sitting here DoJo, thinking about getting a brew but not quite making it to the kitchen