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Original poster

To think no one procrastinates as much as me

113 replies

Mumtumwhatever · 21/02/2015 21:38

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!

OP posts:
Original poster
Mumtumwhatever · 22/02/2015 23:03

DrFox, I agree, I'm organised when it comes to sorting out my house/finances/seeing friends etc but it's still work projects that I delay and keep me up late at night. :(

OP posts:
DrFoxtrot · 22/02/2015 23:22

We are exactly the same then! I've no answers. I do seem to work well with pressure, but I haven't got anything to compare it with! I'd like to say I produce my best work last minute but I don't know if the work would be of higher standard with more time. It all seems to work out in the end...Smile

SoleSource · 23/02/2015 02:19

I have to dry DS's cloths for school tomorrow, I also need the loo. I'll do it in a bit.

I feel it is low self esteem, self sabotage, anxiety, depression even a low, low level of.

Why aren't we valuing ourselves better?

I blame verbal abuse from my Father, telling me i'm worthless

WeatherWatchingWitch · 23/02/2015 22:15

Anyone else been meaning to get back to this thread and didn't get round to it? :o

Gallic / Majestic - you both posted the link to the monkey mind thing which is absolutely the best description of procrastination that I've ever read. The dark playground. I spend half my bloody life there Sad

I would definitely be up for a 'support thread' with fellow procrastinators. Where would be a good section for it?

WeatherWatchingWitch · 23/02/2015 22:17

(At least I got round to posting rather than just reading - score me! :o )

AWholeLottaNosy · 23/02/2015 22:58

It's funny there was a similar thread to this last year and someone suggested a support thread. I can't recall if it ever actually happened tho...hmmm?

TwatFaceBitch · 23/02/2015 23:02

How would a support thread work?

AWholeLottaNosy · 23/02/2015 23:33

One way would be to commit to some goals, break them down into daily tasks ( small steps) and then report back when you had done them... Or not. Smile

WeatherWatchingWitch · 24/02/2015 00:18

Funny isn't it? Lots of procrastinators never getting round to setting up a support thread... :o

AWholeLottaNosy · 24/02/2015 00:33

I remember when I was studying law, I had a v organised friend on the course and when it came to revising for the exams, we worked out a timetable for a whole month where we would revise the same subjects at the same time and support each other with it. It was brilliant as it made a seemingly overwhelming task manageable and we were also accountable to each other. ( and we passed them! )

CanadianJohn · 24/02/2015 00:51

We don't have any curtains in the house. We've only been here 20 years. (We have mini-blinds, that came with the house.)

I'm so bad I don't even want to look at a list of what I should be doing, why scare myself.

AppleYumYum · 24/02/2015 00:57

This is me too! I'm terrible. I even bought some eat that frog book about beating procrastination, which I've been putting off reading for about four years... Shock

OhNoNotPooAgain · 24/02/2015 01:27

I'd be up for a support thread! My procrastination has got so bad I've got to retake my last unit at uni as I was 5 minutes late handing my coursework in. Why do I do it to myself?!?!?!

In my search for something to help I've come across this guy, he's a psychology professor who researches procrastination and has a website with tons of helpful links. He also does a podcast.
http-server.carleton.ca/~tpychyl/

[Goes off to read yet more about procrastination instead of doing uni work...]

OhNoNotPooAgain · 24/02/2015 01:29

I absolutely love the monkey procrastination articles! I've printed them out and going to stick the diagram above my desk to remind me not to get drawn into Mumsnet the Dark Playground

TheCatsFlaps · 24/02/2015 01:52

Been there, got the tshirt, OP Grin

Shit happens and the world goes on, no sense in knocking out your pan for some reward. Or as a colleague once said "just smoke copious amounts of pot silly!!!"

PrimalLass · 24/02/2015 11:33

I'm going back to work in an office. At half the hourly rate I get from working freelance. I just waste so much time at home, and can't bring myself to actually do the work. I will probably live to regret it, but think I'll be better under someone's watchful eye.

PrimalLass · 24/02/2015 11:36

I love this one. It sums up my whole life.

To think no one procrastinates as much as me
TwatFaceBitch · 24/02/2015 11:46

Oh here i am again, dh away house needs tidying it's not bad will take 15mins tops, but will probably be done 5 mins before school pick up. I have 2 things I HAVE to do today, maybe 3, but I'm in the process of mentally working out how I can maybe manage without it being done until tomorrow?

Have made endless lists of stuff that really need dealing wwith. The list is stuck on the cupboard were the coffee and tea are so I can't miss it. But unfortunately I have the same list on the door for over a year as after a while of blatantly ignoring it it becomes another part of the furniture and completely unnoticed. I had a different list before most of the same things on that was also up for more than a year. It had got dog-eared so I wrote the present one.

squoosh · 24/02/2015 12:00

This thread has sparked me into action to be honest. I really don't want procrastination to be one of my defining traits!

I've started decluttering the cupboard of doom (it's 6 feet wide and 12 feet high and holds a lot of crap).
I've scrubbed my kitchen from top to bottom and removed anything that doesn't need to be there.
I've arranged for a plasterer to come and fix the ceiling I've been meaning to get around to for four years.
I'm having my my boiler serviced this week, been on my list for 6 months.

I'm starting to rather enjoy lists!

TwatFaceBitch · 24/02/2015 12:11

squoosh
I love days like that, were motivation kicks in. I will try and take your lead and do something.

I maybe sometime

MajesticWhine · 24/02/2015 13:21

  • Gallic / Majestic - you both posted the link to the monkey mind thing

Ah, didn't realise Gallic had already posted it. Yes, it's really good. I found it really quite inspiring. And I've been trying to find the solution to this problem of mine for years. Infact I worked really quite hard this morning (for me) as a result of reading those articles. You do realise that being on mumsnet means we're in the dark playground though don't you Grin

As for the support thread. Well this is good for now. But otherwise we could put it in Mental health (bit depressing / pathologising?) or there is a mysterious topic area called Other Subjects.

MajesticWhine · 24/02/2015 13:27

sorry previous post addressed to WeatherWatchingWitch (and everyone else)

TwatFaceBitch · 24/02/2015 13:38

I'm baaaaaack

I arranged 2 important to things

forgotten what the 3thing I was supposed to be doing now Confused
And I did my 15min tidy.
I'm now going to make list.
See maybe I just need inspiration for motivation?

GallicIsCharlie · 24/02/2015 15:25

I even procrastinated being born! - Aaaahahahahaaaah! Me too Grin I was 3 weeks late. My mother and I are both terrible procrastinators / something more urgent right now / approximate timekeepers. We collaborated right from the start on that Hmm

Stevie, that is hilarious about your anti-procrastination book purchase!

I'm not joining any support threads. They make me depressed. I will join in any self-deluding mutual pompom waving for on-deadline performance, though Wink I've done the therapy. And - belatedly, hah - accepted that this is one of my less glorious personal foibles.

Here, everyone, have a bunch of Flowers Sorry they look a bit wilted, I bought them for you yesterday but left them in the boot. They'll be okay if you cut the stems & plunge them in ice-cold water ...

WeatherWatchingWitch · 24/02/2015 17:02

Gallic :o

I've done quite a bit today, partly because I had a meeting with a business mentor who was very, 'You go, girlfriend!' So now I'm making the dinner and singing 'Eye of the Tiger' in my head

Tasks for the week:

  • Have meeting with accountant
  • Sack accountant
  • Find new accountant who does not legally mug me overcharge me

Everything else achieved will be a bonus.