Does anyone else leave all their important work until it gets urgent?

[Synny]

I'm not great at my job because I don't prioritise my work well.

I pick out all the easy stuff and leave the more important work until it becomes urgent, then frantically try and complete in a short period of time.

I think procrastination plays a big part in it and probably an element of self doubt.

Is everyone out there merrily getting on with their work in the most efficient order, or can any relate to the awful way I work?

I’m the complete opposite! I only cope by prioritising the important jobs, fitting the easier/ less important stuff in the breaks. It’s an anxiety thing for me.

I have a very challenging job which I didn’t really want and don’t enjoy much and only cope by keeping on top of my work.

I’ve always got a to do list on the go and love ticking things off.

I used to then my dr gave me medication called Zyban and since then I have worked methodical, no dithering, always on track. I recommend it!

Yes this is my weakness. I’m terrible. And addicted to my phone

At work I have a reputation for being incredibly organised and efficient. In reality I’m the world’s biggest procrastinator. I never, ever miss a deadline though, and I also think the time I spend thinking about starting something is actually really useful when I come to actually do the thing - all that thinking time isn’t wasted time, it’s a part of the process.

I could have written this. I currently have a presentation I need to write that I've been putting off. But I know that I'll get it done and when I'm in a position where I have no choice but to sit down and write it, it will basically write itself because I've been drafting it in my head for ages.

I used to be like this. I'm not one of life's natural planners.
But my job requires me to be one and I have reluctantly got a lot better at it and found to my astonishment that it does make life smoother.
I still put off doing anything financial to the last minute though. I find it really triggering.

I'm the same, I have ADHD - explains an awful lot tbh.

@RincewindsHat :

"How do you do it though? Are you always busy? No. I work, I have loads of downtime. Rarely busy.
How do you cope with your to do list, isn't it always getting longer? I rarely have a yo-do list, because I action everything. And how do you prioritise when you have eleventy billion things to do - I never do.
and feel completely overwhelmed? I rarely get overwhelmed. If I ever do, I talk to Dh, tell him I've got too much on and he'll do something: like do all the shopping and arrange dinners for the next couple of days.

I find it easy. It comes naturally to me. I've always found it easy, even as a child.

I'm guilty of what I call perfectionism procrastination. I know I'll never be satisfied with anything I do so I cut out the hours of agonising about what I need to change to achieve perfection by going to the wire and delivering good enough. I really hate it. I wish I could accept that perfection isn't necessary.

I am very organised in a practical sense so I can spend lots of time thinking about things and making sure I have everything I need to get a job done, I just delay starting until the 11th hour.

I really do try to focus on the big priorities. That's because in my line of work it benefits from consultation, input and feedback from other people to polish and improve the outcome - so I need to be ahead of the game so I can refine my work. If I don't plan effectively the work won't be good enough. And I like to do quality work.

But we all prevaricate - that's life. I often find the little nigglely things I put off often end up being way easier than I think. They get more troublesome and problematic the longer you leave them. Mole hills grow into mountains.

In my experience people who can't prioritise don't progress as well as those who can - whatever the level of talent. It's an important skill.

I'm can't afford to be too last minute in my job and I get very frustrated by those who I manage who are. I'm performance managing Mr Last Minute at the moment. Shame really - he's very smart.

Is it ADHD medication?

Yep, and I struggled with it throughout my life to the point I would end up leaving jobs because I became overwhelmed with my poor ability to plan, time blindness etc. All school work, and then university assignments were mad-dash, last 24 hours, hyper focused situations etc.

Diagnosed with ADHD earlier this year, it all makes sense, medication has pretty much changed my life.

Totally me - I wrote my entire last masters assignment the day before it was due in, having had six months to do it. But my brain thinks there is no need to change as I got a good grade!

I trained as a journalist so the last minute deadlines suited me, and now I’m a teacher where everything is pretty in the moment too. I can’t make myself start things that have long deadlines until they are looming. And I get so annoyed with myself that I haven’t started sooner but don’t seem to be able to change.

It’s not just you!

Yes I do this. Every time I meet a deadline by the skin of my teeth after immense stress I swear to change my ways. But I never do.

I once said in a performance appraisal that I thought I procrastinated too much on the tasks I knew were going to be more difficult - and my boss just said she thinks pretty much everyone does this, it's completely human. So I try not to beat myself up about that anymore. If you're not prioritising stuff well in turns of urgency though that's another matter (albeit importance should factor in there too - I think there's a square diagram to do with urgency and/or importance).

I'll echo what a lot of the others have said about ADHD. This is our normal. We procrastinate because we have issues getting started with less than exciting tasks, loose motivation, have poor time keeping and time management skills (we often assume something will take less time than it does). Our brains lack dopamine, so we basically have to get ourselves in an "oh shit" situation to panic and create that dopamine hit that will allow us to start and finish a project in a relatively short amount of time. This will have gone on most of our lives throughout senior school, uni and work.

If this sounds familiar, I'd suggest looking into an ADHD diagnosis. There's a huge number of women who have been missed and forgotten about when they were younger because we can cope better (and differently) than boys / men can. Until sometime later in life it all gets too much and comes crashing down on us 😕

I’m a nightmare procrastinator. It’s not at all uncommon for me to fanny around all day then work til midnight on something that is close to deadline.

Interestingly I have a professional reputation for being ruthlessly efficient and always on top of my brief. I think it is because I chose a profession that is basically built up from deadlines so I have to hit them. I have also noticed that I set myself deadlines by stating publicly when I am going to deliver something which forces me to do it.

Homelife is a different matter, I only do things when I am forced by circumstances. Good example is that a professional colleague is coming to dinner tonight and in the last 24-36 hours I have cleaned the windows (last done in February ), washed the hard floors (last done at Christmas), etc. all jobs that have been on my list for months and I have been forced into to make my home match my professional facade.

I am always exhausted.

I’m terrible for this and always have been (deadline tomorrow and still procrastinating now). I’m seeing a lot of mentions of ADHD here. Is it normally linked?

It’s a classic ADHD symptom. Being totally unable to start tasks until they are extremely urgent. Then panic hyper focusing your way through them at the last minute.

It’s enormously stressful and draining. When people talk about hyper focus as an ADHD superpower, i just wonder if they’ve thought how horrible and exhausting the reality of this is.

Lots of people procrastinate and put things off. But it’s not quite the same as executive dysfunction in ADHD.

Yes, I think it is ADHD. CBT and therapy help, there's a book called Overcoming Procrastination by Windy Dryden which helps. Frames procrastination as an anxiety management technique, just a bad one. Once you view it this way it is easier to manage.

I have had 6 weeks to do lots of things that I didn't have time to do in term time.

I am back in work tomorrow, wondering how I'm going to get them all done today.

Except, I'm currently sitting on my sofa, spending my last day of freedom, worrying about not using my day efficiently and not fully enjoying my time.

I haven't worked for years but I am the worst for procrastinating in all areas.
I put off everything until the last minute sometimes it pays off and I get in the zone and do my best work but often it doesn't work out.
I've missed holidays because I haven't got my passport sorted in time,
incurred charges for missing payments even though I have the money to pay it, kept things I don't want because I've missed the deadline for sending them back.
I'm very good at writing lists, buying planners and setting reminders but I never use them.
I'm sitting on MN right now even though in less than an hour I have guests coming and I need to shower, vacuum and go to the shop for food to feed them!

Yes chronic procrastinator here too. Terrible at school coursework, great at exams. Up til 3am on deadline day writing essays at uni. Work left to build up and then all done at once at the very last moment possible. Always have to do a massive pre-visitor clean.

I can't do anything bit by bit or methodically, it's always left to become one huge task that needs doing urgently. Need a kick up the arse basically but I've always been like this!

No

But I do put off the , ring the companies who will keep you on hold for 15 mins, things

I've doing doing an OU degree for the last 6 years, last assignment is in today. I started it properly yesterday, 5,000 word project, plus a load of navel gazing reflection although Ive done most of that bit, I've had 6 months to make a proper dent, had already collected some articles etc. I have no excuse I dont work in the summer holidays, my DD is ace at giving me time to study I just havent been able to motivate myself to complete it. I've thoroughly had enough of studying and staring at a computer screen (although doesnt stop me being on here!). After a poor grade on an assignment earlier on in the year due to covid it doesnt matter if I get 40% or 100% Ill get the same pass grade as that assignment brings it down which doesnt help my motivation.

Yes but I have ADHD (very recently diagnosed as an adult)